Key Facts
- Hangul: 미래 (mirae)
- Meaning: future
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 未來 (未 not yet + 來 come)
- Syllables: two (mi-rae)
- Register: Neutral.
- Level: A2
Future in Korean: What Does 미래 Mean?
미래 is a Sino-Korean noun, 未來, from not yet and come. The future is literally what has not come yet. It is neutral and appears in writing, speeches and everyday plans. It is the abstract future, the time ahead, not a specific moment such as next week.
How Do You Pronounce 미래?
Two syllables: mi-rae. The ㄹ at the start of the second syllable is a quick tap between two vowels, closer to a d than an English r. RR writes mirae. With 가 it becomes miraega.
How Do You Use 미래 in a Sentence?
미래가 궁금해요.
I am curious about the future.
miraega gunggeumhaeyo. 가 marks 미래 as the subject of the curiosity. 궁금해요 means I wonder, or I am curious. It is a thoughtful sentence, not a plan.
미래에 의사가 되고 싶어요.
I want to be a doctor in the future.
miraee uisaga doego sipeoyo. 에 marks the time, and 의사가 되고 싶어요 means want to become a doctor. 되고 싶어요 is the pattern for wishes about what you want to become.
미래를 준비해야 해요.
We must prepare for the future.
miraereul junbihaeya haeyo. 를 marks 미래 as the object. 준비해야 해요 means must prepare, and the 해야 해요 ending expresses obligation.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 미래를 준비하다 | to prepare for the future |
| 가까운 미래 | near future |
| 밝은 미래 | bright future |
미래를 준비하다 is the practical phrase. 가까운 미래 is the near future, and 밝은 미래 is a bright future. Both put an adjective before the noun.
Common Mistake
Wrong: Using 미래 to mean next time.
Correct: 다음에 for next time; 미래 for the abstract future.
미래 names the time ahead without identifying a particular occasion. For another occasion, use 다음에. The future can still be near, as 가까운 미래 shows.
How Does 미래 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 미래 |
|---|---|---|
| 장래 | future (of a person) | One's future career or prospects. |
| 앞으로 | from now on | An adverb meaning in the future, from now. |
| 과거 | past | The opposite of 미래. |
Talking about Plans after Class
Two classmates are discussing the kind of work they hope to do.
Jisu
미래에 어떤 일을 하고 싶어요?
Miraee eotteon ireul hago sipeoyo?
What kind of work do you want to do in the future?
Alex
의사가 되고 싶어요.
Uisaga doego sipeoyo.
I want to become a doctor.
Jisu
그럼 지금 무엇을 준비해요?
Geureom jigeum mueoseul junbihaeyo?
Then what are you preparing now?
Alex
한국어와 과학을 공부해요.
Hangugeowa gwahageul gongbuhaeyo.
I’m studying Korean and science.
미래에 opens a broad question about life ahead. 지금 brings the conversation back to the present. The answer uses 되고 싶어요 for becoming something, rather than simply naming a job. Once the future setting is clear, the answer does not need to repeat 미래에.
Where Will You Encounter 미래?
School essays, graduation speeches, and conversations about technology often use 미래. The word can refer to one person's life, a country's prospects, or a world that has not arrived yet. A museum exhibition about 미래 기술, “future technology”, uses the same noun as a conversation about a future career.
미래 사회 means “future society”. The first noun describes the second, so there is no need to add 에 between them. Compare 미래에, “in the future”, which gives the time of an action. Spotting the next word helps: a noun following 미래 often forms a topic phrase, while 에 connects 미래 to something happening later.
The noun is neutral, rather than specially formal or poetic. A promise can include 미래, but the word alone does not make a promise. The rest of the sentence tells you whether the speaker is predicting, hoping, worrying, or planning.
Common Phrases and the Pictures behind Them
밝은 미래 literally describes a “bright future”. Its usual meaning is hopeful or promising prospects, rather than a future full of physical light. You will meet it in encouraging messages and statements about education or opportunities. The phrase is positive; it does not name a particular achievement or deadline.
가까운 미래 means the “near future”. 가까운 describes closeness in time here, rather than distance on a map. The phrase still leaves the date open. If you need to arrange an appointment, give an actual day or time instead of expecting 가까운 미래 to identify one.
미래를 준비하다 treats the future as the object of preparation. English normally adds “for”, but Korean uses 를 directly after 미래. The example 미래를 준비해야 해요 adds obligation: preparation is something the speaker thinks is necessary. You can recognize the same object pattern in discussions of study, savings, or career training.
Choose a Time Word That Fits Your Meaning
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 과거 | past | The time before now, often contrasted with 미래. |
| 현재 | present | The current point or period in time. |
| 장래 | future prospects | Common in discussions of a person's career or potential. |
| 앞으로 | from now on / going forward | Connects an action or intention to the time ahead. |
| 다음에 | next time / later | Useful for another occasion, rather than the abstract future. |
The time expressions lesson helps you place plans in time. 장래 희망 means a hoped-for future occupation or ambition, a phrase learners meet in school settings. 미래 is broader: it can describe society and technology as easily as a person's life.
미래 does not itself conjugate a sentence into the future. It is a noun. A speaker can discuss the future while expressing a wish, as in the dialogue, or make a prediction with a future-oriented verb ending. The time noun and the sentence ending do different jobs.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 가까운 미래 give an exact date?
- Which is better for “next time”: 미래 or 다음에?
- In 미래를 준비하다, why is 를 attached to 미래?
Show answers
- No. It means the near future without fixing a date.
- 다음에.
- 미래 is the object of 준비하다; English expresses this as “prepare for the future”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 미래 Mean Next Time?
No. For next time, say 다음에.
What Is the Opposite of 미래?
과거, the past.
How Do I Say I Want to Be a Doctor in the Future?
Say 미래에 의사가 되고 싶어요.
What Is 장래?
The future of a person, such as a career.
Where to Go Next
Find 미래 among the top 1000 core words, 501 to 600. The natural next word is past in Korean. To practise, try the vocabulary flashcard decks or return to Korean words A to Z.