Plans

Korean Basic Conversation 2

Chapter 3 · Making Plans & Invitations

📆 Making Plans & Invitations — 약속과 초대

Time to turn hobbies into plans. This chapter gives you the three endings that Korean uses for the future and for suggestions: -(으)ㄹ까요? ("shall we?"), -(으)ㄹ래요? ("do you want to?") and -(으)ㄹ 거예요 ("I will, I'm going to"). It also teaches the part that matters most in Korean: how to say no gracefully. Revised Romanization is under every dialog line, for the last time but one: it fades from Chapter 5.

eo = ㅓ (short, open "uh") eu = ㅡ (unrounded "oo") kk, jj, ss = tense (tight, unaspirated) consonants [ ] = how the word is actually said, where it differs from the spelling

① An Invitation — 같이 영화 볼까요?

A: 이번 주말에 시간 있어요? Ibeon jumare sigan isseoyo? Are you free this weekend?

B: 네, 있어요. 왜요? Ne, isseoyo. Waeyo? Yes, I am. Why?

A: 같이 영화 볼까요? Gachi yeonghwa bolkkayo? Shall we watch a film together?

B: 좋아요! 무슨 영화 볼까요? Joayo! Museun yeonghwa bolkkayo? Great! What film shall we watch?

② Time and Place — 어디에서 만날까요?

A: 몇 시에 만날까요? Myeot sie mannalkkayo? What time shall we meet?

B: 토요일 오후 두 시 어때요? Toyoil ohu du si eottaeyo? How about Saturday at two in the afternoon?

A: 좋아요. 어디에서 만날까요? Joayo. Eodieseo mannalkkayo? Fine. Where shall we meet?

B: 극장 앞에서 만나요. Geukjang apeseo mannayo. Let's meet in front of the cinema.

③ Saying No Politely — 미안해요

A: 내일 저녁에 같이 밥 먹을래요? Naeil jeonyeoge gachi bap meogeullaeyo? Do you want to have dinner together tomorrow evening?

B: 미안해요. 내일은 약속이 있어요. Mianhaeyo. Naeireun yaksogi isseoyo. Sorry. I have plans tomorrow.

A: 그럼 모레는 어때요? Geureom moreneun eottaeyo? Then how about the day after tomorrow?

B: 모레는 괜찮아요! Moreneun gwaenchanayo! The day after tomorrow is fine!

④ Weekend Plans — 주말에 뭐 할 거예요?

A: 이번 주말에 뭐 할 거예요? Ibeon jumare mwo hal geoyeyo? What are you going to do this weekend?

B: 토요일에는 친구를 만날 거예요. Toyoireneun chingureul mannal geoyeyo. On Saturday I'm going to meet a friend.

A: 일요일에는 뭐 해요? Iryoireneun mwo haeyo? And what about Sunday?

B: 집에서 쉴 거예요. Jibeseo swil geoyeyo. I'm going to rest at home.

⑤ A Party — 생일 파티에 올래요?

A: 금요일에 제 생일 파티가 있어요. 올래요? Geumyoire je saengil patiga isseoyo. Ollaeyo? I'm having a birthday party on Friday. Will you come?

B: 초대해 주셔서 감사합니다. 꼭 갈게요! Chodaehae jusyeoseo gamsahamnida. Kkok galgeyo! Thank you for inviting me. I'll definitely come!

A: 몇 시에 올 거예요? Myeot sie ol geoyeyo? What time will you come?

B: 일곱 시에 갈 거예요. 뭘 가져갈까요? Ilgop sie gal geoyeyo. Mwol gajyeogalkkayo? I'll come at seven. What shall I bring?

⑥ Two Friends (casual) — 치킨 먹을래?

A: 오늘 저녁에 시간 있어? Oneul jeonyeoge sigan isseo? Are you free this evening?

B: 응, 왜? Eung, wae? Yeah, why?

A: 치킨 먹을래? Chikin meogeullae? Fancy some fried chicken?

B: 좋아! 몇 시에 볼까? Joa! Myeot sie bolkka? Sure! What time shall we meet?

A: 일곱 시에 우리 집 앞에서 보자! Ilgop sie uri jip apeseo boja! Let's meet at seven in front of my place!

🗝️ Key Phrases — 중요한 표현

Situation	Polite	Casual
Are you free …?	…에 시간 있어요? …e sigan isseoyo?	…에 시간 있어? …e sigan isseo?
Shall we …?	같이 …(으)ㄹ까요? gachi …(eu)lkkayo?	같이 …(으)ㄹ까? gachi …(eu)lkka?
How about Saturday?	토요일 어때요? toyoil eottaeyo?	토요일 어때? toyoil eottae?
Sounds good! / Fine!	좋아요! / 괜찮아요! joayo! / gwaenchanayo!	좋아! / 괜찮아! joa! / gwaenchana!
Sorry, I have plans.	미안해요. 약속이 있어요. mianhaeyo. yaksogi isseoyo.	미안, 약속 있어. mian, yaksok isseo.
Next time, then!	다음에 같이 가요! daeume gachi gayo!	다음에 같이 가자! daeume gachi gaja!

🔤 Three Verbs for Plans — 동사

Verb	Everyday polite (-요)	Formal (-ㅂ니다)	Casual
to go (가다)	가요 gayo	갑니다 gamnida	가 ga
to come (오다)	와요 wayo	옵니다 omnida	와 wa
to wait (기다리다)	기다려요 gidaryeoyo	기다립니다 gidarimnida	기다려 gidaryeo

🧱 Four Tools for Making Plans

1. -(으)ㄹ까요? — "Shall we …?"

Take the verb stem (the verb without -다). If it ends in a vowel, add -ㄹ까요?; if it ends in a consonant, add -을까요?. It is the standard way to propose something together or to ask someone's opinion: 같이 영화 볼까요? ("Shall we watch a film together?"), 뭘 먹을까요? ("What shall we eat?"). You can also ask it about yourself: 뭘 가져갈까요? ("What shall I bring?"). The casual form drops 요: 볼까?

The plain polite form also works as a suggestion: 극장 앞에서 만나요 can mean "we meet" or "let's meet". The casual suggestion is -자: 보자!, 가자!

2. -(으)ㄹ래요? — "Do you want to …?"

Same attachment rule as above. 밥 먹을래요? invites someone and asks what they want to do. In a statement it says what you want or are inclined to do (저는 커피 마실래요, "I'll have coffee"), but it can sound firm, so use it mainly for questions and with friends.

3. -(으)ㄹ 거예요 — "I'm going to …"

This is the plan or prediction ending. Stem + -ㄹ 거예요 or -을 거예요: 친구를 만날 거예요 ("I'm going to meet a friend"), 비가 올 거예요 ("it will rain"). Its question form has the same shape: 뭐 할 거예요? Casual: 할 거야. After ㄹ the sound of 거 is tense: said "kkeo".

Verb	Shall we?	Do you want to?	I'm going to
to go (가다)	갈까요? gal-kka-yo	갈래요? gal-lae-yo	갈 거예요 gal kkeo-ye-yo
to see (보다)	볼까요? bol-kka-yo	볼래요? bol-lae-yo	볼 거예요 bol kkeo-ye-yo
to meet (만나다)	만날까요? man-nal-kka-yo	만날래요? man-nal-lae-yo	만날 거예요 man-nal kkeo-ye-yo
to eat (먹다)	먹을까요? meo-geul-kka-yo	먹을래요? meo-geul-lae-yo	먹을 거예요 meo-geul kkeo-ye-yo
to do (하다)	할까요? hal-kka-yo	할래요? hal-lae-yo	할 거예요 hal kkeo-ye-yo

One more useful ending: -고 싶어요 ("I want to …"): 가고 싶어요, 보고 싶어요. It is more neutral than -(으)ㄹ래요 for saying what you would like.

4. Where? — 에 or 에서

A destination takes 에: 극장에 가요 (I go to the cinema). The place where an action happens takes 에서: 극장 앞에서 만나요 (we meet in front of the cinema). Compare the two in dialog 2 (Korean Grammar 1, chapter 4).

Time words for plans — 시간 표현

English	Korean	Say it
this week	이번 주	i-beon ju
next week	다음 주	da-eum ju
this weekend	이번 주말	i-beon ju-mal
tomorrow	내일	nae-il
the day after tomorrow	모레	mo-re
this evening	오늘 저녁	o-neul jeo-nyeok

📖 Vocabulary — 어휘

#	Korean	Say it	English	Type
1	약속	yak-ssok	appointment; plans; promise	noun
2	계획	gye-hoek	plan	noun
3	친구	chin-gu	friend	noun
4	파티	pa-ti	party	noun
5	초대	cho-dae	invitation	noun
6	극장	geuk-jjang	cinema; theatre	noun
7	앞	ap	front; in front of	noun
8	모레	mo-re	the day after tomorrow	noun
9	그날	geu-nal	that day	noun
10	이번 주	i-beon ju	this week	noun
11	다음 주	da-eum ju	next week	noun
12	같이	ga-chi	together	adverb
13	꼭	kkok	definitely; without fail	adverb
14	그럼	geu-reom	then; in that case	adverb
15	왜	wae	why	question word
16	가다	ga-da	to go	verb
17	오다	o-da	to come	verb
18	기다리다	gi-da-ri-da	to wait	verb
19	괜찮다	gwaen-chan-ta	to be fine; OK	adjective
20	미안하다	mi-an-ha-da	to be sorry	adjective

How to Say No Softly A flat 싫어요 ("I don't want to") sounds rude. Koreans decline by giving a reason or a gentle softener: 그날은 약속이 있어요 ("I have plans that day"), 그날은 좀 힘들어요 ("that day is a bit hard", with the softening word 좀), then offer an alternative: 다음에 같이 가요 ("let's go together next time"). Dialog 3 uses exactly this pattern.

괜찮아요 Can Mean Yes or No 괜찮아요 means "it's fine / I'm OK". Said to an offer ("Shall I pour you some more?") it often means "No thanks, I'm fine", while said about a plan ("Saturday?") it means "That works." Listen to the tone and the context, and when in doubt ask 좋아요?

Mind the Polite Non-Invitation 언제 밥 한번 먹어요 ("let's have a meal sometime") is often said as a friendly goodbye with no real plan behind it, much like "we should get together!" in English. A real invitation names a day and a time: 토요일 두 시에 만날까요?

As Heard in Dramas — 드라마에서 보고 싶어요 literally means "I want to see (you)", and is how characters say "I miss you". 약속 means both an "appointment" and a "promise": 약속해요! ("I promise!"), a favourite line in romantic scenes. A friend who says 가자! is proposing to go right now.

Grammar Pointer The three endings are new in this course. The particles 에 and 에서 are in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 4, and the times of day and dates you need for plans are in Korean Basic Conversation 1, Chapter 7. Korean Basic Conversation 2, Chapter 1 gave you the routine words (보통, 가끔, 자주) that combine with plans: 가끔 같이 영화 봐요.

✍️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Suggest "Shall we watch a film together?"

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같이 영화 볼까요?

2. Ask "What time shall we meet?" and propose "Saturday at three".

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몇 시에 만날까요? — 토요일 세 시 어때요?

3. Say "Let's meet in front of the cinema."

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극장 앞에서 만나요.

4. Decline politely: "Sorry. I have plans tomorrow. How about next week?"

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미안해요. 내일은 약속이 있어요. 다음 주는 어때요?

5. Say "On Sunday I'm going to rest at home."

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일요일에는 집에서 쉴 거예요.

6. Ask a friend casually, "Fancy some fried chicken?"

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치킨 먹을래?