The -(으)ㄹ래요 ending indicates the speaker’s intention or immediate desire, and it corresponds to “will” or “intend to” in English. The ending is used only with the verbs not with the adjectives, and it is normally used in colloquial settings.
The -(으)ㄹ래요 ending is a three-form ending: -을래요 is used after a stem that ends in a consonant, as in 먹을래요; -ㄹ래요 is used after a stem that ends in a vowel, as in 갈래요; -래요 is used for a ㄹ-irregular, as in 만들래요.
The -(으)ㄹ래요 ending is only used for the first person and the second person subjects. Consider the following conversation:
As seen above, the -(으)ㄹ래요 ending is used in the second person question for the first sentence and the first person statement in the second sentence. Here are some more examples:
The -(으)ㄹ래요 ending cannot be used for the third person subject, since one cannot speak for the third person’s intention. Consequently, a sentence like 수잔이 커피 마실래요 is ungrammatical in Korean.
-(으)ㄹ래요 vs. -고 싶어요/싶어해요
The difference between -(으)ㄹ래요 and -고 싶어요/싶어해요 is that while the former expresses an intention, the latter expresses a wish or hope. For instance, consider the following sentences:
As seen above, the sentences with the -고 싶어요 ending simply indicate the speaker’s wish. However, the sentences with the -(으)ㄹ래요 ending indicate that the speaker has already made up his/her mind and will do so.
-(으)ㄹ래요 vs. -(으)ㄹ 거예요
In the previous unit, the -(으)ㄹ 거예요 ending that expresses the probable future as well as the first person speaker’s intention was introduced. -(으)ㄹ 거예요 and -(으)ㄹ래요 can both be used to indicate the intention of the first person speaker, as shown below:
The meanings of both sentences are similar, and they can be used interchangeably. However, note that the usage of -(으)ㄹ 거예요 is much wider than that of -(으)ㄹ래요, in that -(으)ㄹ 거예요 can be used for the third person subject as well. When the speaker is not the first or second person, -(으)ㄹ 거예요 indicates the speaker’s conjecture.
The -(으)ㄹ게요 ending “willingness”
The -(으)ㄹ게요 ending indicates the speaker’s promise or willingness to do something for the listener’s interest. The ending is used only for first person subject and only with the verbs not with the adjectives. Consider the following sentences:
Notice that speaker A asks what time B will come to the library. Speaker B’s reply with -(으)ㄹ게요 conveys a sense of promise or reassuring of “arriving at the library by 9 a.m.” for speaker A’s sake.
The -(으)ㄹ게요 ending is a three form ending: -을게요 is used after a stem that ends in a consonant, as in 먹을게요; -ㄹ게요 is used after a stem that ends in a vowel, as in 갈게요; -게요 is used for ㄹ-irregular verbs, as in 만들게요.
The -(으)ㄹ래요 ending and the -(으)ㄹ게요 ending seem to resemble each other since they can both be translated as “will” in English. However, there are two clear differences. First, while -(으)ㄹ래요 can be used for a second person in questions, -(으)ㄹ게요 cannot. This is because the -(으)ㄹ게요 ending is used only for the first person subject.
The second difference is that while -(으)ㄹ래요 indicates the speaker’s intention, -(으)ㄹ게요 carries the speaker’s sense of promise. Here are some examples for comparison.
As -(으)ㄹ게요 conveys a sense of promise, it is often used when the speaker volunteers to do something. For instance, consider the following sentences.
* Click to read related posts.
Grammar for Intermediates
Irregular verbs and adjectives (불규칙동사와 형용사)
Expressing Desire (-고 싶다)
Probable Future (-ㄹ 거예요)
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