-(으)ㄹ까 하다 Grammar in Korean: Meaning and How to Use It

What you'll learn

• Attach -(으)ㄹ까 하다 to any verb stem, including ㄹ-stems and irregular verbs.
• Say "I'm thinking of buying it" and "I was thinking of going" in polite Korean.
• Tell an open idea (-(으)ㄹ까 하다) from a firm intention (-(으)려고 하다) and a decision (-(으)ㄹ 거예요).
• Avoid confusing the pattern with the question -(으)ㄹ까요?.
• Use -(으)ㄹ까 하는데 to ask for advice about a plan.

Before you start: you should know how to find a verb stem (drop 다 from the dictionary form) and the polite ending -아요/어요. It also helps to have seen the question ending -(으)ㄹ까요? ("shall we?"), because this lesson depends on telling the two apart. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Does -(으)ㄹ까 하다 Grammar Mean?

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 grammar means "I'm thinking of (doing)" or "I might (do)." It joins a verb to the idea of wondering, then adds 하다 ("to do", here "to think"). The result is a plan in your head that you have not fixed yet. You are considering it, not announcing it.

Here are the first two examples. The pattern is the same in both, and only the verb changes.

• 이번 방학에 여행을 갈까 해요. (ibeon banghage yeohaengeul galkka haeyo.) [이번 방하게 여행을 갈까 해요] = "I'm thinking of travelling this vacation."
• 새 휴대폰을 살까 해요. (sae hyudaeponeul salkka haeyo.) [새 휴대포늘 살까 해요] = "I'm thinking of buying a new phone."

The ending -(으)ㄹ까 is the same one that forms the question -(으)ㄹ까요? ("shall we?", "I wonder if..."). It is a "wondering" ending. In -(으)ㄹ까 하다, you wonder silently and then say 하다, "I do (this wondering)." That is why the meaning is a thought that is still moving. Next comes the mechanism that builds the pattern.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄹ까 하다?

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 is formed by adding -ㄹ까 하다 to a vowel stem and -을까 하다 to a consonant stem. A simple trick for every case: take the "future-form" modifier of the verb (갈, 먹을, 살, 들을) and add 까 하다. The same modifier appears in patterns such as -(으)ㄹ 거예요, so it is worth learning once.

The table applies one rule to six verbs. The next three parts look at each type of stem.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

A vowel stem adds ㄹ to its last syllable and then 까 하다. 가다 becomes 갈까 하다, 사다 becomes 살까 하다, and 만나다 becomes 만날까 하다. The ㄹ sits under the vowel as a final consonant. Examples:

• 주말에 친구를 만날까 해요. (jumare chingureul mannalkka haeyo.) [주마레 친구를 만날까 해요] = "I'm thinking of meeting a friend at the weekend."
• 내일은 집에서 쉴까 해요. (naeireun jibeseo swilkka haeyo.) [내이른 지베서 쉴까 해요] = "I'm thinking of resting at home tomorrow."

Vowel stems are the simplest case. A stem with a final consonant needs one extra syllable.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

A consonant stem takes the linking vowel 으 and then ㄹ: 먹다 becomes 먹을까 하다, and 읽다 becomes 읽을까 하다. Compare this with 가다 (갈까), which needs no 으. The sound is also smooth: the final consonant of the stem moves to the next syllable, so 먹을까 is pronounced [머글까].

• 저녁에는 김치찌개를 먹을까 해요. (jeonyeogeneun gimchijjigaereul meogeulkka haeyo.) [저녀게는 김치찌개를 머글까 해요] = "I'm thinking of eating kimchi stew tonight."
• 이 책을 읽을까 해요. (i chaegeul ilgeulkka haeyo.) [이 채글 일글까 해요] = "I'm thinking of reading this book."

Two more groups need a short note, because learners expect trouble with them.

Irregular Stems and Nouns

Irregular verbs follow the future-form modifier, so check that form first. ㄹ-stems keep their ㄹ and add no 으: 살다 becomes 살까 하다, and 만들다 becomes 만들까 하다. ㄷ-irregular stems change ㄷ to ㄹ before 을: 듣다 becomes 들을까 하다. ㅂ-irregular stems turn ㅂ into 우: 돕다 becomes 도울까 하다. 르-verbs keep 르 before -ㄹ: 부르다 becomes 부를까 하다.

• ㄹ-stem: 서울에 살까 해요. (seoure salkka haeyo.) = "I'm thinking of living in Seoul."
• ㄷ-irregular: 라디오를 들을까 해요. (radioreul deureulkka haeyo.) = "I'm thinking of listening to the radio."
• ㅂ-irregular: 친구를 도울까 해요. (chingureul doulkka haeyo.) = "I'm thinking of helping my friend."

Nouns do not take this pattern. To talk about becoming something, use 되다: 선생님이 될까 해요 ("I'm thinking of becoming a teacher"). 하다 verbs work like any other verb: 운동하다 becomes 운동할까 하다. Adjectives are rare, because you cannot "plan" to be tall or cold. With the formation clear, one full sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example: Building a Sentence with -(으)ㄹ까 하다

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 grammar works by turning a plain plan into an open idea. Follow the steps with the sentence "I will start exercising today", turned into "I'm thinking of starting to exercise today."

1. Start with the plain sentence. 저는 오늘부터 운동을 시작해요. (jeoneun oneulbuteo undongeul sijakaeyo.) = "I start exercising from today." The verb is 시작해요.
2. Find the dictionary form. 시작해요 comes from 시작하다 (to start). The stem is 시작하.
3. Make the future-form modifier. 시작하 + ㄹ = 시작할.
4. Add 까 하다. 시작할 + 까 하다 = 시작할까 하다.
5. Put the sentence in the polite style. Replace 하다 with 해요 and rebuild: 오늘부터 운동을 시작할까 해요. (oneulbuteo undongeul sijakalkka haeyo.) [오늘부터 운동을 시자칼까 해요] = "I'm thinking of starting exercise from today."

You will know it worked when the time word and the object stay in place and only the last word changes. The most common slip at this step is to use a past stem such as 시작했을까 해요. Always work from the plain stem. The sentence is now an open plan, and the next question is how it behaves across tenses and sentence types.

Which Tenses and Sentence Types Work with -(으)ㄹ까 하다?

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 works best in the present and past, in statements. The change always happens on 하다, the last word. The table shows the forms for 가다.

The past form deserves attention. 갈까 했어요 means "I was thinking of going," and it often hints that the plan did not happen. Speakers usually follow it with a contrast: 한국에 갈까 했는데 일이 많아서 못 갔어요 (hanguge galkka haenneunde iri manaseo mot gasseoyo.) [한구게 갈까 핸는데 이리 마나서 몯까써요] = "I was thinking of going to Korea, but I had too much work, so I couldn't."

The negative has two options. 안 갈까 해요 puts the negative inside the idea: "I'm thinking of not going." Putting it on the last word, 갈까 하지 않아요, would say "I'm not thinking of going," which is possible but uncommon. If you want to say you have no plan at all, speakers usually choose 갈 생각이 없어요 instead.

Questions are rare. In practice, the pattern appears mostly in statements about your own mind, because only you know what you are considering. To ask about someone's plans, say 뭐 할 거예요? ("What will you do?") or 뭐 하려고 해요? ("What do you plan to do?"). The most useful contrast is with the neighbouring plan patterns.

How Is -(으)ㄹ까 하다 Different from -(으)려고 하다?

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 gives an open idea, while -(으)려고 하다 gives an intention. The difference is how firm the speaker is. With -(으)ㄹ까 하다 you are still weighing options. With -(으)려고 하다 you have more or less chosen. The full rules for the second pattern are on the page for -(으)려고 하다, and the side-by-side lesson is -(으)ㄹ까 하다 vs -(으)려고 하다.

A useful way to remember the whole family is a ladder of certainty. From least to most sure: 살까 해요 (I'm thinking of buying), 사려고 해요 (I intend to buy), 살 생각이에요 (I plan to buy, from -(으)ㄹ 생각이다), 살 거예요 (I will buy), 사기로 했어요 (I have decided to buy). Pick the rung that matches how sure you are. Using a higher rung than you mean can sound pushy, and a lower rung can sound as if you are avoiding a commitment.

The same ending is also close to the question -(으)ㄹ까요?, which is a different pattern. 갈까요? asks "Shall we go?" and invites the listener to decide. 갈까 해요 only reports what you are thinking. These contrasts lead to the smaller variations of the pattern itself.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄹ까 하다

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 has four common variations: a linking form that asks for advice, a "because" form, a formal style and a noun form. Each is short, and each appears in real conversation.

• Asking for advice with -(으)ㄹ까 하는데. Add -는데 to hand the idea to the listener: 이 가방을 살까 하는데 어때요? (i gabangeul salkka haneunde eottaeyo?) [이 가방을 살까 하는데 어때요] = "I'm thinking of buying this bag. What do you think?" This is the most natural way to use the pattern in conversation.
• Giving a reason with -(으)ㄹ까 해서. 차를 살까 해서 알아보고 있어요 means "I'm looking into it because I'm thinking of buying a car."
• Formal style. 회사를 그만둘까 합니다. (hoesareul geumandulkka hamnida.) [회사를 그만둘까 함니다] = "I am thinking of leaving the company." The polite 합니다 ending suits a meeting or an announcement.
• A noun for the idea. 갈까 하는 생각이 들었어요 means "the thought of going came to me." The pattern turns into a modifier with 하는 and sits before the noun 생각 ("thought").

A close relative is -(으)ㄹ까 싶다, which can also mean "I'm thinking of (doing)", although it can express doubt as well. This lesson covers the common 하다 form only. Intentions about things you will certainly do belong to different patterns. The mistakes below show where the boundary with other patterns causes real errors.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄹ까 하다?

Learners most often confuse the pattern with a question, use it for a firm plan, or put the tense in the wrong place. Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Reading it as a question. Learners see ㄹ까 and expect "shall we?". 갈까 해요 is not a question to the listener. The closing 하다 means the sentence reports your thought. For "shall we go?", say 갈까요?.
2. Using it for a fixed plan. If the ticket is booked, 갈까 해요 sounds odd, as if you had not decided yet. Use 갈 거예요 or 가기로 했어요.
3. Putting the past on the first verb. 갔을까 해요 is wrong. The past marker goes on 하다: 갈까 했어요.
4. Spelling the ending with ㄱ. Some learners write 갈가 해요, because the sound is a tense [까]. The correct spelling is 갈까, with ㄲ.

A quick check for any sentence: Is it a thought you are still weighing? Is the subject you? Is the tense on 하다? 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. Choose the form. Complete: 이번 주말에 영화를 ___. ("I'm thinking of watching a movie this weekend.") (볼까 해요 / 볼까요)
2. Fix the error. A learner says 어제 친구를 만났을까 해요 to mean "I was thinking of meeting a friend yesterday." Correct it.
3. Translate. "I'm thinking of buying new shoes." Use 사다 and the polite style.
4. Write your own. Write one sentence about something you are thinking of doing next month, using -(으)ㄹ까 해요. Then change it to the past with a contrast.

Answer key

1. 볼까 해요. The speaker reports their own thought, so 볼까 해요 fits: 이번 주말에 영화를 볼까 해요. 볼까요? would ask the listener "Shall we watch?".
2. 어제 친구를 만날까 했어요. The verb keeps its plain stem (만날) and the past goes on 하다 (했어요).
3. 새 신발을 살까 해요. (sae sinbareul salkka haeyo.) [새 신바를 살까 해요] = "I'm thinking of buying new shoes."
4. Answers vary. Check that the verb stem comes before 까 해요 and that the past form is 까 했어요. An example: 다음 달에 이사할까 해요 → 이사할까 했는데 돈이 부족해서 못 했어요. (I was thinking of moving, but I did not have enough money.)

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)ㄹ까 하다 Grammar?

After -(으)ㄹ까 하다 grammar, learn the firmer plan patterns, then compare them. This lesson teaches the open "I'm thinking of" idea and does not cover firm plans, decisions or the question -(으)ㄹ까요? in depth. Those live on their own pages.

1. Start with -(으)려고 하다, which states an intention or something about to happen.
2. Continue with -(으)ㄹ 생각이다, which states a thought-out plan.
3. Compare the pair side by side in -(으)ㄹ까 하다 vs -(으)려고 하다.
4. Return to Desire and Wishes to see every lesson in this set, or to the Intermediate Grammar list for other B1 patterns.

With these steps, -(으)ㄹ까 하다 becomes automatic: take the future-form modifier, add 까 해요, and keep the plan open.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does -(으)ㄹ까 하다 mean?

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 means "I'm thinking of (doing)" or "I might." 이번 방학에 여행을 갈까 해요 means "I'm thinking of travelling this vacation." The plan is open, and the speaker may still change their mind. It is mostly a statement about your own thoughts, not a promise.

How do I attach -(으)ㄹ까 하다 to a verb or adjective?

Take the dictionary form, drop 다, and add -ㄹ까 하다 after a vowel or -을까 하다 after a consonant: 가다 becomes 갈까 하다, and 먹다 becomes 먹을까 하다. ㄹ-stems keep their ㄹ, as in 살까 하다. It is used with verbs; adjectives are rare.

Can -(으)ㄹ까 하다 be used in the past tense?

Yes. The past marker goes on 하다, not on the verb: 갈까 했어요 means "I was thinking of going." It usually hints that the plan did not happen, so it is often followed by a contrast: 갈까 했는데 일이 많아서 못 갔어요 ("I thought of going, but I had too much work").

Is -(으)ㄹ까 하다 used in speech or only in writing?

Both. In daily talk people say 갈까 해요 (polite) or 갈까 해 (casual). In formal speech or an announcement, 갈까 합니다 is used. The written plain style is 갈까 한다. The meaning is the same, and only the speech level changes.

What is the most common mistake with -(으)ㄹ까 하다?

The most common mistake is reading 갈까 해요 as a question like 갈까요? ("shall we go?"). Here 하다 closes the pattern, so the sentence states a thought and asks nothing. A second slip is using it for a fixed plan, such as a booked flight, where -(으)ㄹ 거예요 fits better.

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