Korean Sentence Endings: Meaning, Mood and Nuance

Listen to the plainest ending, which the next section builds on.

What Are Korean Sentence Endings?

Korean sentence endings are the grammar that follows the verb stem at the end of a sentence. A verb stem is the verb without 다, such as 가 from 가다 ("to go"). Korean is verb-final, so the ending is the last thing the listener hears, and it tells them how the speaker feels about the action: whether it is wanted, required, guessed, suggested or only reported.

The same verb can take many endings. The table shows seven meanings built on 가다, with the pattern family that each one belongs to.

Two kinds of endings are easy to confuse. A sentence-final ending closes the sentence, as in 가고 싶어요. A connective ending joins two clauses, as in 가서 ("go and then"). This section covers the first kind and the set phrases that behave like it. The polite -요 and the formal -습니다 mark politeness, not meaning, and they belong to the speech levels. The next section gives a route through the families.

Which Pattern Should You Learn First?

Learn "can", "want" and requests first, then duty and suggestion, then guesses, reactions and reports. The early families give you sentences about yourself. The later families let you react to other people and quote them. The levels below are an editorial estimate mapped to TOPIK I and II.

1. Stage 1 (A1 and A2): sentences about yourself. Start with Ability and Possibility and Desire and Wishes. The first lessons are 갈 수 있어요 and 가고 싶어요.
2. Stage 2 (A2 and B1): sentences about others and duties. Add Suggestions and Requests and Obligation and Permission.
3. Stage 3 (B1 and above): sentences about what you notice and hear. Finish with Guessing and Conjecture, Exclamations and Realization and Reported Speech.

A learner who already says 가고 싶어요 and 갈 수 있어요 can start at stage 2. A learner who is new to verb stems should read the Beginner Grammar list first. The next section describes each family.

The Patterns, Grouped by Meaning

Each family below has a short description, its number of lessons, one example sentence with Revised Romanization (RR, the official Latin spelling, shown only as an aid) and audio. The counts are the number of patterns in each family.

Ability and Possibility (5 patterns)

This family teaches can, cannot, know-how, might, no choice and worth doing. Most of the patterns share one frame: a verb, -(으)ㄹ, a noun such as 수 or 줄, and a closing verb. Example: 저는 한국어를 읽을 수 있어요. (jeoneun hangugeoreul ilgeul su isseoyo.) [저는 한구거를 일글쑤 이써요] "I can read Korean."

Desire and Wishes (11 patterns)

This family teaches how to say what you want, what someone else wants and what you hope will happen. The basic pattern is -고 싶다, and -고 싶어 하다 covers other people. Example: 저는 한국에 가고 싶어요. (jeoneun hanguge gago sipeoyo.) [저는 한구게 가고 시퍼요] "I want to go to Korea."

Obligation and Permission (9 patterns)

This family teaches must, should and may. The patterns tell the listener what is required, what is allowed and what is not. Example: 여기 앉아도 돼요? (yeogi anjado dwaeyo?) [여기 안자도 돼요] "May I sit here?"

Suggestions and Requests (19 patterns)

This family teaches how to invite, propose and ask. It is the largest family, because Korean has a different pattern for each politeness level and each degree of directness. Example: 우리 같이 갈까요? (uri gachi galkkayo?) [우리 가치 갈까요] "Shall we go together?"

Guessing and Conjecture (13 patterns)

This family teaches how to say what you think is true without being sure. The patterns differ by the kind of evidence behind the guess. Example: 지금 비가 오나 봐요. (jigeum biga ona bwayo.) [지금 비가 오나 봐요] "It seems to be raining now."

Exclamations and Realization (13 patterns)

This family teaches how to react to something you have just noticed. The patterns show surprise, discovery and feeling. Example: 와, 정말 예쁘네요! (wa, jeongmal yeppeuneyo!) [와, 정말 예쁘네요] "Wow, it is really pretty!"

Reported Speech (17 patterns)

This family teaches how to repeat what someone said, asked, proposed or ordered. The reports use short forms that shrink the full pattern. Example: 친구가 내일 온대요. (chinguga naeil ondaeyo.) [친구가 내일 온대요] "My friend says that he or she is coming tomorrow."

The next section helps you choose between look-alike patterns.

How Do You Choose between Look-Alike Patterns?

Choose by asking what the speaker wants to say, then look at the nuance in the pairs below. Three sets of look-alike patterns cause the most trouble, and each has a comparison lesson.

Same meaning, three politeness levels. Suggestions can be made in three forms. -자 is casual and used with friends: 가자. -(으)ㅂ시다 is formal and often used by someone speaking to equals or juniors: 갑시다. -(으)ㄹ까요 is polite and softer, because it asks a question: 같이 갈까요? See -(으)ㅂ시다 vs -(으)ㄹ까요 vs -자.

An evidence ladder for guesses. The patterns -(으)ㄹ 것 같다, -나 보다 and -(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다 all mean "it seems", but they rest on different grounds. A rough guide: -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 is a general impression, -나 보다 is a guess from something you noticed, and -(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다 is a judgement from appearance. See -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 vs -나 보다.

Reported speech contractions. The short endings map back to full forms, which makes them easier to learn.

The comparison lesson -ㄴ/는다고 하다 vs -대요 shows which form fits each sentence. Another close pair is -고 싶다 vs -고 싶어 하다, and the pair for ability is -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 vs -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다. The whole collection is on Confusing Grammar Compared. The next section covers practice.

Where Can You Practise?

Practise by taking one verb and putting it through every family, as in the table at the top. Every published lesson in this section ends with a practice set and an answer key.

• Test your grammar in the Grammar Quizzes.
• Build and reorder sentences in the Korean Sentence Builder.
• Plan by level with the Beginner Grammar and Intermediate Grammar lists.

A short routine works well: pick one verb each day, such as 먹다, and say it with a wish, an ability, a duty and a suggestion. The next section sets the limits of this section.

What Does This Section Not Cover?

This section covers the endings that add meaning to a sentence. It does not cover politeness, tenses, particles or the endings that join clauses. Those live in other grammar sets.

• Speech levels and the honorific -(으)시- are in speech levels.
• Past, present and future are in Korean tenses.
• Negation with 안 and 못 is in Korean negation.
• Connecting endings such as "because" and "if" are in Korean connectors.
• Particles are in Korean particles.

For the wider map, return to Korean Grammar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the polite -요 a sentence ending too?

Yes, but it works on a different layer. The -요 in 가요 marks politeness, and it belongs to the speech levels. The patterns in this section add meaning on top of it, such as want (가고 싶어요), duty (가야 해요) or report (간대요). Most patterns can take any politeness level.

Do I need to learn all 87 patterns?

No. Beginners can speak with a few, such as 갈 수 있어요, 가고 싶어요, 가야 해요 and 같이 가요. The rest add precision and are best learned when you meet them, family by family. Each pattern has its own lesson, so you can follow your own needs.

What is the difference between a sentence ending and a connective ending?

A sentence-final ending closes the sentence, as 싶어요 does in 가고 싶어요. A connective ending links two clauses, as -서 does in 가서 먹어요 ("go and then eat"). Many patterns here contain a connective piece, such as -고 in -고 싶다, but the whole pattern closes the sentence.

Where are the pages that compare similar endings?

Comparison lessons sit on the Confusing Grammar Compared hub. They cover the pairs that learners mix up most, such as -고 싶다 and -고 싶어 하다, or -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 and -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다. Each family page also links to the comparisons that belong to its patterns.