2 · Sentence endings that add a stance
Shall we?: -(으)ㄹ까요
offers, suggestions and wondering aloud
One ending, three questions: shall we …?, shall I …?, and do you think …?
The ending is built like -을게요: -을까요? after a consonant (먹을까요?, 앉을까요?), and after a vowel an l on the last syllable plus 까요 (갈까요?, 할까요?). Stems in rieul add only 까요: 열까요?, 만들까요?. Stems that change before a vowel change here too: 들을까요?, 추울까요?. Below, -을까요? stands for both shapes.
With “we” as the subject, said or understood, it suggests doing something together: 같이 갈까요?, “shall we go together?”. With “I” it offers to do something and asks what the listener would like: 제가 창문을 닫을까요?, “shall I close the window?”. With a question word it asks the listener to choose: 뭐 먹을까요?, “what shall we eat?”.
When the subject is somebody else, or the weather, or an adjective, nobody is offering anything: the speaker is wondering aloud and asking for an opinion. 내일 비가 올까요? is “do you think it will rain tomorrow?”, and 이 색이 저한테 어울릴까요? is “do you think this colour suits me?”. A past form before it wonders about the past: 벌써 도착했을까요?, “do you think they've arrived yet?”.
English speakers often invite with “do you want to …?” and translate it as -고 싶어요?. That asks about the listener's private wishes and sounds strangely direct; an invitation in Korean is -을까요?. Answers follow the question: a suggestion is accepted with 네, 좋아요 or 그래요, 가요, an offer with 네, 닫아 주세요 or 아니요, 괜찮아요. Among friends it is -을까?.
The form
| after a vowel | 가다 → 갈까요? |
| after a consonant | 먹다 → 먹을까요? |
| a stem in rieul | 열다 → 열까요? |
| stems that change | 듣다 → 들을까요?, 춥다 → 추울까요? |
| wondering about the past | 도착하다 → 도착했을까요? |
| among friends | 같이 갈까? |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
With “we” it suggests doing something together.
우리 잠깐 쉴까요?Shall we take a short break?
With “I” it offers to do something and asks what the listener wants.
제가 창문을 닫을까요?Shall I close the window?
About something nobody controls, it wonders aloud and asks for an opinion.
내일 날씨가 좋을까요?Do you think the weather will be nice tomorrow?
With a question word it asks the listener to choose.
뭐 먹을까요?What shall we eat?
A closer look
How to answer
A suggestion is accepted with 네, 좋아요 or 그래요, 같이 가요, where -아요/어요 itself means “let's”. It is declined gently, usually without the word no: 미안해요, 그날은 좀 어려워요.
An offer is accepted with a request — 네, 닫아 주세요 — or turned down with 아니요, 괜찮아요. A wondering question is answered with a guess: 올 것 같아요 or 아마 안 올 거예요. Answering 갈까요? with 갈까요 is never right, and answering it with 갈게요 only works when you are the one doing it.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the stem ends in rieul (열다, 놀다, 만들다)
only 까요 is added: 열까요?, 놀까요?, 만들까요?.
주말에 아이들하고 공원에서 놀까요?Shall we play in the park with the kids at the weekend?
The rieul of the stem is already the l the ending begins with.
How to spot it
- -을까요?
- 갈까요?
- 우리
- 제가
- 뭐
- 어디
Example sentences
토요일에 같이 영화 볼까요?Shall we see a film together on Saturday?
몇 시에 만날까요?What time shall we meet?
짐이 무거워 보이네요. 제가 들어 드릴까요?Your bags look heavy. Shall I carry them for you?
이 색이 저한테 어울릴까요?Do you think this colour suits me?
그분이 벌써 도착하셨을까요?Do you think she has arrived already?
날씨도 좋은데 공원까지 걸어갈까요?The weather's nice — shall we walk to the park?
8 more example sentences
오늘 저녁에 뭐 할까요?What shall we do this evening?
어디서 기다릴까요?Where shall I wait?
불을 끌까요?Shall I turn off the light?
택시를 탈까요, 지하철을 탈까요?Shall we take a taxi or the underground?
이 선물을 받으면 엄마가 좋아하실까요?Do you think Mum will like this present?
내일은 많이 추울까요?Do you think it'll be very cold tomorrow?
커피 한 잔 더 드릴까요?Shall I get you another cup of coffee?
왜 이렇게 길이 막힐까요?Why is the traffic so bad, I wonder?
Worth knowing (1)
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Wondering to yourself
With nobody to answer, -을까 is thinking aloud: 뭐 입을까?, “what shall I wear?”. With 하다 after it, it means “I'm thinking of”: 내일 갈까 해요, “I'm thinking of going tomorrow”.
이번 주말에 머리를 자를까 해요.I'm thinking of getting my hair cut this weekend.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
“Do you want to have dinner together?” is an invitation in English, but 먹고 싶어요? asks about the listener's private wishes and does not invite anybody. A suggestion to do something together is -을까요?.
Shall we, shall I, do you think: all three are -lkkayo.
Your turn
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