원하다 ➡️ VS + 고 싶다

1. Title

"Expressing Desires in Korean: VS + 고 싶다.

2. Grammar Explanation

In Korean, expressing a desire or want is commonly done through the use of two structures, depending on whether the object of desire is a noun or an action. When desiring a noun, for example, Tesla which is my favorite, saying "I want Tesla" directly as "테슬라를 원해요" is less natural. Instead, Koreans tend to express desires for actions, using the structure "verb stem + 고 싶다". For instance, instead of saying "I want Tesla", a Korean speaker would naturally say "I want to buy Tesla", "테슬라를 사고 싶어요".

"noun + 원하다" is often reserved for more formal or literary contexts, such as in poetry, songs, or specific situations that call for a formal expression of desire, like "너를 원해" (I want you) or "행복을 원해요" (I want happiness).

3. Example Sentences

1. 이 영화를 보고 싶어요. (I want to watch this movie.)

2. 친구랑 같이 여행가고 싶어요. (I want to travel with my friend.)

3. 커피를 마시고 싶어요. (I want to drink coffee.)

4. 새 책을 사고 싶어요. (I want to buy a new book.)

5. 한국어를 더 잘하고 싶어요. (I want to be better at Korean.)

4. Sample Dialogues

• A: 이번 주말에 뭐 하고 싶어? (What do you want to do this weekend?)

  B: 너랑 데이트하고 싶어. (I want to go on a date with you.)

  A: 뭐?? 너 미쳤어?? (What?? Are you crazy??)

  B: 응, 너한테 미쳤어. 나는 너를 원해! (Yes, I am crazy about you. I want you!)

5. Make Korean Sentences from English!

1. I want to learn Korean.

2. My friend wants to visit Jeju Island next month.

3. I want to buy a new smartphone.

4. My mom wants to start gardening.

5. My brother wants to learn how to play the guitar.

6. I want to take a day off and relax at home.

7. My sister wants to adopt a pet.

8. I want to go hiking in the mountains.

9. My friend wants to start a blog.

10. I want to make new friends.