How to Say “I Want to” in Korean Without Confusing -고 싶다 and -고 싶어하다

If you want to say “I want to” in Korean, you usually use -고 싶다.

The tricky part starts when the subject is another person. 저는 가고 싶어요 means “I want to go,” but 친구는 가고 싶어해요 means “My friend wants to go.”

The key is simple: Korean uses -고 싶다 for your own desire, but it often uses -고 싶어하다 when you describe what someone else seems to want.

1. Quick Answer: How to Say “I Want to” in Korean

To say “I want to” in Korean, use:

verb stem + -고 싶어요

Use this pattern when you talk about what you want to do.

• 김밥을 만들고 싶어요.
  (I want to make gimbap.)
• 오늘 쉬고 싶어요.
  (I want to rest today.)
• 빵을 먹고 싶어요.
  (I want to eat bread.)

For “he wants to” or “she wants to,” Korean usually uses -고 싶어하다.

2. How to Make -고 싶다 with Korean Verb Stems

To make -고 싶다, start with a Korean verb in dictionary form.

The rule is simple:

1. Remove 다.
2. Add -고 싶어요.

There is no final consonant rule.
Use the same pattern for verbs.

Table: How to Attach -고 싶다 to Korean Verb Stems

Dictionary Form	Verb Stem	Korean Sentence
가다	가	가고 싶어요. (I want to go.)
먹다	먹	먹고 싶어요. (I want to eat.)
보다	보	보고 싶어요. (I want to watch.)
사다	사	사고 싶어요. (I want to buy.)

You can use the same pattern with other simple verbs.

• 친구를 만나고 싶어요.
  (I want to meet my friend.)
• 사진을 찍고 싶어요.
  (I want to take pictures.)
• 한국 노래를 듣고 싶어요.
  (I want to listen to Korean songs.)

The key point is this:

-고 싶다 is used with verbs. It means you want to do something.

3. When to Use -고 싶다 for Your Own Desire and Questions

Use -고 싶다 when you talk about what you want to do.

In everyday polite Korean, the common form is -고 싶어요.

• 저는 집에서 자고 싶어요.
  (I want to sleep at home.)
• 저는 새 노트를 쓰고 싶어요.
  (I want to use a new notebook.)
• 저는 조용한 카페에서 공부하고 싶어요.
  (I want to study at a quiet cafe.)

You can also use -고 싶어요? when you ask someone what they want to do.

• 주말에 뭐 하고 싶어요?
  (What do you want to do this weekend?)
• 어디에서 점심을 먹고 싶어요?
  (Where do you want to eat lunch?)
• 오늘 어떤 영화를 보고 싶어요?
  (What movie do you want to watch today?)

So -고 싶다 is natural for your own desire and for direct questions.

When the subject is another person, Korean usually changes the pattern to -고 싶어하다.

4. When to Use -고 싶어하다 for “He Wants to” or “She Wants to”

Use -고 싶어하다 when the subject is another person.

With -고 싶어하다, you are describing what someone seems to want from their words, actions, or situation.

This is why 친구는 주문하고 싶어요 can sound too direct in many beginner sentences.

A safer beginner sentence is:

• 친구는 먼저 주문하고 싶어해요.
  (My friend wants to order first.)
• 제 동생은 밖에서 놀고 싶어해요.
  (My younger sibling wants to play outside.)
• 아이가 주스를 마시고 싶어해요.
  (The child wants to drink juice.)
• 학생은 한국 드라마를 이해하고 싶어해요.
  (The student wants to understand Korean dramas.)
• 하린이는 피아노를 배우고 싶어해요.
  (Harin wants to learn piano.)

This is why -고 싶어하다 is common for “he wants to,” “she wants to,” and “someone wants to” in Korean.

5. -고 싶다 vs -고 싶어하다: The Simple Difference

The easiest way to choose is to look at the subject.

Your own desire or direct question → -고 싶다
Another person’s desire → -고 싶어하다

Table: -고 싶다 vs -고 싶어하다 in Korean

Situation	Pattern	Example
I want to	-고 싶다	저는 음악을 듣고 싶어요. (I want to listen to music.)
Do you want to?	-고 싶다	지금 산책하고 싶어요? (Do you want to take a walk now?)
He/She wants to	-고 싶어하다	언니는 케이크를 만들고 싶어해요. (My older sister wants to make a cake.)

Simple shortcut:

저는 / 나는 → -고 싶어요
뭐 하고 싶어요? → -고 싶어요?
친구는 / 언니는 / 동생은 → -고 싶어해요

6. How to Say “I Don’t Want to” in Korean

To say “I don’t want to” in Korean, use:

verb stem + 고 싶지 않아요

This is the negative form of -고 싶다.

• 오늘은 밖에 나가고 싶지 않아요.
  (I don’t want to go outside today.)
• 지금은 말하고 싶지 않아요.
  (I don’t want to talk right now.)
• 매운 음식을 먹고 싶지 않아요.
  (I don’t want to eat spicy food.)

When the subject is another person, use:

verb stem + 고 싶어하지 않아요

This means “someone does not want to.”

• 아이는 약을 먹고 싶어하지 않아요.
  (The child does not want to take medicine.)
• 친구는 늦게까지 기다리고 싶어하지 않아요.
  (My friend does not want to wait until late.)

The short rule is simple.

Use -고 싶지 않아요 when you say “I don’t want to.”

Use -고 싶어하지 않아요 when you say “someone does not want to.”

7. Common Confusions with -고 싶다 and -고 싶어하다

Most learners understand -고 싶다 quickly.

The confusing part is choosing the right form when the subject changes.

Confusion 1: Using -고 싶어하다 for yourself

Use -고 싶다 when you talk about your own desire.

• ❌ 저는 커피를 마시고 싶어해요.
  (I want to drink coffee.)
• ⭕ 저는 커피를 마시고 싶어요.
  (I want to drink coffee.)

Why this sounds unnatural:

-고 싶어하다 is usually used when you describe another person’s desire.
For your own desire, -고 싶다 is the natural choice.

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Confusion 2: Using -고 싶다 for another person

Use -고 싶어하다 when you describe what another person wants to do.

• ❌ 민수는 집에 가고 싶어요.
  (Minsu wants to go home.)
• ⭕ 민수는 집에 가고 싶어해요.
  (Minsu wants to go home.)

Why this sounds unnatural:

In Korean, another person’s desire is usually described from the outside.
That is why -고 싶어하다 sounds more natural here.

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Confusion 3: Translating “want something” too directly

English uses “want” in two common ways.

You can want to do something.
You can also want something.

Korean does not use -고 싶다 for both.

Use -고 싶다 when there is an action verb.

• ❌ 물을 싶어요.
  (I want water.)
• ⭕ 물을 마시고 싶어요.
  (I want to drink water.)

Here, the real action is 마시다, so -고 싶다 attaches to 마시다.

If you simply mean “I need water,” use 필요하다 instead.

• 물이 필요해요.
  (I need water.)

Why this sounds unnatural:

-고 싶다 means “want to do,” so it needs a verb. In Korean, -고 싶다 does not attach directly to a noun.

8. Natural Korean Sentence Patterns with -고 싶다 and -고 싶어하다

Pattern 1: 저는 …고 싶어요

• 저는 라면을 끓이고 싶어요.
  (I want to cook ramyeon.)
• 저는 한강에서 걷고 싶어요.
  (I want to walk by the Han River.)

Pattern 2: …고 싶어요?

• 오늘 어떤 게임을 하고 싶어요?
  (What game do you want to play today?)
• 어디에서 쉬고 싶어요?
  (Where do you want to rest?)

Pattern 3: 사람 + -고 싶어해요

• 부모님은 조용한 호텔에서 쉬고 싶어해요.
  (My parents want to rest at a quiet hotel.)
• 아빠는 새 안경을 쓰고 싶어해요.
  (My dad wants to wear new glasses.)
  
  

9. Practice: Choose -고 싶다 or -고 싶어하다

Choose the more natural answer.

Look at the subject first.
If the sentence talks about the speaker’s own desire, choose -고 싶다.
If the sentence describes another person’s desire, choose -고 싶어하다.

Practice Table: -고 싶다 vs -고 싶어하다

No.	Korean Sentence	English Translation	Options
1	저는 오늘 (빨래하다).	I want to do laundry today.	빨래하고 싶어요. / 빨래하고 싶어해요.
2	제 친구는 한국 음식을 (배우다).	My friend wants to learn how to cook Korean food.	배우고 싶어요. / 배우고 싶어해요.
3	지금 뭐 (마시다)?	What do you want to drink now?	마시고 싶어요? / 마시고 싶어해요?
4	아이는 공원에서 (뛰다).	The child wants to run in the park.	뛰고 싶어요. / 뛰고 싶어해요.
5	저는 오늘 그림을 (그리다).	I want to draw a picture today.	그리고 싶어요. / 그리고 싶어해요.
6	언니는 새 옷을 (입다).	My older sister wants to wear new clothes.	입고 싶어요. / 입고 싶어해요.
7	방학에 어디에 (가다)?	Where do you want to go during vacation?	가고 싶어요? / 가고 싶어해요?
8	동생은 만화를 (읽다).	My younger sibling wants to read comics.	읽고 싶어요. / 읽고 싶어해요.
9	저는 지금 밖에 (나가다).	I don’t want to go outside now.	나가고 싶지 않아요. / 나가고 싶어하지 않아요.
10	지수는 약을 (먹다).	Jisu does not want to take medicine.	먹고 싶지 않아요. / 먹고 싶어하지 않아요.

Answer Key and Short Explanations

1. 빨래하고 싶어요.

저는 shows the speaker’s own desire. Use -고 싶어요 when the speaker talks about what they want to do.

2. 배우고 싶어해요.

제 친구는 is another person. Use -고 싶어해요 when you describe what another person wants to do.

3. 마시고 싶어요?

Use -고 싶어요? when you ask someone what they want to do.

4. 뛰고 싶어해요.

아이는 is another person. The speaker is describing what the child wants to do, so -고 싶어해요 is natural.

5. 그리고 싶어요.

저는 shows the speaker’s own desire. Use -고 싶어요 for “I want to.”

6. 입고 싶어해요.

언니는 is another person. Use -고 싶어해요 when describing another person’s desire.

7. 가고 싶어요?

This question asks where the listener wants to go. In direct questions to “you,” -고 싶어요? is natural.

8. 읽고 싶어해요.

동생은 is another person. The speaker is describing the younger sibling’s desire, so use -고 싶어해요.

9. 나가고 싶지 않아요.

저는 shows the speaker’s own negative desire. Use verb stem + 고 싶지 않아요 for “I don’t want to.”

10. 먹고 싶어하지 않아요.

지수는 is another person, and the sentence is negative. Use -고 싶어하지 않아요 for “someone does not want to.”

10. FAQ About -고 싶다 and -고 싶어하다

Q1. What does -고 싶다 mean in Korean?

-고 싶다 means “want to do” in Korean. It attaches to a verb stem. In everyday polite Korean, the common form is -고 싶어요.

Q2. What is the difference between -고 싶다 and -고 싶어하다?

Use -고 싶다 for your own desire or direct questions. Use -고 싶어하다 when describing what another person wants to do.

Q3. How do you say “I don’t want to” in Korean?

To say “I don’t want to” in Korean, use verb stem + 고 싶지 않아요. This is the basic negative form of -고 싶다.

Q4. Can I use -고 싶다 with adjectives?

Usually, -고 싶다 is used with verbs, not adjectives. For expressions like “I want to become healthier,” Korean often uses -아/어지다 + 고 싶다.

Q5. How do you say “he wants to” or “she wants to” in Korean?

To say “he wants to” or “she wants to” in Korean, use verb stem + 고 싶어해요. Korean often uses this pattern when describing another person’s desire.

11. Conclusion: How to Remember -고 싶다 and -고 싶어하다

To say “I want to” in Korean, use -고 싶다.

To talk about another person’s desire, use -고 싶어하다.

Look at the subject first.

I want to → -고 싶어요
Do you want to? → -고 싶어요?
He/She wants to → -고 싶어해요

That one check will help you choose between -고 싶다 and -고 싶어하다 more naturally.

12. Related Korean Grammar Lessons

If you want to compare similar Korean grammar patterns, read these next.

👉 How to Use -(으)려고 하다 in Korean
Learn the difference between wanting to do something and planning to do something.

👉 -고 싶다 vs 원하다 in Korean
Learn the difference between “want to do” and “want something” in Korean.

👉 How to Use -아/어지다 in Korean
Learn how to say “become” with adjectives, such as 건강해지고 싶어요.