Korean Verb Conjugation - The Future Tense


How to Use The Future Tense in Korean

To conjugate verbs into their past tense form:

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Did you know?

것이다 is a combination of 것 (thing) and 이다 (to be).

Since 것 is commonly shortened to just 거, as we learned in our lesson on “this and that,” either of the below work:

것이에요
거예요*

*Remember how 이다 becomes 예요 after a vowel.

Examples:

가다 (to go)
가 + ㄹ + 거예요 → 갈 거예요
먹다 (to eat)
먹 + 을 + 거예요 → 먹을 거예요

Sentence examples:

저는 피자를 먹을 거예요.

I will (I’m going to) eat pizza.

저는 내일 사나를 만날 거예요.

I will meet Sana tomorrow.

저는 오늘 좀 늦을 거예요.

I will be a bit late today.

Exception 1

If the verb stem ends with ㅂ:

춥다 (to be cold)
추우 + ㄹ + 거예요 → 추울 거예요

Exception 2

If the verb stem ends with ㄹ, simply add 거예요:

놀다 (to play)
놀 + 거예요 → 놀 거예요
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Did you know?

놀다 is often also used to refer to “hanging out” with others!

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Wrap Up
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We’ll cover other exceptions as they come up in the future.

Note that there are other ways to speak in the future tense, that are used in certain situations.

Also, note that the future tense of 이다 (일 거예요) cannot be used to talk about what you will become. For example, you cannot use it to say “I will become an engineer when I grow up.”

We’ll cover these topics in later lessons.

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Vocab Review!

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놀다 = to play/hang out
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춥다 = to be cold
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