(으)려고 (in order to, intending to)

This pattern is a connective ending. It glues two clauses together. The first part (the goal) is followed by (으)려고. The second part (the action) follows immediately after. For example: 살을 빼려고 (In order to lose weight) + 운동해요 (I exercise). Together: 살을 빼려고 운동해요. You’re basically saying, "I’m doing X because I intend to achieve Y." It’s like a grammar traffic light. It tells the listener, "Wait, I'm doing this for a reason!" The intention always comes first in the sentence, just like the thought comes before the action in your head. It’s a very logical way to build a sentence. You’ll hear this everywhere from coffee shops to business meetings.

1. 1Check the verb stem of your "goal" verb.
2. 2If the stem ends in a vowel, add ~려고. Example: 가다 (to go) becomes 가려고.
3. 3If the stem ends in a consonant (받침), add ~으려고. Example: 먹다 (to eat) becomes 먹으려고.
4. 4If the stem ends in ㄹ, just add ~려고. Example: 만들다 (to make) becomes 만들려고. Don't add the extra 으 here; it’s a little trap!
5. 5Irregular alert! For ㄷ irregulars like 듣다 (to listen), the ㄷ changes to ㄹ. So it becomes 들으려고. For ㅂ irregulars like 돕다 (to help), it becomes 도우려고. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes, so don't sweat it too much at first.

Use (으)려고 when you have a clear purpose in mind.

• Ordering Food: 친구랑 먹으려고 피자를 시켰어요. (I ordered pizza to eat with a friend.)
• Travel Plans: 제주도에 가려고 비행기 표를 샀어요. (I bought a plane ticket to go to Jeju Island.)
• Job Interviews: 취직하려고 면접 준비를 열심히 해요. (I’m preparing hard for the interview to get a job.)
• Daily Life: 일찍 일어나려고 일찍 자요. (I go to bed early in order to wake up early.)

It’s perfect for those moments when someone asks, "Why are you doing that?" It gives your actions context and makes your conversation flow better. It’s the "why" behind the "what."

This grammar is picky about its endings.

• No Commands: You cannot end the sentence with ~세요 or ~십시오. For example, 한국어 배우려고 학원에 가세요 is wrong. It sounds like you're bossing someone's intentions around.
• No Suggestions: Don't use ~읍시다 or ~까요? at the end. 영화 보려고 만납시다 is a no-go.
• No Future Tense at the End: You can't use ~겠어요 or ~(으)ㄹ 거예요 as the main verb after (으)려고. If you want to say you *plan* to do something, use the specific ending ~(으)려고 해요 instead. It’s like trying to wear socks over your shoes—it just doesn't fit the structure.

• Tense Trouble: Don't put past tense on the (으)려고 part. Even if the action happened yesterday, keep the first part simple. 갔으려고 했어요 is wrong. 가려고 했어요 is correct. The tense only goes at the very end of the sentence.
• Subject Swapping: The person doing the intention and the person doing the action must be the same. You can't say "I intend to eat so that you cook." That’s just confusing for everyone involved.
• The 'ㄹ' Trap: Remember, verbs like 만들다 don't need 으. 만들으려고 sounds clunky and unnatural. It’s 만들려고. Just think of the ㄹ as a slide—it goes straight into the next sound.

• VS ~(으)러: ~(으)러 is only for movement verbs like 가다 (go), 오다 (come), or 다니다 (attend). (으)려고 is much broader and can be used with almost any action verb.
• VS ~기 위해서: This is the formal, "black-tie" version of (으)려고. You’ll see it in news reports or textbooks. In a casual chat with friends over chicken and beer, (으)려고 is your go-to. Using ~기 위해서 at a party might make you sound like a robot or a politician.
• VS ~아/어/여서: Use ~아/어서 for reasons or causes that already happened. Use (으)려고 for things you *want* to happen in the future.