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Grammar / Level 2 / Lesson 36

(으)러, (으)려고 and 기 위해: in order to

By Daniel Buckley · 13 minute read · TOPIK 2

Vocabulary

  1. 놀다 - to play, hang out
  2. 빌리다 - to borrow
  3. 모으다 - to save, to collect
  4. 살을 빼다 - to lose weight
  5. 연습하다 - to practise
  6. 잘하다 - to be good at
  7. 줄을 서다 - to stand in line
  8. 건강 - health
  9. 도서관 - library
  10. 필요하다 - to be needed

English does nearly all of this with one tiny word: "I went to eat", "I saved up to buy it", "to get there, take the bus". Korean picks a different ending depending on what comes next.

So don't ask what "to" means. Ask what comes after it. Going or coming takes (으)러, any other deliberate action takes (으)려고, and what you'd need to do takes (으)려면.

(으)러: going somewhere to do something

(으)러 goes on a verb and says why you're moving. The verb after it has to be one of going or coming: 가다, 오다, 다니다, 나가다, 나오다, 들어가다, 내려가다 and the like. That's the whole of its range, which makes it the easiest one here.

Making (으)러

  • Stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ: add 러.보다 → 보러놀다 → 놀러
  • Stem ends in any other consonant: add 으러.먹다 → 먹으러듣다 → 들으러

Pick a verb

먹다먹먹으러

  1. 밥 먹으러 가요.

    (I) go to eat meal.

  2. 친구를 만나러 왔어요.

    (I) came to meet friend.

  3. 도서관에 책을 빌리러 가요.

    (I) go to library to borrow book.

  4. 같이 커피 마시러 갈까요?

    Shall (we) go to drink coffee together?

  5. 우리 집에 놀러 오세요.

    Please come to our house to hang out.

※ 놀러 오세요 is the everyday way to invite someone round. The verb means play or hang out, and it doesn't imply anything childish.

(으)려고: doing something on purpose

(으)려고 says what you have in mind while you do something. Unlike (으)러, it can lead into nearly any action. Both clauses usually have the same subject, because it's about one person's plan.

Making (으)려고

  • Stem ends in a vowel or ㄹ: add 려고.사다 → 사려고만들다 → 만들려고
  • Stem ends in any other consonant: add 으려고.먹다 → 먹으려고듣다 → 들으려고

Pick a verb

먹다먹먹으려고

  1. 한국어를 배우려고 책을 샀어요.

    (I) bought book in order to learn Korean.

  2. 일찍 일어나려고 일찍 잤어요.

    (I) slept early in order to get up early.

  3. 차를 사려고 돈을 모아요.

    (I) save money in order to buy car.

  4. 살을 빼려고 매일 운동해요.

    (I) exercise every day in order to lose weight.

  5. 친구한테 주려고 케이크를 만들었어요.

    (I) made cake in order to give (it) to friend.

(으)려고 doesn't lead into a command or a suggestion. It reports an intention someone already has, so it doesn't sit well with (으)세요 or (으)ㅂ시다. Before going and coming, use (으)러 instead. With other verbs, (으)려면 further down usually does the job.

Before 가다 or 오다 either ending can work. 밥을 먹으러 식당에 가요 and 밥을 먹으려고 식당에 가요 are both correct, and (으)러 is the more everyday choice. (으)려고 tends to bring out the plan behind the trip.

(으)려고 하다: going to, trying to

Finish on 하다 and the intention becomes the point of the sentence: 가려고 해요, (I) mean to go. This is the "try to" that 아/어 보다 can't do. 아/어 보다 tries something out, and (으)려고 하다 sets out to do it.

  1. 내일 부산에 가려고 해요.

    Tomorrow (I) intend to go to Busan.

  2. 매일 한국어를 공부하려고 해요.

    (I) try to study Korean every day.

  3. 올해는 돈을 모으려고 해요.

    This year (I) intend to save money.

Compared with ㄹ/을 거예요, it usually sounds less settled: that's the plan, and it may change. In the past it often means the plan didn't happen, though the sentence won't always say so.

  1. 어제 전화하려고 했어요. 하지만 시간이 없었어요.

    Yesterday (I) was going to phone. But (I) had no time.

  2. 밥을 먹으려고 했어요. 그때 친구가 왔어요.

    (I) was about to eat meal. At that time friend came.

※ Things with no plans can use it too, and then it means "about to": 비가 오려고 해요, it's about to rain.

(으)려면: if you want to

(으)려면 is (으)려고 하면 squeezed together: "if (you) intend to". The second half says what that takes, so it often ends in 아/어야 해요, a piece of advice, or a word like 필요하다.

Pick a verb

가다가가려면

  1. 서울역에 가려면 어디에서 내려야 해요?

    If (I) want to go to Seoul Station, where must (I) get off?

  2. 한국어를 잘하려면 매일 연습해야 해요.

    If (you) want to be good at Korean, (you) must practise every day.

  3. 일찍 도착하려면 지금 출발해야 해요.

    If (we) want to arrive early, (we) must leave now.

  4. 표를 사려면 줄을 서야 해요.

    If (you) want to buy ticket, (you) must stand in line.

  5. 여권을 만들려면 사진이 필요해요.

    If (you) want to make passport, photo is needed.

Compare it with plain (으)면. The (으)면 clause happens first, then the second clause. In (으)려면, the second clause is what you have to do first.

  1. 부산에 가면 전화하세요.

    When (you) go to Busan, please phone.

  2. 부산에 가려면 기차를 타세요.

    If (you) want to go to Busan, please take train.

기 위해: for the purpose of

This is 을/를 위해 from lesson 14 with a verb in front, using the 기 from lesson 34. 위해서 means the same as 위해. It's heavier than (으)려고, so you'll find it in writing, speeches and serious goals, and in conversation it can sound a bit grand for lunch.

Making 기 위해

  • Verb stem + 기 위해, or 기 위해서.일하다 → 일하기 위해만나다 → 만나기 위해서
  • Noun + 을/를 위해.건강을 위해
  • Before a noun: 기 위한.배우기 위한 책

  1. 한국 회사에서 일하기 위해 한국어를 배워요.

    (I) learn Korean in order to work at Korean company.

  2. 가족을 만나기 위해 고향에 갔어요.

    (I) went to hometown in order to meet family.

  3. 좋은 대학교에 가기 위해서 열심히 공부했어요.

    (I) studied hard in order to go to good university.

  4. 건강해지기 위해 매일 걸어요.

    (I) walk every day in order to become healthy.

  5. 이건 한국어를 배우기 위한 책이에요.

    This is book for learning Korean.

It has no ban on commands: 건강을 위해 운동하세요 is fine. Example 4 uses 건강해지다, to become healthy, from 아/어지다.

Which one?

Look at what comes after the gap first. That usually decides it.

  1. 같이 점심 ___ 갈까요?

    Shall we go and have lunch together?

  2. 차를 ___ 돈을 모아요.

    I'm saving money to buy a car.

  3. 서울역에 ___ 어디에서 내려야 해요?

    Where do I have to get off to go to Seoul Station?

  4. 내일부터 매일 ___ 해요.

    I'm going to try to exercise every day from tomorrow.

  5. 우리 집에 ___ 오세요.

    Come round to our house.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

Common mistakes

  1. 밥을 먹으려고 식당에 갑시다.

    밥을 먹으러 식당에 갑시다.

    (으)려고 doesn't lead into a suggestion or a command.

  2. 친구한테 주러 케이크를 만들었어요.

    친구한테 주려고 케이크를 만들었어요.

    (으)러 needs a verb of going or coming after it, and 만들다 isn't one.

  3. 숙제를 할려고 해요.

    숙제를 하려고 해요.

    Stems ending in a vowel take 려고 directly. You'll hear 할려고 in speech, but the spelling is 하려고.

One sentence in each group is wrong. Tap it.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

밥 ___ 가요. (먹다, with (으)러) I'm going to eat.

The stem ends in a consonant.

Summary

(으)러 forms
DictionaryStem(으)러
먹다먹먹으러
보다보보러
놀다놀놀러
듣다듣들으러
돕다돕도우러
(으)려고 forms
DictionaryStem(으)려고
먹다먹먹으려고
보다보보려고
놀다놀놀려고
듣다듣들으려고
돕다돕도우려고

Which comes after it

  • (으)러: a verb of going or coming. Commands and suggestions are fine.
  • (으)려고: nearly any action, but not a command or suggestion.
  • (으)려고 하다: intend to, try to, about to.
  • (으)려면: if you want to, then what it takes.
  • 기 위해: in order to, in a heavier register.

Now you can say

  1. 같이 커피 마시러 갈까요?

    Shall (we) go to drink coffee together?

  2. 매일 한국어를 공부하려고 해요.

    (I) try to study Korean every day.

  3. 한국어를 잘하려면 매일 연습해야 해요.

    If (you) want to be good at Korean, (you) must practise every day.

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