-(으)ㄹ까 하다 in Korean: “I'm thinking of (doing)”
-(으)ㄹ까 하다
-(eu)lkka hada
I'm thinking of (doing)
Intermediate · Saying what you think and feel
-(으)ㄹ까 하다 (-(eu)lkka hada) means "I'm thinking of doing" or "I might." It shares a plan you're considering but haven't firmly decided on.
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem ending in a vowel | + ㄹ까 하다 | 가다 → 갈까 해요 |
| Verb stem ending in a consonant | + 을까 하다 | 읽다 → 읽을까 해요 |
| Verb stem ending in ㄹ | keep ㄹ + 까 하다 | 만들다 → 만들까 해요 |
| Was thinking of (but didn't) | + (으)ㄹ까 했는데 | 쉬다 → 쉴까 했는데 |
How to use it
-(으)ㄹ까 is "shall I?" and 하다 here means "to think." So 갈까 해요 is like "I'm wondering whether to go," which is a soft way to share a tentative plan.
It's used for your own plans (I or we). It sounds less certain than -(으)려고 하다, and much less certain than -기로 하다 (decided).
In the past, -(으)ㄹ까 했는데 or -(으)ㄹ까 했어요 means "I was thinking of doing it," usually followed by why it didn't happen.
It works in polite (해요), casual (해), and formal (합니다) speech.
Examples
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Weekend plans
Thinking about a new look
Vacation plans
Plans that changed
Don’t mix it up with
-(으)려고 하다: -(으)려고 하다 means "I plan to" or "I'm going to" and sounds more decided. -(으)ㄹ까 하다 is still just an idea.
-기로 하다: -기로 하다 means you have decided. Use it once the plan is settled.
-(으)ㄹ까 봐: -(으)ㄹ까 봐 looks similar but means "worried that" or "in case," not a plan.
Common mistakes
Using it for someone else's plan, like 친구가 여행 갈까 해요. For other people, report it: 친구가 여행 갈까 한대요 or 친구가 여행 가려고 해요.
Want the basics first? Read In order to (-(으)려고).
Questions learners ask
What's the difference between 할까 해요 and 하려고 해요?
Both talk about plans. 하려고 해요 sounds like you intend to do it, while 할까 해요 sounds like you're still thinking about it.
What does 할까 했는데 mean?
It means "I was thinking of doing it, but..." and usually comes before the reason it didn't happen.