갈게요
galgeyo
The English phrase "I will come" is translated into Korean as 갈게요 (galgeyo) when you are informing someone that you are leaving your current location.
In English, a person might say "I will come" to signal their departure to a listener, but in Korean, you use the verb for "to go" because the focus is on moving away from your current position. This phrase is used to communicate your intention to leave.
Which one should you use?
While an English speaker says "I will come" when leaving a place to meet someone, a Korean speaker uses 갈게요 (the form of the verb 가다, "to go") to indicate they are moving away from where they are now.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form includes the suffix -ㄹ게요, which indicates that the speaker is expressing an intention or making a promise to perform an action, often in response to the situation or for the listener's benefit.
How do you pronounce it?
galgeyo
Did you know?
- When leaving a house, a Korean speaker might say 다녀오겠습니다, which literally means 'I will go and come back'. Using 갈게요 without this implication can sometimes sound too final, as if the speaker is leaving forever.
- The grammatical suffix -ㄹ게요 is strictly social. You cannot use it when you are simply talking to yourself or noting your own intentions aloud without an audience.
- Using 갈게요 can make your departure sound much softer and more polite than simply stating 'I am going', because the grammatical structure implies you are considering the listener's reaction to your departure.
Examples in context
- 회의 때문에 늦을 수도 있지만, 저는 갈 거예요.I might be late due to the meeting, but I will come.
- 저녁에 파티에 가요? 저는 갈 거예요!Are you going to the party in the evening? I will come!
- 이제 갈게요.ije galgeyo.I will leave now.
- 집에 갈게요.jibe galgeyo.I will go home.
- 먼저 갈게요.meonjeo galgeyo.I will leave first.
Example conversation
Dohyun is leaving Jieun's house after a visit.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은 씨, 저 이제 갈게요.Jieun ssi, jeo ije galgeyo.Jieun, I'll be going now.
- 지은 Ji-eun벌써 가세요? 아쉽네요.beolsseo gaseyo? aswipneyo.Are you leaving already? That's a shame.
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 내일 일찍 일어나야 해요.ne, naeil iljjik ireonaya haeyo.Yes, I have to wake up early tomorrow.
- 지은 Ji-eun알겠어요. 조심히 가세요!algesseoyo. josimhi gaseyo!I understand. Get home safely!
