-고 싶다

Add -고 싶다 to a verb to say what you want to do.

목적·의도Purpose, plans & wishes

Han: You cannot directly state another person's inner feelings with -고 싶다; for a third person use -고 싶어하다.

Examples

저는 한국에 가고 싶어요.I want to go to Korea.

점심에 뭐 먹고 싶어요?What do you want to eat for lunch?

어제는 너무 피곤해서 집에서 쉬고 싶었어요.Yesterday I was so tired that I wanted to rest at home.

주말에 친구를 만나고 싶어요.I want to meet my friend on the weekend.

-고 싶다vs-고 싶어하다Used for a third person's wish; -고 싶다 is for the speaker. 동생이 고양이를 키우고 싶어해요.

V+고 싶다

먹다 → 먹고 싶어요 (I want to eat)

In statements it expresses only the speaker's own wish. For a third person (he, she, my friend), use -고 싶어하다.
In questions it asks about the listener's wish: 뭐 하고 싶어요?
It attaches only to verbs, never directly to nouns. Say 커피를 마시고 싶어요, not 커피를 싶어요.
Tense goes on 싶다, not on the verb: 가고 싶었어요 (wanted to go), not 갔고 싶어요.

Wrong: ~~제 친구는 한국에 가고 싶어요.~~

Right: 제 친구는 한국에 가고 싶어해요.

You cannot directly state another person's inner feelings with -고 싶다; for a third person use -고 싶어하다.

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