-고자 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -고자 to any action verb, including 하다 verbs and irregular verbs.
• Close a formal sentence with -고자 합니다, "I intend to".
• Know where -고자 fits: speeches, emails, notices and official writing.
• Choose between -고자, -(으)려고 and -기 위해(서).

Prerequisites: the ending -(으)려고 and the formal polite style -ㅂ니다/습니다. Time: about 15 minutes.

Key facts

• -고자 states the purpose of an action: "in order to", "with the aim of".
• The form never changes: verb stem + 고자.
• It needs an action verb and the same subject in both clauses.
• The main clause is normally a statement, in the formal style.
• Everyday speech prefers -(으)려고. Keep -고자 for formal moments.

Listen to two model sentences.

The next section defines the pattern.

What Does -고자 Grammar Mean?

-고자 means "in order to" or "with the aim of". A connective ending is a word ending that joins one clause to the next. -고자 is a connective ending that tells the listener, "The first action is my aim, and the second action is how I pursue it."

The feeling is formal and serious. A speaker who says 발표를 하고자 이 자리에 섰습니다 sounds like someone opening a presentation. A speaker who says 도움을 드리고자 연락드렸습니다 sounds like someone writing a polite business email. The ending belongs to prepared words, not to quick chat.

Here are the two model sentences, glossed.

Notice that the person who wants to give the presentation is the same person who stands on the stage. The person who wants to help is the same person who writes the email. This "same subject" rule is central to -고자, and the next sections return to it.

The word 드리다 in the second sentence is the humble form of "give". Business Korean often pairs -고자 with humble verbs such as 드리다 and 말씀드리다 ("tell, humbly"), because both belong to the same polite, formal world.

The next section shows how to build the form.

How Do You Form -고자?

The rule is short. Remove 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem. The stem is the verb without its dictionary ending -다. For 먹다 the stem is 먹. Then add 고자.

Many connective endings change with the last sound of the stem. They need 아/어 or 으 in some cases. -고자 does not, because it begins with a consonant. A consonant-first ending never needs a helping vowel, so the stem stays as it is.

Two sound changes appear in this table. After a final consonant such as ㄱ, ㄺ or ㅂ, the ㄱ of 고 is said as a tense ㄲ, so 먹고자 sounds like [먹꼬자]. The spelling stays the same, and Revised Romanization (RR) does not mark tensing that comes from a neighbouring sound, so it writes meokgoja. The second change is aspiration: in 노력하고자 the final ㄱ of 력 meets the ㅎ of 하 and they merge into ㅋ, so the spoken form is [노려카고자]. RR writes this aspiration in predicates, so it is noryeokagoja. After ㄹ, as in 만들고자, the ㄱ stays plain. In 읽고자 the cluster ㄺ is said as [ㄹ] before ㄱ, so RR writes ilgoja.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

Vowel stems take 고자 directly: 하고자, 드리고자, 배우고자. No contraction takes place. Compare this with the ending -아/어서, where 하 + 여서 becomes 해서. With 고자, 하 stays 하.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

Consonant stems also take 고자 directly: 먹고자, 읽고자, 돕고자. There is no 으 to insert. This is different from -(으)려고, which adds 으 after some consonants, as in 먹으려고.

Irregular Verbs

An irregular verb is one whose stem changes shape before an ending that begins with a vowel. 고자 begins with a consonant, so the change never happens.

Do not use 고자 after an adjective, or after 이다. The reason comes up again in the mistakes section. The next section builds a full sentence.

Worked Example: Building 감사의 말씀을 드리고자 합니다

Say "I would like to express my thanks." Follow five steps.

1. Name the action. "To give words" is 말씀을 드리다. 말씀 means "words, speech" in a respectful register, and 드리다 means "give" with humility. The phrase is a set expression: 말씀을 드리다, "to say respectfully".
2. Find the stem. The dictionary form is 드리다, so the stem is 드리.
3. Add 고자. 드리고자 means "in order to give".
4. Add the intention frame. 하다 turns the aim into a plan: 드리고자 합니다 means "I intend to give".
5. Put the object first. 감사의 말씀을 means "words of thanks", so the whole sentence is 감사의 말씀을 드리고자 합니다.

You'll know it worked when the verb before 고자 has no ending at all, and the only polite ending, 합니다, comes at the very end. Try the same steps with "I intend to state my opinion": 말씀드리다 gives 말씀드리고자, and 제 의견을 말씀드리고자 합니다 follows.

The next section covers tense and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -고자?

Korean usually puts the tense on the last verb of a sentence. -고자 follows that rule strictly: no tense marker sits between the stem and 고자. You will never see -았고자 or -겠고자.

So the main clause can be in the past or the present. The purpose itself is simply an aim, not a time. 새로운 기술을 배우고자 학원에 등록했습니다 means "I enrolled at an academy in order to learn a new skill." The enrolling happened in the past, and the aim of learning is described with the same tenseless 고자.

The subject of both clauses must be the same. In 한국어 실력을 높이고자 매일 공부합니다 ("I study every day in order to improve my Korean"), 나 is the subject of both 높이다 and 공부하다. A sentence such as "The teacher gives homework so that students will improve" has two different subjects. It needs a different pattern, such as -도록 or -게.

A yes/no question ends with a rise: 확인하고자 하십니까? A wh-question stresses the question word and does not end with a sharp rise: 무엇을 확인하고자 하십니까?

The next section compares -고자 with its neighbours.

How Is -고자 Different from -기 위해(서) and -(으)려고?

All three are translated as "in order to". The difference is how formal the voice is and what can follow the connector.

Compare these three versions of one idea.

• 한국어를 배우려고 서울에 왔어요. This is conversation. Anyone could say it to a friend.
• 한국어를 배우기 위해 서울에 왔습니다. This is neutral and clear. It fits an interview or a school essay.
• 한국어를 배우고자 서울에 왔습니다. This is formal, like a self-introduction on stage or in a cover letter.

The main clause shows the biggest difference. -기 위해(서) can lead into a command or a request: 합격하기 위해 열심히 공부하세요 ("Study hard in order to pass"). With -고자 this is not natural, so the corrected sentence uses -기 위해. -기 위해 can also follow a noun as 위해: 건강을 위해 운동해요. -고자 cannot.

You can read more about the everyday partner on the -(으)려고 page, and about the neutral partner on the -기 위해(서) page. The next section covers set phrases and edge cases.

Variations and Edge Cases of -고자

The Closing Formula -고자 합니다

Speakers often put the whole plan inside one clause with 하다: -고자 합니다. This means "I intend to" or "I would like to". 감사의 말씀을 드리고자 합니다 and 노력하고자 합니다 are everyday formulas in speeches, meetings and letters. Here 하다 does not mean "do" in its everyday sense: -고자 하다 works as one frame that states a plan, much like English "I intend to".

In the past, say -고자 했습니다: "I had meant to". It reports an aim that may or may not have worked out.

Before a Noun: -고자 하는

To describe a person or a thing with an aim, use -고자 하는 plus a noun. 회의에 참석하고자 하는 분은 신청해 주세요 means "Please apply if you wish to attend the meeting." The expression 하고자 하는 말 means "what I want to say".

Where the Pattern Appears

You will find -고자 in these places:

• opening lines of speeches and presentations
• business emails and letters, often with humble verbs
• notices and announcements
• cover letters and personal statements
• academic papers, in sentences such as "This study aims to ..."

In all of them the speaker or writer is the person with the aim.

Make an Adjective Work

-고자 needs an action. If you want to say "in order to be healthy", change the adjective into a verb. 건강하다 is an adjective, so use 건강해지다 ("become healthy"): 올해는 건강해지고자 매일 운동합니다 means "This year I exercise every day in order to become healthy."

Do Not Confuse It with 고 + 자

The ending is one block. Do not read it as the connector -고 ("and") followed by -자 ("let's"). 하고자 means "in order to do", while 하고 가자 means "let's do it and go".

The next section lists the mistakes that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -고자?

Learners make six predictable mistakes. Each has a reason and a fix.

Learners often use -고자 in casual talk. Actually the ending is formal. Grammatical but far too stiff with a friend: 친구한테 사과하고자 전화했어. Natural: 사과하려고 전화했어. Fix: choose -(으)려고 with friends and keep -고자 for speeches and emails.

Learners often attach -고자 to an adjective. Actually the ending needs an action. Wrong: 건강하고자 운동합니다. Right: 건강해지고자 운동합니다. Fix: change the adjective to a verb such as 해지다, or use -기 위해(서) with a noun.

Learners often put a command after -고자. Actually the main clause is a statement. Wrong: 합격하고자 열심히 공부하세요. Right: 합격하기 위해 열심히 공부하세요. Fix: use -기 위해(서) for commands and requests.

Learners often put a tense inside. Wrong: 했고자 and 하겠고자. Right: 하고자 합니다 and 하고자 했습니다. Fix: put the tense on the last verb only.

Learners often use two different subjects. Wrong: 선생님이 학생들이 잘하고자 숙제를 내셨습니다. Right: 선생님이 학생들이 잘하도록 숙제를 내셨습니다. Fix: use -도록 when the subjects differ.

Learners often drop the humble verb in formal letters. This is a style point, not an error. 도움을 주고자 연락했습니다 is correct, but 도움을 드리고자 연락드렸습니다 sounds more polite in an email to a customer or a teacher. Fix: match the humble verbs to your reader.

The next section gives you practice.

Practice and Answers

Do the four tasks, then compare with the key.

Task 1: join the sentences with -고자. Write one formal sentence for each pair.

1. 문의 사항을 확인해요. / 전화했습니다.
2. 한국 문화를 이해해요. / 한국어를 배우기 시작했습니다.
3. 의견을 말씀드려요. / 이 자리에 섰습니다.
4. 실력을 높여요. / 매일 공부합니다.

Task 2: fix the error. Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

1. 건강하고자 운동합니다.
2. 합격하고자 열심히 공부하세요.
3. 도움을 드렸고자 연락드렸습니다.

Task 3: translate. Write in Korean: "I would like to express my thanks." and "I contacted you in order to check the schedule."

Task 4: write your own. Write one sentence for a speech opening with -고자 합니다, and one email sentence with a humble verb.

Answer key

1. (1) 문의 사항을 확인하고자 전화했습니다. (2) 한국 문화를 이해하고자 한국어를 배우기 시작했습니다. (3) 의견을 말씀드리고자 이 자리에 섰습니다. (4) 실력을 높이고자 매일 공부합니다.
2. (1) 건강해지고자 운동합니다. (2) 합격하기 위해 열심히 공부하세요. (3) 도움을 드리고자 연락드렸습니다.
3. 감사의 말씀을 드리고자 합니다. 일정을 확인하고자 연락드렸습니다. Other correct versions exist, for example 일정을 확인하기 위해 연락했습니다.
4. Sample answers: 오늘 여러분께 인사드리고자 합니다. 자료를 보내 드리고자 메일을 드립니다. Any pair is correct if the first verb ends in 고자 and the rest follows.

If task 1 was correct, you have the formation rule. If task 2 was hard, check whether you used an adjective, a command or a past form before 고자. The next section points you to what comes after this lesson.

What Should You Learn after -고자 Grammar?

After -고자, learn -(으)려고 for the everyday way to say "in order to", and -기 위해(서) for commands and noun phrases. Then read -(으)러 for going somewhere to do something, and -도록 when the two clauses have different subjects.

For a wider view, the parent page Purpose and Intention lists every connector in this group. To plan by level, use Intermediate Grammar.

A note on level. This site places -고자 at B2. That is an editorial estimate based on how textbooks usually order grammar, not an official list. For official exam information, check topik.go.kr.

This lesson covers -고자 in the formal style. It does not cover every written variation. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. Revised Romanization follows the national rules and is shown only as a learning aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does -고자 Mean in Korean?

-고자 means 'in order to' or 'with the aim of'. It joins a purpose to an action: 발표를 하고자 이 자리에 섰습니다 means 'I stand here today in order to give a presentation.' It sounds formal, so you will meet it in speeches, notices, emails and official writing more than in chat.

How Do You Form -고자?

Remove 다 from an action verb to get the stem and add 고자. 하다 becomes 하고자, 드리다 becomes 드리고자 and 먹다 becomes 먹고자. Nothing changes for vowels, final consonants or irregular verbs, because 고자 begins with a consonant. The usual closing is -고자 합니다, meaning 'I intend to'.

Can -고자 Be Used with Adjectives or in the past Tense?

No. -고자 attaches to action verbs only, and a tense marker is not placed before it. Put the tense on the last verb of the sentence: 도움을 드리고자 했습니다 means 'I wanted to help.' To express a purpose with an adjective, change it into a verb first, for example 건강해지고자 'in order to become healthy'.

Is -고자 the Same as -(으)려고?

They are close, but the register differs. -(으)려고 is the everyday way to say 'in order to' and fits chat, messages and class. -고자 is stiffer and fits speeches, formal emails and public notices. Both need the same subject in both clauses and both avoid commands in the main clause.

When Should I Use -기 위해(서) Instead of -고자?

Use -기 위해(서) when the main clause is a command, a request or advice, or when the purpose is a noun phrase such as 건강을 위해. -고자 cannot do that. -기 위해(서) is neutral and common in both speech and writing, while -고자 is reserved for formal statements about your own intention.

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