Talk with your classmates about your weekend plans. Do you have a long list of things to do? Compare your list with your friends.

In this lesson, you will learn vocabulary and expressions necessary to talk about your future plans and events. You will also learn how to say you go somewhere to do something, and also what form you need to use to create a to-do list.

1. V–(으)ㄹ 거예요  will, am/are/is going to

The ending –(으)ㄹ 거예요 expresses the simple future. The closest translation of this ending in English is am/are/is going to. –(으)ㄹ 거예요 sentences say something about one’s intentions for the future, and they usually accompany time adverbs like 내일, 이번 주말, 다음 주, etc.

저는 내일 도서관에 갈 거예요.                    I am going to go to the library tomorrow.

All –(으) endings and suffixes, including the –(으)ㄹ 거예요 ending, are sensitive to whether the word they attach to ends in a vowel or a consonant. –(으)ㄹ 거예요 will drop 으 after verbs that end in a vowel. Verbs (and adjectives, as you will see later) that end in ㄹin some special instances act like vowel-ending verbs by dropping the ㄹ. –(으)ㄹ 거예요 is one of those instances.  (You will learn other instances as they arise):

Here are some examples:

ㄷ–irregular verbs convert their ㄷ to ㄹ AND use the full ending.

A final note about the ending –(으)ㄹ 거예요 is that it is a composite expression. –(으)ㄹ has something to do with the future, uncertainty, or incompleteness, 거 means thing, and 예요 is (a variant of) the polite form of the verb be (used after nouns ending in a vowel). Thus, you might see a form like –(으)ㄹ 것이에요, which sounds a little bookish and is found more often in writing.

2. Conjugation Practice

Complete the followingtable with the appropriate –(으)ㄹ 거예요 forms.

<Answer key> 먹을 거예요, 배울 거예요, 볼 거예요, 걸을 거예요, 마실 거예요, 쓸 거예요, 만들 거예요

1. V-(으)러 in order to V

–(으)러 is a very useful ending to learn.  To express the purpose or goal of a trip, the verb marker –(으)러 can be used after the stem of the verb.

A: 어디 가요?                            Where are you going?

B: 카페에 친구 만나러 가요.    I am going to the coffee shop to meet my friend.

Just like all other –으 suffixes, use –으러 after verbs ending in a consonant and –러 after verbs ending in a vowel.

*You should only use the verbs 가요 and 와요 in this construction. You will learn how to express “goals” using other verbs.

태권도 연습하러 태권도장에 갔어요.       I went to the Taekwondo institute to practice Taekwondo.

책을 읽으러 커피숍에 가요.                      I go to a coffee shop to read books.

한국어 배우러 한국어 수업에 와요.          I come to Korean class to learn Korean.

친구하고 걸으러 한강 공원에 가요.          I will go to Han River Park to walk with my friend.

Again, about the peculiarity of the ㄹ-ending verbs: they require that the 으 of the –(으)러 ending disappear afterㄹ-ending verbs.

한강 공원에 놀러 가요.                             People go to the Han River Park to hang out.

2. Conjugation Practice 

Complete the following table with the appropriate –(으)러 forms.

<Answer Key> 배우러, 보러, 걸으러, 마시러, 쓰러, 만들러

1. –기 nominalizer

The suffix –기 is a nominalizer, which allows verbs and adjectives to function like nouns (very much like the gerund –ing in English in Catching a cold is no fun).

읽기     reading        쓰기     writing

말하기  speaking     듣기     listening

Once verbs are changed into –기 forms, just like in English, they can act as the subject or the object of the sentence.

자전거 타기는 어려워요.     Riding a bicycle is difficult.

요리하기는 쉬워요.             Cooking is easy.

저는 말하기는 잘 하지만 쓰기는 잘 못 해요.    I am good at speaking but not very good at writing.

2. Conjugation Practice

Complete the followingtable with the appropriate –기 forms.

<Answer key> 배우기, 보기, 걷기, 마시기, 쓰기, 만들기

Listen to the conversation between Juan and Sophie and answer the following questions in Korean.

1) What is Sophie’s plan for the upcoming weekend?

2) Is Juan going to join the event? Why?

3) When are Juan and Sophie going to meet?

4) What is the event about?

Read the following text––Joonsung’s weekly planner––and complete the schedule planner in Korean. Use an online dictionary if needed.

우리 동아리는 다음 주 토요일 저녁에 한국 영화 ‘기생충’을 볼 거예요. 오후 5시에 영화를 보고 7시 30분에 짜장라면을 먹을 거예요. 후안 씨도 올 거예요. 후안 씨는 그 영화를 벌써 봤어요. 그래서  저녁 7시 30분에 짜장라면을 같이 먹으러 올 거예요.

이번 주        수:  5:30  pm   한국어 쓰기 숙제하기

1231231231금: 엄마하고 전화하기. 꼭!¹

다음 주        토:  _______

1231231231일: 빨래하기

You and your friends are talking about future plans. After the conversation, share them with the class.

How to keep your conversation going in Korean

When having a conversation in any language, there needs to be some give and take, feedback and continuity. You have learned one good way to continue a conversation in Korean: using–-은/는 to add contrast or a new topic. You can turn the question back to the other person or to yourself, adding your info or viewpoint:

서준:   주말에 뭐 할 거예요?                What are you going to do this weekend?

지안:   수영할 거예요. 서준 씨는요?    I’m going swimming at a lake. How about you?

서준:   와, 금요일이에요! 이번 주말에는 푹 쉴 거예요.

I’m so glad it’s Friday. I’m really going to rest this weekend.

지안:   저는 월요일에 시험이 있어요. 그래서 못 쉬어요!

Well, I have a test on Monday, so no resting for me!

서준: 내일 산책할 거예요.                I am going to take a walk tomorrow.

지안: 산책은 건강에 좋아요!           (Taking) walks is good for your health.

You also need to provide some feedback to show your interest. Here are some useful expressions:

Common interjections:

• 아이고 Oh, no! Oh, brother! Oh, geez! (usually to something bad)
• 어머 What? (mostly used by female speakers)
• 어 (cut short) reacts to something unexpected
• 헐 What the ~?
• 와/대박 Wow! (something amazing)

Frequently used phrases:

• 어떻게 해요/어떡해요? What are you/we gonna do? (rhetorically)
• 아, 그래요? Oh, really? yeah?
• 정말? Really?
• 진짜? Seriously?
• 와, 좋겠어요! That’ll be nice! Great! OR Lucky!

Watch some Korean conversations online – dramas or movies or vlogs – and see what conversational feedback you can pick up on.

Han River Park  (한강공원)12312312312312312312312

Image by yeon woo lee from Pixabay

What are you doing this weekend? How about heading to the Han River Park?

Han River Park (or Hangang Park) is actually made up of 12 parks/sections. It was created in the 1980s to provide peaceful green space in the middle of bustling Seoul. A revival project also began in 2007 and is ongoing, with special themes for each section of the park. The extensive park is both pride and a treasure for Seoulites and is frequently featured in Korean TV shows and movies. Many festivals take place here during the summer as well as leisure, art, and sports activities year-round!

There are wide open lawns for picnics and food stands where you can grab some instant ramyun even on a cold or rainy day. Since the park extends along the river, there is space for walking and swimming as well as paths for running and cycling. There are also soccer fields, skate parks, tennis courts, and many water-based activity areas (and rentals) such as boating, fishing, and water-skiing. In the winter, there is also sledding.

Next time you are in Seoul, head to Han River Park, have some chicken delivered and do 치맥 with friends and family!