KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -(으)ㄹ 것 같다
Korean Grammar “-(으)ㄹ 것 같다”: How to Use It (TOPIK 2)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 볼 것 같다 | bol geot gatda |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽을 것 같다 | ilgeul geot gatda |
| 하다 | to do | 할 것 같다 | hal geot gatda |
| 살다 | to live | 살 것 같다 | sal geot gatda |
What changes
- After a stem ending in a vowel, ㄹ is added to the last syllable (보 → 볼). After a stem ending in a consonant, 을 is added (읽 → 읽을). A stem ending in ㄹ keeps it (살 → 살), and 하 becomes 할.
Explanation
하늘이 어두워요. 곧 비가 올 것 같아요.
“-(으)ㄹ 것 같다” expresses a guess based on the situation, “it seems / it looks like ~”: add -ㄹ/을 to the stem and follow with 것 같다. The sentence means “The sky is dark. It looks like it will rain soon.” You cannot say “올 수 같아요.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 하늘이 어두워요. 곧 비가 올 것 같아요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 하늘이 | ||
| 하 | ㅎ+ㅏ | ha |
| 늘 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [느] neu |
| 이 | ㅇ+ㅣ | [리] ri |
| 어두워요 | ||
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | eo |
| 두 | ㄷ+ㅜ | du |
| 워 | ㅇ+ㅝ | wo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
| 곧 | ㄱ+ㅗ+ㄷ | got |
| 비가 | ||
| 비 | ㅂ+ㅣ | bi |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 올 | ㅇ+ㅗ+ㄹ | ol |
| 것 | ㄱ+ㅓ+ㅅ | [걷] geot |
| 같아요 | ||
| 같 | ㄱ+ㅏ+ㅌ | [가] ga |
| 아 | ㅇ+ㅏ | [타] ta |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 늘이 → [느리]
- Final-sound reduction: every final consonant is pronounced as one of seven sounds — ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ or ㅇ. 것 → [걷]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 하늘 | noun | sky | TOPIK level 1 |
| 비 | noun | rain | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 하늘이 어두워요. 곧 비가 올 ____ 같아요.
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Answer: 하늘이 어두워요. 곧 비가 올 것 같아요.
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 보다 + -(으)ㄹ 것 같다?
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Answer: 볼 것 같다
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -(으)ㄹ 것 같다?
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Answer: 읽을 것 같다
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