What Does -고 싶다 Mean? Saying 'I Want To' in Korean
10-Second Answer
-고 싶다 attaches to a verb stem to mean "want to [verb]." 가다 (go) → 가고 싶어요 ("I want to go"). It's one of the easiest patterns in Korean — no irregular vowel rule, just stem + 고 싶어요.
The Pattern
| Verb | Stem + 고 싶어요 |
|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가고 싶어요 — want to go |
| 먹다 (eat) | 먹고 싶어요 — want to eat |
| 보다 (see/watch) | 보고 싶어요 — want to see/watch |
| 자다 (sleep) | 자고 싶어요 — want to sleep |
No vowel-harmony headaches here — 고 attaches to any stem the same way, regardless of its last vowel.
Quick Examples
한국에 가고 싶어요.
hanguk-e gago sipeoyo.
I want to go to Korea.
이거 먹고 싶어요.
igeo meokgo sipeoyo.
I want to eat this.
너무 보고 싶어요.
neomu bogo sipeoyo.
I miss you so much.
Literally: I want to see [you] so much.
보고 싶다 doubles as "to miss (someone)" — a K-drama/K-pop staple line.
About Other People: -고 싶어하다
Korean grammar is sensitive about claiming to know someone else's internal feelings directly. For a THIRD person's wants, add 하다:
| Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I / you (asking) | -고 싶어요 | 저는 가고 싶어요 (I want to go) |
| He/she/they | -고 싶어해요 | 그는 가고 싶어해요 (He wants to go) |
The logic: you can state your own desires directly, but someone else's desires are technically an outside observation — 싶어하다 ("appears to want") softens that claim grammatically.
Negative and Past
가고 싶지 않아요.
I don't want to go.
Negate the 싶다 part, not the main verb.
가고 싶었어요.
I wanted to go.
Past tense on 싶다.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Using -고 싶어요 for other people
그는 가고 싶어요 sounds like you're claiming to BE him. Use 가고 싶어해요 for third parties.
Mistake #2 — Missing the 보고 싶다 = 'miss you' idiom
보고 싶어요 in a text almost always means "I miss you," not a literal "I want to see [something]."
Mini Quiz
1. How do you say "I want to eat" (먹다)?
2. Your friend texts 보고 싶어요. What do they likely mean?
3. How do you say "She wants to go" (talking about a third person)?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
What Does -지 않다 Mean? Korean Negation
You've learned wants — negation is the long-form partner to 안/못 you'll see constantly in writing and formal speech.
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.