-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 to a verb stem and say the polite form from memory.
• Tell the "plan" meaning from the "as good as" meaning.
• Use -(으)ㄴ/는 셈이다 with past verbs, present verbs, adjectives and nouns.
• Choose between -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 and -(으)ㄹ 생각이다.
• Recognise the set phrase 속는 셈 치고.

Before you start: you should know how to make the "future modifier" of a verb (먹다 becomes 먹을, 가다 becomes 갈), the polite copula 이에요, and what a dependent noun is. If any of these is new, read the notes in the lesson on -(으)ㄹ 거예요 first. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Does -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 Grammar Mean?

-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 grammar means "I mean to" and "I plan to." It names something the speaker has decided to do, and it often carries a feeling of intention or determination. The word 셈 is a dependent noun that originally means "a reckoning" or "a count," so 갈 셈이에요 is, roughly, "by my reckoning, I will go."

Here are the first two examples. They show the two meanings of 셈.

• 올해는 책을 많이 읽을 셈이에요. (olhaeneun chaegeul mani ilgeul semieyo.) [올해는 채글 마니 일글쎄미에요] = "I mean to read many books this year."
• 거의 다 한 셈이에요. (geoui da han semieyo.) [거의 다 한 세미에요] = "It is as good as done."

Look at the pieces. In the first sentence, 읽을 is the future modifier of 읽다, followed by 셈 and 이에요 ("it is"). The sentence is about the speaker's own plan. In the second sentence, 한 is the past modifier of 하다, and the whole sentence is a conclusion: the speaker has not finished, but the situation counts as finished. The shape of the word before 셈 is the first clue to the meaning: -(으)ㄹ points to a plan, and -(으)ㄴ or -는 points to a conclusion. First, the formation.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄹ 셈이다?

-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 is formed by adding the future modifier to a verb stem, then 셈, then 이다. After a vowel add -ㄹ, and after a consonant add -을. Then conjugate 이다 in the style you need: 이에요 (polite), 입니다 (formal), 이야 (casual) or 이다 (plain).

The table shows one rule applied to six verbs. The sound also changes: after -(으)ㄹ, the ㅅ of 셈 is spoken as a tense sound, so 갈 셈이에요 is [갈쎄미에요]. Write the plain spelling and say the sound. The next three parts look at the groups of stems one at a time.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

A vowel stem adds only ㄹ to the stem, which then sits on top of the last syllable. 가다 becomes 갈, 배우다 becomes 배울, and 하다 becomes 할.

• 이번 방학에는 일본어를 배울 셈이에요. (ibeon banghageneun ilboneoreul baeul semieyo.) [이번 방하게는 일보너를 배울쎄미에요] = "I mean to learn Japanese this vacation."
• 올해는 여행을 안 갈 셈이에요. (olhaeneun yeohaengeul an gal semieyo.) [올해는 여행을 안 갈쎄미에요] = "I do not mean to travel this year."

The bracketed sound joins the verb and the noun: [배울쎄미에요]. Vowel stems are the simplest case. A stem with a final consonant adds a full syllable.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

A consonant stem adds -을 as a separate syllable. 먹다 becomes 먹을, 읽다 becomes 읽을, and 앉다 becomes 앉을.

• 올해는 책을 많이 읽을 셈이에요. (olhaeneun chaegeul mani ilgeul semieyo.) [올해는 채글 마니 일글쎄미에요] = "I mean to read many books this year."
• 점심을 안 먹은 셈이에요. (jeomsimeul an meogeun semieyo.) [점시믈 안 머근 세미에요] = "I have as good as skipped lunch."

The second sentence uses the conclusion form 먹은, with -(으)ㄴ, and it is included to show the contrast: -을 is a plan, and -은 is a conclusion about a finished action. Two more groups need a short note, because learners expect trouble with them.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

Irregular stems change the same way they change before any -(으)ㄹ ending.

• ㄹ-stems keep a single ㄹ: 만들다 becomes 만들 셈이다, not 만들을 셈이다. 직접 케이크를 만들 셈이에요 (jikjeop keikeureul mandeul semieyo) [직쩝 케이크를 만들쎄미에요], "I mean to make the cake myself."
• ㄷ-irregular: 듣다 becomes 들을 셈이다.
• ㅂ-irregular: 돕다 becomes 도울 셈이다.
• 르-irregular: 부르다 becomes 부를 셈이다. The 르 changes only before -아/어, so before -(으)ㄹ the stem stays the same.

A noun cannot take the plan form, but it can take the conclusion form with 이다: 공짜인 셈이에요 means "It is as good as free." With the formation clear, one full sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example: Building a Sentence with -(으)ㄹ 셈이다

-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 grammar turns a neutral statement into a plan. Follow the steps with the statement "I start exercising tomorrow."

1. Start with the plain sentence. 내일부터 운동해요. (naeilbuteo undonghaeyo.) = "I exercise from tomorrow." The predicate is the verb 운동하다.
2. Find the dictionary form and stem. 운동해요 comes from 운동하다. The stem is 운동하.
3. Make the future modifier. The stem ends in a vowel (하), so add ㄹ: 운동할.
4. Add 셈이에요. 운동할 + 셈이에요 = 운동할 셈이에요.
5. Rebuild the sentence. 내일부터 운동할 셈이에요. (naeilbuteo undonghal semieyo.) [내일부터 운동할쎄미에요] = "I mean to start exercising tomorrow."

You will know it worked when the subject and time word stayed in place and only the predicate changed. The most common slip at step 3 is using the present modifier: 운동하는 셈이에요 is a real sentence, but it means "it amounts to exercising," which is the conclusion meaning. Each sentence can also appear in several tenses and sentence types, and each has limits.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)ㄹ 셈이다?

-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 works as a statement, a negative, a past ("I had meant to"), a question and in every speech style. The modifier in front of 셈 fixes the meaning, and 이다 carries the tense and the style. The table shows the forms for 가다.

A question about someone's plan deserves care. 이제 어떻게 할 셈이에요? (ije eotteoke hal semieyo?) [이제 어떠케 할쎄미에요] means "What do you intend to do now?" and, depending on the tone, it can sound like a challenge: "What do you think you're going to do?" Between friends it is fine. To a senior, ask with a softer pattern such as -(으)려고 하다. The question word means no rising tone is needed.

• 일찍 잘 셈이었는데 친구가 전화했어요. (iljjik jal semieonneunde chinguga jeonhwahaesseoyo.) [일찍 잘쎄미언는데 친구가 전화해써요] = "I had meant to sleep early, but a friend called."

The past form 셈이었는데 is useful for plans that did not work out. The next section compares the plan meaning with the closest neighbour.

How Is -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 Different from -(으)ㄹ 생각이다?

-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 and -(으)ㄹ 생각이다 both state a plan, but they differ in tone and in range. 생각이다 means "the thought is..." and is neutral. 셈이다 is chattier and often shows the speaker's attitude or resolve. Only 셈이다 has the second meaning, "as good as."

All four sentences are correct, and the difference is how firm and how personal the plan sounds. The link to -(으)려고 하다 and -(으)ㄹ까 하다 shows how they differ. A fifth neighbour is -(으)려던 참이다, which says you were about to do something at this very moment, not that you have a plan. Now the other half of the pattern, the conclusion meaning, gets its own look.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄹ 셈이다

-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 has four common variations: the conclusion form with -(으)ㄴ/는, the noun form with -인, the set phrase 셈 치고 and the plan used in a question. Each one is short, and each appears in real conversation.

• Completed action: -(으)ㄴ 셈이다. The action is not fully done, but it counts as done: 거의 다 한 셈이에요, "It is as good as done." 월급을 다 쓴 셈이에요 (wolgeubeul da sseun semieyo) [월그블 다 쓴 세미에요] means "I have as good as spent my whole salary."
• Ongoing action: -는 셈이다. The result is the same as another action: 하루에 두 시간씩 공부하는 셈이에요 (harue du sigansik gongbuhaneun semieyo) [하루에 두 시간씩 공부하는 세미에요], "It amounts to studying two hours a day."
• Adjective and noun. Adjectives take -(으)ㄴ: 이 가격이면 싼 셈이에요 (i gagyeogimyeon ssan semieyo) [이 가겨기면 싼 세미에요], "At this price it is cheap, all things considered." Nouns take -인: 그 친구는 가족이나 마찬가지인 셈이에요 (geu chinguneun gajogina machangajiin semieyo) [그 친구는 가조기나 마찬가지인 세미에요], "That friend is as good as family."
• Set phrase 셈 치고. 속는 셈 치고 한번 해 보세요 (songneun sem chigo hanbeon hae boseyo) [송는 셈 치고 한번 해 보세요] means "Try it once, taking a chance." The speaker asks the listener to act as if they were being fooled, so the risk feels small.

This lesson covers the common forms used in daily life. It does not cover 셈 as an ordinary noun meaning "calculation," as in 셈이 빠르다 ("quick with numbers"). The mistakes below show where the boundaries cause real errors.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄹ 셈이다?

Learners most often get the meaning, the word class or the spelling wrong. Five mistakes appear again and again.

1. Mixing the two meanings. 거의 다 한 셈이에요 does not mean "I plan to do almost all of it." The modifier -(으)ㄴ marks a conclusion about something finished. The modifier -(으)ㄹ marks a plan.
2. Using the plan form with an adjective. 비쌀 셈이에요 is wrong if you want to say "It will probably be expensive," because adjectives do not take the plan form. Use 비쌀 것 같아요. The conclusion form 비싼 셈이에요 ("It is expensive, all things considered") is correct.
3. Using it for a suggestion. 우리 같이 갈 셈이에요 does not mean "Let's go together." The pattern states your own plan. To suggest, use 같이 가요 or 같이 갈까요?
4. Writing 셈 attached. 셈 is a dependent noun, and dependent nouns are written with a space. 갈 셈이에요 is correct, and 갈셈이에요 is wrong.
5. Spelling the copula wrongly. After a consonant the polite copula is 이에요, so 셈이에요 is correct and 셈이예요 is wrong.

A quick check for any plan sentence: Is the subject a person who decides? Is the verb in the -(으)ㄹ form? Is 셈 separated by a space and followed by 이에요? If all three answers are yes, the sentence is sound.

The practice set below tests these points directly.

Practice and Answers

Try the four items before you read the answer key. Cover the answers with your hand.

1. Translate. "I mean to make the cake myself." Use 만들다.
2. Choose the meaning. What does 거의 다 한 셈이에요 mean? (It is as good as done / I plan to do almost all of it)
3. Form the pattern. Say "I do not mean to travel this year" with 여행을 and 안.
4. Write your own. Say what you mean to do tomorrow, using 운동하다 or another verb.

Answer key

1. 직접 케이크를 만들 셈이에요. The ㄹ of 만들 stays single.
2. It is as good as done. The modifier 한 shows a conclusion.
3. 올해는 여행을 안 갈 셈이에요. 안 comes before the verb, and 갈 셈이에요 is the plan form.
4. 내일부터 운동할 셈이에요. (naeilbuteo undonghal semieyo.) = "I mean to start exercising tomorrow." Answers vary. Check that the verb has -(으)ㄹ before 셈.

If you can complete items 1 to 3 without the key, you can use the pattern in conversation. Next, the lesson hands off to related patterns.

What Should You Learn Next after -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 Grammar?

After -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 grammar, learn the neutral way to state a plan, then the loose way to say you are only considering something. This lesson teaches the plan and the "as good as" meanings, and it does not cover the many other ways to describe future events. Those live on their own pages.

1. Start with -(으)ㄹ 생각이다, the neutral plan.
2. Compare it with -(으)려고 하다, the general "intend to; about to."
3. Continue with -(으)려던 참이다, the pattern for "I was just about to."
4. Return to Desire and Wishes to see every lesson in this set, or to the Advanced Grammar list for other B2 patterns.

With these steps, -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 becomes automatic: take the future modifier, add 셈이에요, and read the modifier before 셈 to know which meaning you have.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 mean?

-(으)ㄹ 셈이다 means "I mean to" or "I plan to." 올해는 책을 많이 읽을 셈이에요 means "I mean to read many books this year." A second pattern, -(으)ㄴ/는 셈이다, means "it amounts to" or "as good as": 거의 다 한 셈이에요 means "It is as good as done."

How do I attach -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 to a verb or adjective?

For a plan, add -ㄹ to a verb stem that ends in a vowel (가다 becomes 갈 셈이다) and -을 to a stem that ends in a consonant (읽다 becomes 읽을 셈이다). ㄹ-stems keep a single ㄹ: 만들 셈이다. Plans use verbs only. For "as good as," use -(으)ㄴ with adjectives and past verbs (싼 셈이다, 한 셈이다) and -는 with present verbs (하는 셈이다).

Can -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 be used in the past tense?

Yes. Put 이다 in the past to say what you had meant to do: 일찍 잘 셈이었는데 means "I had meant to sleep early, but..." The conclusion form also takes the past: 싼 셈이었어요 means "It was cheap, all things considered."

Is -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 used in speech or only in writing?

It is used mostly in speech and informal writing. People say 갈 셈이에요 in polite talk and 갈 셈이야 to friends. A question like 어쩔 셈이에요? asks "What do you intend to do?" and can sound accusing, so use it with care.

What is the most common mistake with -(으)ㄹ 셈이다?

The most common mistake is mixing the two meanings. 거의 다 한 셈이에요 does not mean "I plan to do almost all of it." It means "It is as good as done." A second mistake is using the plan form with an adjective: 비쌀 셈이에요 is wrong, so use 비쌀 것 같아요 for "It will probably be expensive."

What is the difference between -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 and -(으)ㄹ 생각이다?

Both state a plan. -(으)ㄹ 생각이다 is neutral and works in speech and writing. -(으)ㄹ 셈이다 is chattier and often carries the speaker's attitude or determination. Only 셈이다 also has the second meaning, "as good as," which 생각이다 does not have.

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