New Hobby Goals! Say ‘I Will’ in Korean 🎨

👋 Hello! Welcome to Daily Hangul!

Annyeonghaseyo! (안녕하세요!) It’s your favorite Korean tutor, Daily Hangul! 🍎

Have you ever watched a K-Drama where the main character decides to change their life and shouts, “I’m going to start a new life!”? Or maybe you’ve seen your favorite K-Pop idol promise, “I will work harder for our fans!”?

Today, we are going to learn how to talk about your Future Plans and New Hobbies. Whether you want to learn Taekwondo, cooking, or even Korean, you need to know how to say “I will” or “I decided to”! Let’s make some promises in Korean! Let’s go! 🚀

🔑 Core Expressions

Here are the 3 most useful expressions to talk about your new goals!

1. 취미 (Chwimi)

• Pronunciation: [Chwimi]
• English Meaning: Hobby
• Explanation: This is the noun for “hobby.” When you meet new Korean friends, asking “Chwimi-ga mwo-yeyo?” (What is your hobby?) is a great icebreaker!

2. ~(으)ㄹ 거예요 (~(eu)l geoyeyo)

• Pronunciation: [(eu)l geo-ye-yo]
• English Meaning: I will… / I am going to…
• Explanation: This is the magic phrase for the future tense. You attach it to a verb stem.
  • If the verb stem ends in a vowel: Add ~ㄹ 거예요.
  • Example: 가다 (to go) → 갈 거예요 (I will go).
  • If the verb stem ends in a consonant: Add ~을 거예요.
  • Example: 먹다 (to eat) → 먹을 거예요 (I will eat).

3. ~기로 했어요 (~giro haesseoyo)

• Pronunciation: [gi-ro hae-sseo-yo]
• English Meaning: I decided to…
• Explanation: This is slightly different from just “I will.” It implies you have made a decision or a plan. It sounds more determined! Use this when talking about New Year’s resolutions or firm plans.
  • Example: 운동하기로 했어요 (I decided to exercise).

💡 Pronunciation Tip

Let’s look at ~(으)ㄹ 거예요.

Many beginners pronounce “거예요” exactly as it is written, but in spoken Korean, it flows very smoothly.

• The ‘R’ sound: When you say 갈 거예요 (Gal geoyeyo), the ‘L/R’ sound at the bottom of 갈 (Gal) rolls slightly.
• Linking: When you use 먹을 거예요 (Meogeul geoyeyo), the bottom consonant of 먹 (k) moves over to replace the empty ‘o’ sound in 을. So it sounds like [Meo-geul].

Try saying it fast: Meo-geul-geo-ye-yo! 🎵

🗣️ Real Conversation

Let’s see how Minji and Jason talk about their new plans at a café.

Minji: 제이슨, 요즘 뭐 해요?
(Jason, yojeum mwo haeyo?)
(Jason, what are you doing these days?)

Jason: 저 테니스 배우기로 했어요.
(Jeo teniseu baeugiro haesseoyo.)
(I decided to learn tennis.)

Minji: 우와, 멋져요! 언제 시작해요?
(Uwa, meotjyeoyo! Eonje sijakhaeyo?)
(Wow, cool! When do you start?)

Jason: 내일부터요. 매일 연습할 거예요!
(Naeilbuteoyo. Maeil yeonseuphal geoyeyo!)
(From tomorrow. I will practice every day!)

🎭 Culture Tip & Drama Scene

🇰🇷 “Jaksim Samil” (작심삼일)

Have you ever started a hobby and quit after 3 days? In Korea, we have a perfect idiom for that!

• Jaksim Samil (작심삼일) literally means “A firm resolution lasts only three days.”

If a drama character fails their diet immediately, their friend might tease them by saying, “Are you doing Jaksim Samil again?” (또 작심삼일이야?).

But don’t worry! If you say “이번에는 꼭 할 거예요!” (I will definitely do it this time!), people will cheer for you! 🙌

📝 Wrap-up & Quiz

Today we learned how to announce our future plans! Remember, using ~기로 했어요 shows you have made a firm decision.

Let’s test your knowledge! (Answers are at the bottom)

Q1. Fill in the blank to say “I will learn Korean.”
한국어를 [ ______ ] 거예요. (Verb: 배우다 – to learn)

Q2. True or False?
To say “I decided to exercise,” you should use “~기로 했어요.”

Q3. What is the Korean word for “Hobby”?
[ ______ ]

Keep practicing, and see you next time! Annyeong! 👋

Answers:
1. 배울 (Baeul)
2. True (O)
3. 취미 (Chwimi)