Grammar — Entry No. 0189
고 싶다
go-sipda · expression
고 싶다
go-sipda
[goh SHIP-dah]
expressionintermediate
Meaning
A Korean grammar construction meaning ‘want to [do something],’ formed by attaching 고 싶다 to a verb stem (e.g., 가다 → 가고 싶다, ‘want to go’). It is one of the most essential patterns for expressing desire and longing in Korean, making it a cornerstone of heartfelt K-Drama dialogue.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
BTS’s ‘Spring Day’ (봄날) features the repeated line ‘보고 싶다’ (‘I want to see you’), turning this grammar point into one of the most recognized Korean phrases among global fans. In K-Dramas like ‘Crash Landing on You,’ characters use 보고 싶었어 (‘I wanted to see you’) in emotionally charged reunion scenes that fans have replayed millions of times.
Example Sentences
한국에 가고 싶어요.
Han-guk-e ga-go si-peo-yo.
I want to go to Korea. (The exact sentence millions of K-Pop fans say after falling in love with Korean culture)
너를 보고 싶어.
Neo-reul bo-go si-peo.
I want to see you. (Intimate and deeply romantic; the informal -고 싶어 form is used between close friends or lovers)
이 노래를 계속 듣고 싶어요.
I no-rae-reul gye-sok deut-go si-peo-yo.
I want to keep listening to this song. (A perfectly natural sentence for any K-Pop fan on repeat)
⚠️ Don’t use go-sipda when…
Common mistake #1: Using -고 싶다 for a third person. Say ‘먹고 싶어하다’ (meokgo sipeo-hada) for ‘he/she wants to eat,’ NOT ‘먹고 싶다’ — that only works for the speaker themselves. Common mistake #2: Attaching 고 싶다 to the wrong verb form; it always goes on the plain verb stem (먹다 → 먹고 싶다), never the conjugated form (먹어고 싶다 is incorrect).
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착) — Ri Jeong-hyeok’s quiet ‘보고 싶었어’ to Yoon Se-ri after their forced separation became one of the most-clipped drama moments of 2020.
- K-Pop: BTS — Spring Day (봄날)
💡 Did You Know? 보고 싶다 (‘I want to see you / I miss you’) consistently ranks among the top five Korean phrases searched online by international fans, most often spiking after emotionally devastating K-Drama reunion scenes.
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.