-을 것 같다

Korean

Alternative forms

  • ㄹ 것 같다 (-l geot gatda) after vowel or (l)-final stems
  • 을 거 같다 (-eul geo gatda), ㄹ 거 같다 (-l geo gatda) dominant form in colloquial speech

Etymology

(-eul, irrealis attributive suffix) + (geot, “thing”) + 같다 (gatda, “to look like”). Literally "it looks like a thing that [SUBJECT] will..."

Pronunciation

  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ɯɭ kʌ̹t̚ ka̠t̚t͈a̠]
  • Phonetic hangul: [ ]
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?eul geot gatda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?eul geos gatda
McCune–Reischauer?ŭl kŏt katta
Yale Romanization?ul keqs kathta

Suffix

같다 • (-eul geot gatda)

  1. to feel like; to feel that; to think (expresses an assumption, guess, or supposition; also used in hyperbolic statements about one's emotional state)
    나무 쓰러 것 같았습니다.
    I namu-neun sseureo-jil geot gatatseumnida.
    It seemed this tree would fall down some day.
    아마 아기 울었 거 같아.
    Ama agi-ga ureosseul geo gata-yo.
    I think it's probably the baby who cried.
    기분 거 같았어?
    geu nar-eun gibun-i joeul geo gatasseo?
    Did you feel like you'd be in a good mood that day?
    너무 많이 해서 거 같네.
    Neomu ir-eul mani haeseo jugeul geo ganne.
    I've worked so hard, I feel like I'm going to keel over.
    것 같다.
    Bi-ga ol geot gatda.
    It looks like it will rain.
    공항까지 지하철 타면 것 같은데 혹시 지하철 어디 있는지 아세요?
    gonghang-kkaji jihacheor-eul tamyeon doel geot gateunde hoksi jihacheor-i eodi inneunji aseyo?
    I feel that I can take the subway to the airport, do you happen to know where the subway is?

Usage notes

  • 나 보다 (-na boda) and 을 것 같다 (-eul geot gatda) both convey the speaker's assumption or guess. However, 나 보다 (-na boda) is more restricted in its semantic scope and can only be used for a supposition (often about a present state) based on evidence gathered at the moment of speech, while 을 것 같다 (-eul geot gatda) has a more subjective nuance. Thus 을 거 같아 (jugeul geo gata) means "I feel like [SUBJECT] is going to die", often in a hyperbolic sense, while 나 보다 (jungna boda) means "It seems [based on current evidence] that the [SUBJECT] is [currently] dying".
  • 을 것이다 (-eul geosida) also conveys an assumption or supposition, but with a much stronger sense of certitude than 을 것 같다 (-eul geot gatda).

Conjugation

  • See 같다#Conjugation. As the subject of 같다 (gatda) is always (geot), which can by definition never be honored, the honorific forms do not exist.
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