Day 25: The future
Korean has three ways to talk about the future, and they are not interchangeable — they differ by who the sentence is for.
내일 가요. — I'm going tomorrow. (a scheduled fact) 내일 갈 거예요. — I'm going to go tomorrow. (my plan) 내일 갈게요. — I'll go tomorrow. (a promise to you)
★ And the ending is one you already own — the same -(으)ㄹ from Days 19 and 20.
1. ★★ -(으)ㄹ 거예요
### Vowel stem → -ㄹ 거예요 · Batchim stem → -을 거예요
| Verb | ||
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 갈 거예요 | I'm going to go |
| 하다 | 할 거예요 | I'm going to do it |
| 먹다 | 먹을 거예요 | I'm going to eat |
| 읽다 | 읽을 거예요 | I'm going to read |
| 만들다 | 만들 거예요 | I'm going to make it (ㄹ stem — no 을) |
⚠️ It is pronounced [꺼예요], with a tense ㄱ — 갈 거예요 sounds like [갈꺼예요]. Day 2's 경음화, still running. Spell it with a space and 거, say it tense.
★ This is the everyday future. Plans, intentions, scheduled things:
내일 뭐 할 거예요? — What are you going to do tomorrow?주말에 친구를 만날 거예요. — I'm going to meet a friend at the weekend.한국에 갈 거예요. — I'm going to go to Korea.
★ It also means "probably"
With a third-person subject it becomes a guess:
민수 씨는 안 올 거예요. — Minsu probably won't come.비쌀 거예요. — It'll probably be expensive.아마 지금 자고 있을 거예요. — He's probably asleep right now.
★ Same ending, and context decides. About yourself it is a plan; about someone else it is an inference — because you cannot know their intentions.
2. ★★ 거예요 or 게요?
This is the pair to feel, and Day 19 gave you half of it.
| -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | my plan — a statement about the world | I'm going to go |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ게요 | my promise — a commitment to you | I'll go |
| — 내일 뭐 할 거예요? — 친구 만날 거예요. | just telling you my plan |
|---|---|
| — 이거 누가 해요? — 제가 할게요. | ★ responding — I'll take it on |
| — 언제 와요? — 일곱 시에 올게요. | ★ a promise to the listener |
★ -게요 always implies "for you / in response to you". That is why 제가 낼게요 (Day 12) and 그냥 볼게요 (Day 18) are 게요 — both are addressed to someone.
⚠️ -게요 is first person only (Day 19). For someone else, 거예요 is the only option:
민수 씨가 갈게요→ 민수 씨가 갈 거예요.
3. And the plain present still works
Day 6 told you 해요 covers the near future. That has not changed:
| 내일 가요. | I'm going tomorrow |
|---|---|
| 다음 주에 시험 있어요. | There's an exam next week |
| 일곱 시에 만나요. | We're meeting at seven |
★ Use the plain present for anything scheduled or already agreed — timetables, appointments, arrangements. Use 거예요 for what you intend.
— 내일 만나요. (we've arranged it)— 내일 만날 거예요. (I'm planning to)
4. ★ -(으)려고 해요 — "intend to, be about to"
Vowel → -려고 해요 · Batchim → -으려고 해요
| 한국에 가려고 해요. | I'm thinking of going to Korea |
|---|---|
| 집에서 쉬려고 해요. | I'm planning to rest at home |
| 뭐 먹으려고 해요? | What are you thinking of eating? |
★ Softer and less settled than 거예요 — it is an intention you might still change. 거예요 says it is decided; 려고 해요 says you are leaning that way.
5. ★ 겠 — and the three places you already meet it
-겠- is an older future/intention marker. You rarely build new sentences with it, but three fixed forms are everywhere:
| ★ 알겠어요 | I understand / got it | (literally "I will know") |
|---|---|---|
| ★ 모르겠어요 | I don't know | ★ softer than 몰라요 |
| ★ 맛있겠다! | That looks delicious! | a guess about something in front of you |
잘 먹겠습니다 (Day 12) is also this — literally "I will eat well."
⚠️ 모르겠어요 vs 몰라요: 몰라요 is flat — "I don't know." 모르겠어요 is softer and more polite — closer to "I'm not sure." ★ With strangers, use 모르겠어요.
And -겠습니다 is the formal commitment you hear in service and announcements: 하겠습니다 (I will do it), 시작하겠습니다 (we will begin).
6. When
| 이따가 | later today | 나중에 | later, sometime | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 곧 | soon | 내일 | tomorrow | |
| 모레 | day after tomorrow | 다음 주 | next week | |
| 다음 달 | next month | 내년 | next year | |
| 언젠가 | someday | 앞으로 | from now on |
⚠️ 이따가 vs 나중에: 이따가 is later today — 이따가 봐요 means see you in a few hours. 나중에 is vague and could be next month. ★ 나중에 밥 한번 먹어요 (let's eat sometime) is a friendly non-commitment, exactly like the English one.
7. Dialogue
민수: 알렉스 씨, 주말에 뭐 할 거예요?Alex: 친구랑 부산에 갈 거예요.민수: 부산이요? 좋겠다! 어떻게 가요?Alex: KTX 타려고 해요. 근데 아직 표를 안 샀어요.민수: 지금 사세요. 주말에는 비쌀 거예요.Alex: 아, 그래요? 그럼 오늘 저녁에 살게요.민수: 부산에서 뭐 할 거예요?Alex: 바다 보고 싶어요. 회도 먹을 거예요.민수: 회 좋아해요? — Alex: 잘 모르겠어요. 아직 안 먹어 봤어요.민수: 맛있을 거예요! 꼭 드세요.Alex: 네! 다음 주에 얘기해 줄게요.민수: 좋아요. 잘 다녀오세요!
★ Every future shape, in twelve lines.갈 거예요 / 먹을 거예요 (my plan) · 비쌀 거예요 / 맛있을 거예요 (a guess about the world) · 살게요 / 얘기해 줄게요 (promises to Minsu) · 타려고 해요 (leaning, not decided) · 모르겠어요 (softened).
8. Exercises
A. -(으)ㄹ 거예요.
- 가다 2. 하다 3. 먹다 4. 읽다 5. 만들다 6. 만나다
B. ★ 거예요 or 게요?
- — 내일 뭐 해요? — 친구 만날 ___.
- — 이거 누가 해요? — 제가 할___.
- — 언제 전화해요? — 이따가 전화할___.
- 민수 씨는 안 올 ___.
C. Which future — plain present, 거예요, or 게요?
- We're meeting at seven. (already arranged)
- I'm planning to go to Korea.
- I'll call you. (promise)
- It'll probably be expensive.
D. -(으)려고 해요.
- 가다 2. 쉬다 3. 먹다 4. 배우다
E. 알겠어요 / 모르겠어요 / 맛있겠다 — which?
- You've understood. 2. A stranger asks and you're not sure. 3. Food arrives.
F. 이따가 or 나중에?
- See you in a few hours. 2. Let's eat sometime.
G. ⚠️ Fix the mistake.
- 민수 씨가 갈게요.
- 내일 갈 거에요.
- 갈 거예요? (pronounce it)
- (to a stranger) 몰라요.
Answers
A. 1. 갈 거예요 2. 할 거예요 3. 먹을 거예요 4. 읽을 거예요 5. 만들 거예요 6. 만날 거예요 B. 1. 거예요 2. 게요 3. 게요 4. 거예요 C. 1. 일곱 시에 만나요 2. 한국에 갈 거예요 3. 전화할게요 4. 비쌀 거예요 D. 1. 가려고 해요 2. 쉬려고 해요 3. 먹으려고 해요 4. 배우려고 해요 E. 1. 알겠어요 2. 모르겠어요 3. 맛있겠다! F. 1. 이따가 2. 나중에 G. 1. 갈 거예요 — 게요 is first person only 2. 거예요 (not 거에요) 3. [갈꺼예요] — tense ㄱ 4. 모르겠어요 — softer with strangers
9. Today's 10 sentences (flashcards)
- 내일 뭐 할 거예요? — What are you doing tomorrow?
- 친구를 만날 거예요. — I'm going to meet a friend
- 한국에 갈 거예요. — I'm going to go to Korea
- 비쌀 거예요. — It'll probably be expensive
- 제가 할게요. — I'll do it
- 이따가 전화할게요. — I'll call you later
- KTX 타려고 해요. — I'm thinking of taking the KTX
- 알겠어요. — Got it
- 잘 모르겠어요. — I'm not sure
- 나중에 밥 한번 먹어요. — Let's eat sometime
10. 📲 Upload to LangNote
Upload section 2 (거예요 vs 게요) and section 9 → study language Korean.
| Mission | What to do with it today |
|---|---|
| 🎧 Podcast | The dialogue — every future shape appears, contrasted |
| ✍️ Dictation | [꺼예요] is tense — you will write 거예요 and hear 꺼예요 |
| 🗣 Shadowing | Today's key mission. Five plans as 거예요, then the same five as 게요 |
| 📖 Vocab | ★ 알겠어요 / 모르겠어요 as a pair — you will use both daily |
| 🎭 Role-play | Make weekend plans — state a plan, guess about someone else, promise something |
★ Say five real plans for this week out loud tonight, then say the same five as promises to someone. The difference in feel is the lesson.
⚠️ Tomorrow is the past tense — the last big grammar day, and the one that finally lets you talk about yesterday.
langNote is a paid subscription and this course recommends it. The 30 lessons are free and complete either way.