Six patterns cover every want and request in Korean, and the first one works on day one: put any noun in front of 주세요. 물 주세요 — water, please. Then -고 싶어요 for things you want to do, and 있어요? for asking whether something exists at all.
Not being able to say what you want is a strange helplessness. You can greet people, you can count, you can read a sign — and then someone asks 뭐 드릴까요? (what can I get you?) and the only tool left is pointing.
Korean solves this with a very small set of shapes. Learn six, and the vocabulary you already have starts turning into sentences.
1 · Asking for a thing
The most valuable four syllables in beginner Korean. Polite, universal, and it works in every shop, restaurant and taxi in the country.
2 · Asking someone to do something
Same 주세요, now attached to a verb. This is how you ask for an action rather than an object.
3 · Wanting to do something
Take the verb stem, add -고 싶어요. No vowel rules, no exceptions — it is one of the tidiest patterns in Korean.
| Verb | Stem | Want to do |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | 먹 | 먹고 싶어요 |
| 가다 | 가 | 가고 싶어요 |
| 보다 | 보 | 보고 싶어요 |
| 쉬다 | 쉬 | 쉬고 싶어요 |
4 · Saying what you like
The first sentence you will use in every self-introduction, and the home of one very common mistake.
5 · Asking whether they have it
Short, polite, and it gets a straight answer. 있어요 means there is / to have; its negative is 없어요.
6 · Inviting someone
Wanting to do something together. Casual, friendly and extremely common.
The mistake nobody warns you about
Fifteen sentences you can use today
| Korean | Romanisation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 이거 주세요. | igeo juseyo | This one, please. |
| 물 주세요. | mul juseyo | Water, please. |
| 계산해 주세요. | gyesanhae juseyo | The bill, please. |
| 도와주세요. | dowajuseyo | Please help me. |
| 천천히 말해 주세요. | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo | Please speak slowly. |
| 다시 한 번 말해 주세요. | dasi han beon malhae juseyo | Once more, please. |
| 먹고 싶어요. | meokgo sipeoyo | I want to eat. |
| 한국에 가고 싶어요. | hanguge gago sipeoyo | I want to go to Korea. |
| 보고 싶어요. | bogo sipeoyo | I want to see it / I miss you. |
| 김치를 좋아해요. | kimchireul joahaeyo | I like kimchi. |
| 안 매운 거 있어요? | an maeun geo isseoyo | Do you have something not spicy? |
| 자리 있어요? | jari isseoyo | Do you have a table? |
| 같이 갈래요? | gachi gallaeyo | Want to go together? |
| 뭐 먹고 싶어요? | mwo meokgo sipeoyo | What do you want to eat? |
| 괜찮아요. | gwaenchanayo | It's fine / no thanks. |
Patterns become automatic by being said, not read
Hanguljo carries the TOPIK 1 to 6 lessons with vocabulary, grammar and particles unlocking level by level, each point taught with worked examples and native audio. The 7-stage SRS engine brings every pattern back on the day you were about to lose it, Foundation lessons fix Hangul and pronunciation first with stroke order and clear audio, and the conversation track adds real dialogues with play-along highlighting and shadowing practice using your own microphone. The on-device OCR looks up any Korean you meet in the wild.
Learn Korean with Hanguljo - FreeQuick reference
- noun + 주세요 — please give me. Works everywhere, from day one.
- verb + 아/어 주세요 — please do this for me: 도와주세요.
- verb + 고 싶어요 — I want to do. No vowel rules.
- 을/를 좋아해요 = I like it. 이/가 좋아요 = it is good. Different words.
- noun + 있어요? — do you have it? Negative: 없어요.
- -(으)ㄹ래요? — shall we? Softer formal option: -(으)ㄹ까요?
- For other people use -고 싶어해요, not -고 싶어요.
Frequently asked questions
What does 주세요 mean?
Please give me. Any noun in front makes a complete polite request: 물 주세요, 이거 주세요. Attached to a verb as -아/어 주세요 it asks for an action: 도와주세요.
What is the difference between 좋아요 and 좋아해요?
좋아요 is an adjective (it is good) taking 이/가; 좋아해요 is a verb (I like) taking 을/를. 김치가 좋아요 describes the kimchi; 김치를 좋아해요 describes you.
How do you say I want to do something?
Verb stem + -고 싶어요: 먹고 싶어요, 가고 싶어요. Formal -고 싶습니다, casual -고 싶어, negative 안 먹고 싶어요.
Can you use 고 싶어요 about other people?
Not as a plain statement — use -고 싶어해요 for a third person. Asking someone directly is always fine.
How do you ask if a shop has something?
Noun + 있어요? — 자리 있어요?, 영어 메뉴 있어요?. The negative answer you will hear is 없어요.