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

What you'll learn

• Attach -ㄹ래요 or -을래요 to a verb stem and say the ending aloud.
• Handle ㄹ-stems and the ㄷ- and ㅂ-irregular stems.
• Tell a statement of will from an invitation by the sentence type.
• Avoid the third-person and past-tense traps.
• Choose between -(으)ㄹ래요, -(으)ㄹ게요 and -(으)ㄹ까요?.

Before you start: you should know how to find a verb stem by dropping 다, and the shall-we question -(으)ㄹ까요?, which this lesson compares with the new ending. Audio plays only when you press a button.

What Does -(으)ㄹ래요 Grammar Mean?

-(으)ㄹ래요 grammar means "I will..." in a statement and "Do you want to...?" in a question. Both readings come from one idea: the ending names what a person feels like doing at this moment. The person is either the speaker or the listener, and the sentence type decides which.

Two examples show the idea.

• 저는 커피 마실래요. (jeoneun keopi masillaeyo.) = "I'll have coffee."
• 같이 갈래요? (gachi gallaeyo?) = "Do you want to go together?"

In the first sentence the speaker decides on the spot, such as when ordering. In the second the speaker asks the listener to join. The ending sounds relaxed and personal, unlike a plan written in a diary. The sections below show how to build the ending and where it belongs. First comes the formation rule.

How Do You Form -(으)ㄹ래요?

-(으)ㄹ래요 is formed by dropping 다 from the dictionary form of a verb and adding -ㄹ래요 or -을래요, depending on the last sound of the stem. A stem that ends in a vowel takes the short form, and a stem that ends in a consonant takes the form with 을.

The table shows one pattern with two endings. Notice that the Revised Romanization writes 갈래요 as gallaeyo, because two ㄹ sounds meet and the system writes them as ll. The next parts take each stem type in turn.

Stems Ending in a Vowel

A vowel stem takes -ㄹ래요 directly, and the ㄹ moves onto the last syllable of the stem as its final consonant. So 가 + ㄹ래요 is written 갈래요, and 쉬 + ㄹ래요 is written 쉴래요.

• 오늘은 집에서 쉴래요. (oneureun jibeseo swillaeyo.) [오느른 지베서 쉴래요] = "I think I'll rest at home today."
• 저는 이걸로 할래요. (jeoneun igeollo hallaeyo.) = "I'll go with this one."

The second sentence is typical in a shop or a restaurant, when a person chooses between items. The ending is said [래요]: the two ㄹ sounds join into a long l, with no tense sound. This differs from -(으)ㄹ게요, which is said with a tense sound, [ㄹ께요]. The spelling is the guide: write ㄹ래요 and say it softly.

Stems Ending in a Consonant

A consonant stem takes -을래요. The 을 links the stem to the ending, and the final consonant of the stem moves to the next syllable when you speak: 먹을래요 sounds like [머글래요], and 앉을래요 sounds like [안즐래요]. The pronunciation follows the 국립국어원 standard pronunciation rules (표준 발음법), which move a final consonant onto a following vowel.

• 뭐 먹을래요? (mwo meogeullaeyo?) [뭐 머글래요] = "What do you want to eat?"
• 저는 여기 있을래요. (jeoneun yeogi isseullaeyo.) [저는 여기 이쓸래요] = "I'll stay here."

In 있을래요 the ㅆ moves to the next syllable and keeps its tense sound, so it is said [이쓸래요]. The Revised Romanization writes isseullaeyo.

Do ㄹ-Stems and Irregular Verbs Change?

ㄹ-stems keep their ㄹ and take no 을, because the stem already ends in the sound ㄹ. So 만들다 becomes 만들래요, 살다 becomes 살래요, and 열다 becomes 열래요. Other irregular verbs change in the same way as before any ending that starts with 으 or 을.

These forms come from the site's conjugation engine, which follows the standard rules. One sentence shows a ㄷ-irregular verb in use: 이 노래 들을래요? (i norae deureullaeyo?) = "Do you want to listen to this song?" With the formation clear, one sentence can be built step by step.

Worked Example: Building a Sentence with -(으)ㄹ래요

-(으)ㄹ래요 grammar works by turning a plain verb into a statement of will or an invitation. Follow the steps for the question "Do you want to drink tea together?"

1. Start with the dictionary form. The verb is 마시다 (to drink).
2. Drop 다 to find the stem. The stem is 마시. It ends in a vowel (시).
3. Choose the ending. A vowel stem takes -ㄹ래요, and the ㄹ moves onto the stem's last syllable: 마시 + ㄹ래요 = 마실래요.
4. Decide the sentence type. A rising question tone turns the form into an invitation: 마실래요? A falling statement tone turns it into a decision: 마실래요.
5. Add the words around it. 같이 차 마실래요? (gachi cha masillaeyo?) = "Do you want to drink tea together?"

You will know it worked when the verb ends in -ㄹ래요 or -을래요 and the person who decides is the speaker or the listener. The most common slip is using it for someone else: 동생이 마실래요 does not mean "My younger sibling will drink." The next question is when the ending can appear in different tenses and sentence types.

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

-(으)ㄹ래요 works only in the present, with action verbs, and only for the person speaking or the person being asked. A wish belongs to a person in the conversation, so the other forms cannot attach.

The negative form is useful for refusing: 저는 안 갈래요 (jeoneun an gallaeyo) means "I don't feel like going." A refusal in this form can sound blunt or a little childish, because it states a feeling without a reason. Speakers soften it by adding a reason: 저는 좀 피곤해서 안 갈래요 ("I am a bit tired, so I'll skip").

For intonation, a yes/no question usually rises at the end: 같이 갈래요? ↗. A question with a question word, such as 뭐 먹을래요?, puts the stress on 뭐 and usually ends with a fall or a rise-fall, not a sharp rise. A sharp final rise can turn 뭐 into "something". The pattern has close neighbours that learners confuse with it.

How Is -(으)ㄹ래요 Different from -(으)ㄹ게요 and -(으)ㄹ까요?

-(으)ㄹ래요 shows what the speaker wants, -(으)ㄹ게요 promises something to the listener, and -(으)ㄹ까요? asks what the two of you should do. All three attach to the same stem with the same -(으)ㄹ.

Compare two sentences with the same verb. 먹을래요 says "I want to eat" or asks "Do you want to eat?" 먹을게요 says "I will eat," usually after someone asks or offers, as a response. The full contrast is covered in -(으)ㄹ게요 and -(으)ㄹ까요?. Two comparison pages put the forms side by side: -(으)ㄹ까요 vs -(으)ㄹ래요 and -(으)ㄹ게요 vs -(으)ㄹ래요. Another neighbour is the plan form -(으)ㄹ 거예요: 갈 거예요 describes a plan, while 갈래요 describes a wish or a decision at this moment. These contrasts lead to a few variations in how the ending is used.

Variations and Edge Cases of -(으)ㄹ래요

-(으)ㄹ래요 has four common variations: casual speech, ordering, invitations and polite alternatives. Each one shows how real speakers use it.

• Casual speech. Drop 요 to talk to a friend: 나 먼저 갈래 (na meonjeo gallae) = "I'll go first," and 같이 갈래? = "Wanna come?"
• Ordering and choosing. In a shop or café, 저는 이걸로 할래요 is a natural way to decide. The listener does not need to agree.
• Invitations. A question with 같이 invites the listener along: 같이 영화 볼래요? ("Do you want to watch a movie together?"). It is more direct than 볼까요?
• Polite alternatives. To an elder or a customer, speakers prefer -(으)시겠어요?: 뭐 드시겠어요? ("What would you like?"). You may hear 드실래요?, but the -시겠어요 form is the safer one. See -(으)시겠어요?.

This lesson covers the ending itself, not the honorific. The honorific -(으)시- has its own page on honorific -(으)시-. For the wider picture, see Korean Speech Levels. The mistakes below are the ones that appear most often.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with -(으)ㄹ래요?

Learners most often confuse the subject, the tense and the register. Four mistakes appear again and again.

1. Using it for a third person. 친구가 올래요 is wrong when you mean "My friend will come." Use 올 거예요 instead.
2. Using it in the past. There is no 갔을래요. To talk about what happened, use 갔어요.
3. Using it when someone just asked you for a favour. If a person says "Can you carry this?", the polite answer is 제가 들게요 ("I'll carry it"), not 들래요. The ending -(으)ㄹ게요 answers the listener's need.
4. Adding 을 to a ㄹ-stem. 만들을래요 is wrong. The ㄹ stays, giving 만들래요.

A quick check: Is the person who decides in the conversation? Is the verb an action verb in the present? Is the stem handled correctly (vowel, consonant, ㄹ)? 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: 저는 빵을 ___. (먹래요 / 먹을래요)
2. Fix the error. A learner writes 만들을래요 for "I'll make it." Correct it.
3. Translate. "Do you want to go to the park together?" Use 공원 and 가다.
4. Choose the ending. Your friend asks "Can you wait here?" Do you reply 기다릴래요 or 기다릴게요? Explain why.

Answer key

1. 먹을래요. The stem 먹 ends in a consonant, so 을 links the ending: 저는 빵을 먹을래요.
2. 만들래요. The ㄹ of 만들 is kept, and no 을 is added.
3. 같이 공원에 갈래요? The stem 가 ends in a vowel, and the question tone makes it an invitation.
4. 기다릴게요. Your friend made a request, and a promise in response uses -(으)ㄹ게요. 기다릴래요 would mean "I want to wait."

If you can complete items 1 to 3 without the key, you can use -(으)ㄹ래요 in everyday speech. The final section points to the next lessons.

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

After -(으)ㄹ래요 grammar, learn the promise ending, then compare the three "will" patterns. This lesson teaches the wish and the invitation and does not cover the promise, the plan form or the honorific in depth. Those live on separate pages.

1. Learn -(으)ㄹ게요, the promise and offer ending.
2. Review -(으)ㄹ까요? if the open question still feels unclear.
3. Read Suggestions and Requests for every suggestion and request ending in one place.
4. Return to the Beginner Grammar list for the other patterns at this level.

TOPIK is the official Korean proficiency test, and the level shown here is an editorial estimate; the official descriptions are on topik.go.kr. With these steps, the choice becomes automatic: use -(으)ㄹ래요 for what you want, -(으)ㄹ게요 for what you promise, and -(으)ㄹ까요? for what you ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does -(으)ㄹ래요 mean?

-(으)ㄹ래요 expresses a wish or a decision made in the moment. In a statement it means "I will" or "I would like to", as in 저는 커피 마실래요 ("I'll have coffee"). In a question it asks what the listener prefers, as in 같이 갈래요? ("Do you want to go together?").

How do I attach -(으)ㄹ래요 to a verb?

Drop 다 from the verb. After a vowel stem or a ㄹ-stem add -ㄹ래요 to the stem: 가다 becomes 갈래요, and 만들다 becomes 만들래요. After a consonant stem add -을래요: 먹다 becomes 먹을래요. ㄷ- and ㅂ-irregular stems change first: 들을래요 and 도울래요.

Can -(으)ㄹ래요 be used with a third person or in the past tense?

No. The ending shows the will of the person speaking or the person being asked, so 민수 씨는 갈래요 cannot mean "Minsu will go." It also has no past form. For a third person use -(으)ㄹ 거예요 or a plain present form. For the past, use -았/었어요 and say what happened.

Is -(으)ㄹ래요 polite enough for elders and customers?

It is in the polite speech level, but the meaning is "do you want to", which can sound too direct to a senior. Many speakers use -(으)시겠어요? with elders and customers instead, as in 뭐 드시겠어요? You may also hear 드실래요?, but -(으)시겠어요? is the safer choice in service talk.

What is the difference between -(으)ㄹ래요 and -(으)ㄹ게요?

-(으)ㄹ래요 shows what the speaker wants, and it can be a question. -(으)ㄹ게요 is a promise or an offer made in response to the listener, and it is not a question. 커피 마실래요 means "I want coffee." 제가 살게요 means "I will pay," as a promise to the other person.

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