# "What would you like to do today?"



## 알렉스

So far I know that if you were to ask someone informally what they want to do today, you would say "오늘뭐하고싶어요?".  I know some of the constituents, but how does this sentence break down?  I know that 오늘 is today, 뭐 indicates that you are asking "what?", and 하 comes from 하다 meaning "to do".  Am I correct to assume, considering the ending, that 고싶다 means "to want"?  When I searched this online, the only this I found similar to this was 보고싶다 meaning "to miss".  This seems to makes sense considering 보다 is "to see", which means that the above "to miss" would be directly translated as "to want to see".  Do I have this right?

Thank you.


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## ramen

Yeah, I think you do. Your breakdown of 어늘 뭐 하고 싶어요? and 보고싶다 are spot on.

You probably already know that there are many, many, many verb endings which introduce some extra layer of meaning or nuance to the verb they get appended to, or to the overall clause. English achieves the same thing through modal verbs (I can do something, I might do something), through verb+infinitive constructions (I want to do something, I try to do something) and through using conjunctions (but, and, so ...)

As you suspect, verb+고싶다 does mean _to want to do something_. To put it in the contexts of some other verbs:
잠자다 > 잠자고 싶다 - I want to rest/sleep.
놀다 > 놀고 싶다 - I want to play.

Here are some other useful verb endings and how they interact with their verb roots just for interest's sake ...

Root+ㄹ수 있다 or root+을수 있다 - _to be able to do something_
운전하다 > 운전할수 있다 - _I can drive._
듣다 > 듣을수 있다 - _I can hear (it)._

Root+ㄹ수 없다 or root+을수 없다 - _to be unable to do something_
보다 > 볼수 없다 - _I can't see (it)._
읽다 > 읽을수 없다 - _I can't read (it)._

Informal root+보다 - _to try to do something_
일하다 > 일해보다 - _I try to work_.

Root+지 않다 - _to not do something_
피우다 > 피우지 않다 - _I don't smoke._ Which is different to ...

Root+지 마세요 (or root+지 마싶시오) - _Please don't do something_ (negative imperative)
피우다 > 피우지 마세요 - _Please don't smoke._
만지다 > 만지지 마세요 - _Please don't touch._

지 않다 can also be appended to other verb endings like 고싶다
죽고싶다 > 죽고 싶지 않다 _I don't want to die._

All of these examples are in their dictionary forms and are therefore obviously subject to further verb endings for formality, politeness, tense aspect etc. as required.
일하지 않겠습니다 - _I will not work._
볼수 없으세요 - _You can't see (it)._
죽고 싶지 않았습니다 - _I didn't want to die._

You'd be able to find all of these verb endings and more (and better explanations...) in dedicated grammar references.


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## gteentea

Wow. Ramen explained very well.
But there are some miswritings.

===========================
Yeah, I think you do. Your breakdown of 어늘 *오늘* 뭐 하고 싶어요? and 보고싶다 are spot on.

You probably already know that there are many, many, many verb endings which introduce some extra layer of meaning or nuance to the verb they get appended to, or to the overall clause. English achieves the same thing through modal verbs (I can do something, I might do something), through verb+infinitive constructions (I want to do something, I try to do something) and through using conjunctions (but, and, so ...)

As you suspect, verb+고싶다 does mean _to want to do something_. To put it in the contexts of some other verbs:
잠자다 > 잠자고 싶다 - I want to rest/sleep.
놀다 > 놀고 싶다 - I want to play.

Here are some other useful verb endings and how they interact with their verb roots just for interest's sake ...

Root+ㄹ수 있다 or root+을수 있다 - _to be able to do something_
운전하다 > 운전할수 있다 - _I can drive._
듣다 > 듣*들*을수 있다 - _I can hear (it)._

_*<Note> It's an exception. Below is another example.*_
_*줍다 > 주을 수 있다 (not 줍을 수 있다) - I can pick up (it).*_


Root+ㄹ수 없다 or root+을수 없다 - _to be unable to do something_
보다 > 볼수 없다 - _I can't see (it)._
읽다 > 읽을수 없다 - _I can't read (it)._

Informal root+보다 - _to try to do something_
일하다 > 일해보다 - _I try to work_.

Root+지 않다 - _to not do something_
피우다 > 피우지 않다 - _I don't smoke._ Which is different to ...

Root+지 마세요 (or root+지 마싶*십*시오) - _Please don't do something_ (negative imperative)
피우다 > 피우지 마세요 - _Please don't smoke._
만지다 > 만지지 마세요 - _Please don't touch._

*<Note> '-지 마십시오' is more polite and formal expression.*

지 않다 can also be appended to other verb endings like 고싶다
죽고싶다 > 죽고 싶지 않다 _I don't want to die._

All of these examples are in their dictionary forms and are therefore obviously subject to further verb endings for formality, politeness, tense aspect etc. as required.
일하지 않겠습니다 - _I will not work._
볼수 없으세요 - _You can't see (it)._
죽고 싶지 않았습니다 - _I didn't want to die._

You'd be able to find all of these verb endings and more (and better explanations...) in dedicated grammar references.
===============


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## terredepomme

Or you could say 오늘 뭐 할래요?
-ㄹ래 means "do you want to ..." and we add -요 to make honorific(존댓말).
죽을래 살래? (Do you want to die or to live)?


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## lizardsstreak

terredepomme said:


> Or you could say 오늘 뭐 할래요?
> -ㄹ래 means "do you want to ..." and we add -요 to make honorific(존댓말).
> 죽을래 살래? (Do you want to die or to live)?


Its 죽을래 아니면 살래?


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