haru Korean › Grammar › Level 2B › V-기로 하다
V-기로 하다 — decide to · agree to — plans you have made, often with someone
Decide to · agree to — plans you have made, often with someone. Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2B, lesson 2: 운동을 좀 해 보는 게 어때요? (How about some exercise? — health and advice).
What it means
V-기로 하다 says that you have decided or agreed to do something. Take 다 off and add 기로 하다; 받침 does not matter, and 걷다 stays 걷기로 because ㄷ only changes before a vowel. A decision has usually been made by the time you talk about it, so you nearly always hear the past: 담배를 끊기로 했어요 'I've decided to quit smoking'. With N하고 it becomes an agreement between people: 유나 씨하고 토요일에 등산하기로 했어요 'Yuna and I have agreed to go hiking on Saturday'. Compare the plan forms you know: -(으)ㄹ 거예요 simply states a plan, -(으)려고 해요 states an intention, and -기로 했어요 states a decision or a promise. The tense always goes on 하다, never before 기로: 만나기로 했어요 (만났기로 ✗). To agree on something together right now, say -기로 해요 'let's agree to …': 다음 주부터 같이 운동하기로 해요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -기로 하다 | 동사 — 받침 O · 받침 X 모두 | 하다 + 기로 했어요 → 하기로 했어요 |
Key points
- V-기로 하다 = decide to, agree to: take 다 off and add 기로 했어요 — 받침 does not matter: 하기로 · 먹기로 · 끊기로 · 걷기로
- It is nearly always past — the decision is made: 운동하기로 했어요. -(으)ㄹ 거예요 is a plan and -(으)려고 해요 an intention; -기로 했어요 says you decided or promised, often with someone
Examples
- 하다 → 하기로 했어요. 배우다 → 배우기로 했어요.
- 끊다 → 끊기로 했어요. 걷다 → 걷기로 했어요.
- 유나 씨하고 토요일에 등산하기로 했어요.
- 언제 만나기로 했어요? — 일곱 시에 만나기로 했어요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 2B, lesson 11; Yonsei University Korean 2-2, lesson 19; Sogang University Korean 2A, lesson 5; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-1, lesson 4; Hongik University Korean 2B, lesson 12; Hanyang University Korean 2-1, lesson 6.
Also in this lesson
- ㅅ 불규칙 — ㅅ verbs — in some verbs the ㅅ drops before a vowel
- N마다 — every … · each … — 날마다 · 주말마다 · 두 시간마다 · 사람마다
- V-는 게 어때요? — how about …ing? · why don't you …? — soft advice and suggestions