-(으)ㄹ까 보다

Expresses a vague intention the speaker is considering: 'I think I might…, I'm thinking of…'. Spoken, about the speaker's own plans.

목적·의도Purpose, plans & wishes

Han: -(으)ㄹ까 보다 describes only the speaker's own tentative plan (and here it even sounds like 'I'm afraid my brother will go'); for someone else's plan use -(으)려고 하다.

Examples

요즘 살이 쪄서 저녁을 조금만 먹을까 봐요.I've put on weight lately, so I'm thinking of eating just a little at dinner.

머리가 너무 길어서 이번 주말에 자를까 봐.My hair's too long, so I think I'll get it cut this weekend.

날씨가 너무 추워서 오늘은 집에 있을까 봐요.It's so cold that I think I'll stay home today.

Don’t mix up

-(으)ㄹ까 보다vs-(으)ㄹ까 봐(서)As a connector it expresses worry: 늦을까 봐 택시를 탔어요 'I took a taxi in case I was late'; at the end of a sentence about your plan it means 'I'm thinking of': 택시를 탈까 봐요.

-(으)ㄹ까 보다vs-(으)ㄹ까 하다Almost the same meaning, but -(으)ㄹ까 하다 also has a natural past form: 갈까 했어요; -(으)ㄹ까 보다 is mostly present: 주말에 등산을 갈까 봐요.-(으)ㄹ까 보다vs-(으)려고 하다-(으)려고 하다 is a firmer intention: 내일 떠나려고 해요 vs 내일 떠날까 봐요 (still undecided).

How to build it

V+(으)ㄹ까 보다 (used as -(으)ㄹ까 봐요 / -(으)ㄹ까 봐)

가다 → 갈까 봐요; 먹다 → 먹을까 봐요; 만들다 → 만들까 봐요; 듣다 → 들을까 봐요

The subject is the speaker (I/we), and only action verbs are used.
It ends the sentence and stays in the present: 갈까 봐요. For a past plan that changed, use -(으)ㄹ까 했어요.
If -(으)ㄹ까 봐(서) is followed by another clause, it means 'in case, for fear that', a different pattern: 늦을까 봐 택시를 탔어요.
Often with 그냥, 차라리 or 이번에는: 그냥 집에 있을까 봐요.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~제 동생은 내년에 유학을 갈까 봐요.~~

Right: 제 동생은 내년에 유학을 가려고 해요.

-(으)ㄹ까 보다 describes only the speaker's own tentative plan (and here it even sounds like 'I'm afraid my brother will go'); for someone else's plan use -(으)려고 하다.

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