와요
wayo
To say I come in Korean, meaning you are coming toward the speaker or arriving at a place, use 와요 (wayo).
와요 is the polite present form of the verb to come. Korean usually leaves out the word for I when it is clear who is speaking, so 와요 alone can mean I come or I am coming.
Which one should you use?
와요 means movement toward the speaker or listener, while 가요 means I go, movement away from them. Korean picks between the two by direction, so if you are heading to where the listener is not, 가요 is often the right word. To say I will come in a formal, polite way, use 저는 오겠습니다. To say I will arrive soon formally, use 제가 곧 도착할 겁니다. A casual way to say I'll come later is 이따가 갈게.
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal, polite form is 옵니다. The future intention form 오겠습니다 appears in 저는 오겠습니다, meaning I will come.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as wayo.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 와요 when you mean going somewhere away from the person you are talking to. In that case Korean uses 가요.
Did you know?
- When a Korean speaker says 오셨어요? (a polite form of 'did you come?'), it often functions as a greeting like 'hello' when someone enters a home or office.
- The verb 오다 (the root of 와요) is used in the phrase 비가 와요 to say 'it is raining'. In this context, the rain is seen as 'coming' down to the speaker's location.
- While English speakers often say 'I am coming!' when someone calls them, a Korean speaker would often use the verb for 'to go' if they are moving away from their current spot to reach the caller.
Examples in context
- 저는 내일 아침에 올 것입니다.I will come tomorrow morning.
- 저는 당신의 사무실을 찾아갈 겁니다.I will come to your office.
- 저는 친구들과 함께 올 겁니다.I will come with my friends.
- 제가 곧 돌아올 겁니다.I will come back soon.
- 나 공원에 가.I'm going to the park.
- 네 집에 갈게.I'll come to your house.
- 일 끝나고 갈게.I'll come after finishing my work.
- 지금 집으로 와요.jigeum jibeuro wayo.I am coming home now.
- 친구들이 우리 집으로 와요.chingudeuri uri jibeuro wayo.My friends are coming to my house.
- 곧 학교로 와요.got hakgyoro wayo.I am coming to school soon.
Example conversation
Subin and Dohyeon are talking on the phone about meeting up.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨, 지금 어디예요?Dohyeon ssi, jigeum eodiyeyo?Dohyeon, where are you now?
- 도현 Do-hyeon거의 다 왔어요. 지금 가요.geoui da wasseoyo. jigeum gayo.I'm almost there. I'm going now.
- 수빈 Su-bin저도 곧 그쪽으로 와요.jeodo got geujjeogeuro wayo.I am coming toward you soon, too.
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 천천히 와요.ne, cheoncheonhi wayo.Okay, come slowly.
