Korean future tense is not one form but two: -(으)ㄹ 거예요 states plans and predictions, and -겠- shows will, offers and inference. This hub lists the three future-tense lessons in learning order and helps you choose the one that fits the sentence you want to say, with audio for every example.
What Is Korean Future Tense?
Korean future tense is the set of endings that talk about events that have not happened yet. Korean has no single marker like the English "will". The speaker picks an ending by asking where the idea came from: a plan, a decision made now, or a fixed schedule.
| Form | Example | Spoken | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present tense | 내일 가요. | [내일 가요] | I go tomorrow (a fixed schedule). |
| -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | 내일 갈 거예요. | [내일 갈꺼예요] | I will go tomorrow (a plan). |
| -겠- | 내일 가겠어요. | [내일 가게써요] | I will go tomorrow (a decision made now). |
The first rule is short. Add ㄹ 거예요 to a vowel stem, 을 거예요 to a consonant stem and 거예요 straight after the ㄹ of ㄹ-stems: 갈 거예요, 먹을 거예요, 살 거예요. The infix -겠- is simpler still, because it goes after the stem with no change: 가겠어요, 먹겠어요. Romanization of the table: naeil gayo, naeil gal geoyeyo and naeil gagesseoyo. The conjugation drills for every stem type are in how to conjugate Korean verbs in the future tense; this hub is about meaning and use. The next section gives the order to study the lessons.
Recommended Order for the Future Tense Lessons
Start with the plan form, then the infix, then the comparison. That order follows how often you will need each form and how much each depends on the one before.
- Future tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요 (A1). Learn the form for plans and predictions, with the stem rule and the irregular stems. After it, you can say what you will do and what will probably happen.
- Future guess -겠- (A2). Learn the infix for decisions, offers and guesses from evidence, plus set phrases such as 알겠습니다. After it, you can volunteer, answer a manager and react to what you see.
- -겠- vs -(으)ㄹ 거예요 (A2). Learn the three-question rule that chooses between the two. After it, you can pick the right form for a new sentence.
A typical study time is one sitting of 25 to 30 minutes per lesson, plus practice. The next section summarises each lesson.
Browse the Future Tense Lessons
Each lesson below has audio examples, a pattern table, common mistakes and practice with answers.
Future Tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요
The lesson on future tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요 teaches the polite ending for plans and predictions. It explains the ㄹ and 을 rule, the formal -(으)ㄹ 겁니다 and the "probably" meaning with states. Example: 내일 친구를 만날 거예요. (naeil chingureul mannal geoyeyo) = "I will meet a friend tomorrow."
Future Guess -겠-
The lesson on future guess -겠- covers the infix that shows will, offers and inference. It lists the set phrases 알겠습니다, 모르겠어요 and 처음 뵙겠습니다 and explains why 하겠요 is wrong. Example: 제가 하겠습니다. (jega hagetseumnida) = "I will do it."
-겠- vs -(으)ㄹ 거예요
The lesson on -겠- vs -(으)ㄹ 거예요 compares the two forms on the same verb. It tests the time of the decision, the subject, offers, evidence and refusals. Example: 제가 가겠어요. (jega gagesseoyo) = "I will go (I volunteer)," beside 내일 갈 거예요 = "I am going tomorrow (planned)."
With the lessons mapped, the next section helps you choose one for a specific sentence.
Which Lesson Fits Your Sentence?
Choose the lesson by the kind of sentence you want to make. The table answers the five questions learners ask most often.
| If you want to... | Example | Open this lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Say a plan or a prediction | 비가 올 거예요. | Future tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요 |
| Volunteer or answer a manager | 알겠습니다. | Future guess -겠- |
| Guess from what you can see | 맛있겠다. | Future guess -겠- |
| Decide which form fits | 갈 거예요 or 가겠어요? | -겠- vs -(으)ㄹ 거예요 |
| Talk about a fixed timetable | 내일 시험이 있어요. | Korean present tense uses |
Romanization: biga ol geoyeyo, algetseumnida, masitgetda and naeil siheomi isseoyo. If you are not sure, start with the first row. The plan form is the one you will use in most conversations. The next section lists the first mistakes to avoid.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid First?
The most common first mistake is adding 을 to a vowel stem, as in 갈을 거예요. Only consonant stems take 을. The correct form is 갈 거예요, and ㄹ-stems take only 거예요, as in 살 거예요.
Two more early mistakes are worth knowing. Learners often answer "What will you do tomorrow?" with -겠-, as in 부산에 가겠어요, which sounds like a vow. For a plan, say 부산에 갈 거예요. Learners also write 하겠요, but 겠 always needs a full ending after it: 하겠어요 or 하겠습니다.
Practice Tools and Quizzes
Practise by building forms, then checking yourself, then reviewing. The site's tools cover each step.
- Build forms: type any verb into the Korean verb conjugator to see its future forms at every speech level.
- Check yourself: the Korean tenses quiz mixes present, past and future items with feedback after each answer.
- Review: the beginner Korean grammar flashcards include the future endings with audio.
What this hub covers and doesn't. This hub covers the meaning and use of the future forms. Other tenses sit in sibling hubs: the Korean present tense and the Korean past tense, and every tense is listed on the Korean tenses hub. Korean examples on these pages are model-checked and wait for review by a human Korean reviewer.
In short, Korean future tense is two forms with two jobs; start with -(으)ㄹ 거예요 for plans and add -겠- when you decide, offer or guess on the spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Future Tense in Korean?
Korean has no single future tense. It marks future meaning with endings: -(으)ㄹ 거예요 for plans and predictions, as in 내일 갈 거예요, and the infix -겠- for will, offers and inference, as in 제가 하겠습니다. The present tense also works for a fixed schedule, so 내일 가요 can mean "I go tomorrow".
Which Is More Natural, 거예요 or 겠?
Neither is more natural in general. -(으)ㄹ 거예요 is the neutral choice for plans and predictions, so beginners meet it first. -겠- is natural when you decide, volunteer or guess from evidence on the spot, and in set phrases such as 알겠습니다. The choice depends on where the idea came from, not on difficulty.
How Do I Choose: -겠- vs -(으)ㄹ 거예요?
Ask when the idea was formed. If it existed before you spoke, use -(으)ㄹ 거예요: 내일 갈 거예요. If you decide, offer or conclude while speaking, use -겠-: 제가 가겠어요. A guess from something you can see also takes -겠-, as in 비가 오겠어요. The comparison lesson gives a three-question rule.
Which Lesson in Future Tense Should I Read First?
Read the lesson on future tense -(으)ㄹ 거예요 first. It is an A1 lesson that teaches the form you will use for most plans, and its stem rule is short: ㄹ after vowels, 을 after consonants. Then read -겠-, and finish with the comparison lesson, which uses both forms side by side.
What Level Is the Korean Future Tense?
The plan form -(으)ㄹ 거예요 is A1, the first level of the CEFR scale, and is taught in the first chapters of most beginner courses. The infix -겠- and the comparison between the two are A2, because they need a feel for offers, evidence and politeness. Set phrases such as 알겠습니다 are usually learned much earlier as vocabulary.