Lesson 13: (으)ㄹ까요
In this lesson, you will how to use the question ending (으)ㄹ까요 to make a suggestion or to ask for the listener’s opinion. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to say things like “Shall we eat lunch together?“, and “Shall I open the window?“.
Lesson 13: (으)ㄹ까요
The ending (으)ㄹ까요 is similar to the English word ‘shall’ and is used to either make a suggestion or to ask someone’s opinion. As (으)ㄹ까요 is a question ending, it can only be used to make questions. It can not be used to say “I shall do (something)”.
Usage 1: Making A Suggestion
The ending (으)ㄹ까요 is used to make suggestions and it gives the meaning of ‘Shall we~?’, ‘ Why don’t we~?’, ‘Shall I~?’ or ‘Do you want me to ~?’. To help you understand what we mean, here are some examples:
가다 [ga-da] = to go
갈까요? [gal-kka-yo] = Shall we go? / Why don’t we go?
먹다 [meok-da] = to eat
점심 먹을까요? [jeom-sim meo-geul-kka-yo] = Shall we eat lunch? / Why don’t we eat lunch?
열다 [yeol-da] = to open
창문을 열까요? [chang-mu-neul yeol-kka-yo] = Shall I open the window? / Do you want me to open the window?
전화하다 [jeon-hwa-ha-da] = to call
저녁에 전화할까요? [jeo-nyeo-ge jeon-hwa-hal-kka-yo] = Shall I call you in the evening? / Do you want to me call you in the evening?
Usage 2: Asking For An Opinion
The ending (으)ㄹ까요 is also used to ask for the listener’s opinion when used together with the question words 뭐 (what), 어디 (where), 언제 (when), etc. Here are some examples:
가다 [ga-da] = to go
어디에 갈까요? [eo-di-e gal-kka-yo] = Where shall we go?
먹다 [meok-da] = to eat
뭐 먹을까요? [mwo meo-geul-kka-yo] = What shall we eat?
전화하다 [jeon-hwa-ha-da] = to call
언제 전화할까요? [eon-je jeon-hwa-hal-kka-yo] = When shall I call you?
드리다 [deu-ri-da] = to give (honorific word for 주다 to give)
뭐 드릴까요? [mwo deu-ril-kka-yo] = What would you like? (Lit. What shall I give you?)
Conjugation Rules
| Conjugation Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| Verb Stem Ends In Consonant + 을까요 | 먹을까요 (shall we/I eat?) |
| Verb Stem Ends In Vowel + ㄹ까요 | 갈까요 (shall we/I go?) |
Example Sentences
어디에 갈까요? [eo-di-e gal-kka-yo] = Where shall we go?
공원에 가요. [gong-wo-ne ga-yo] = Let’s go to the park.
같이 점심 먹을까요? [jeom-sim meo-geul-kka-yo] = Shall we eat lunch together?
네, 좋아요. [ne jo-a-yo] = Okay, sounds good.
언제 전화할까요? [eon-je jeon-hwa-hal-kka-yo] = When shall I call you?
저녁에 전화하세요. [jeo-nyeo-ge jeon-hwa-ha-se-yo] = Please call me in the evening.
뭐 드릴까요? [mwo deu-ril-kka-yo] = What would you like?
커피 주세요. [keo-pi ju-se-yo] = Coffee, please.