haru Korean › Grammar › Level 2A › A/V-(으)ㄹ까요? (추측)

A/V-(으)ㄹ까요? (추측) — do you think …? — asking for someone's guess

Do you think …? — asking for someone's guess. Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2A, lesson 5: 어디로 여행 갈까요? (Where shall we travel? — reasons and guesses).

What it means

-(으)ㄹ까요? is the ending you met in Level 1A for 'Shall we …?' (우리 같이 갈까요?). With adjectives, with the weather, and with things or people nobody here can control, it asks for the other person's guess: 'Do you think …?' 부산은 지금 따뜻할까요? 'Do you think it's warm in Busan now?', 그 호텔이 비쌀까요?, 마크 씨도 시간이 있을까요? The form does not change: 을까요? after a 받침 (많을까요?), ㄹ까요? after a vowel (비쌀까요?, 올까요?). ㄹ words keep one ㄹ (멀다 → 멀까요?, 불다 → 불까요?), and ㅂ words change ㅂ to 우 (춥다 → 추울까요?). For a guess about the past, put -았/었- in front: 기차가 벌써 출발했을까요? Today you can answer with 글쎄요 'hmm, I'm not sure', with a fact, or with -(으)ㄴ/는 것 같아요 (Lesson 4). Next class you learn the usual answer: 네, 올 거예요.

Forms

Key points

• A/V-(으)ㄹ까요? = do you think …?: 받침 → 을까요? (많을까요?) · no 받침 or ㄹ → ㄹ까요? (비쌀까요? · 멀까요?) · the past → -았/었을까요?
• A suggestion or a guess? 우리 + an action we choose = a suggestion (Level 1A: 같이 갈까요?) · the weather, prices, other people = a guess (내일 비가 올까요?)

Examples

• 많다 → 많을까요? 좋다 → 좋을까요? 춥다 → 추울까요?
• 비싸다 → 비쌀까요? 오다 → 올까요? 멀다 → 멀까요?
• 기차가 벌써 출발했을까요?
• 내일 부산에 비가 올까요? — 글쎄요. 예보를 봐요.

Where university textbooks teach it

This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 2A, lesson 5; Yonsei University Korean 2-1, lesson 6; Sogang University Korean 2A, lesson 4; Hongik University Korean 2A, lesson 5; Hanyang University Korean 1-2, lesson 9; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-1, lesson 7.

Also in this lesson

• A/V-(으)니까 · N(이)니까 (1B 복습·확장) — because · so — a reason before a suggestion, a request or advice
• A/V-(으)ㄹ 거예요 (추측) — will probably … · I think … — making a guess
• V-고 나서 — after …ing — first one thing, then the next

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