LEARN + KOREAN / Note 49 TOPIK I
Decided (-기로 했어요)
a
-기로 하다 means “to decide to.” It’s built from pieces you already have: 기, the same ending that turns a verb into its “-ing” form in 기 전에, plus 로, the “by way of” particle in -로 가요, plus 하다. 만나기로 하다 literally reads as “do it by way of meeting,” which is exactly what deciding on a plan means.
daseot sie hoesa apeseo mannagiro haesseoyo.
I decided to meet in front of the office at 5.
In Real Life
-기로 했어요 (past) is overwhelmingly the form you’ll actually use, since deciding is usually something that already happened by the time you’re describing the plan. -기로 해요 (present) exists for a standing habit of decision-making, much rarer in everyday speech.
undonghwaga piryohaeseo syopinghagiro haesseoyo.
I needed sneakers, so I decided to go shopping.
gajokhago gachi beullumauntine gagiro haesseoyo.
I decided to go to the Blue Mountains with my family.
In Real Life
가족하고 leans on 하고, doing the “with” job on a family member instead of a friend. The particle doesn’t care who’s on the other side of it, family, friend, or coworker, the grammar stays identical.
daeum jue saengil patireul hagiro haesseoyo.
I decided to have a birthday party next week.
Vocabulary
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
jang boda | to go grocery shopping |
piryohada | to need |
gajok | family |
pati | party |
gyeoljeonghada | to decide (formal verb) |
yaksok | promise, appointment |
chwisohada | to cancel |
bakkuda | to change |
hwaksilhada | to be certain |
miruda | to postpone, put off |
jeonghada | to decide, to set |
yejeongdaero | as scheduled, as planned |
geudaero | as is, unchanged |
gyeolsim | resolution, determination |
gyehoegeul seuda | to make a plan |
hwakjeonghada | to finalize |
jaegohada | to reconsider |
gominhada | to agonize over, deliberate |
seontaekhada | to choose |
gyeoldallyeok | decisiveness |