I can invite a friend — 영화를 볼까요?, 극장 앞에서 만납시다! — accept or politely decline, and ask how many people are coming.
Let's: -(으)ㄹ까요 and -(으)ㅂ시다
Let's: -(으)ㄹ까요 and -(으)ㅂ시다
To suggest doing something together: -(으)ㄹ까요? — “shall we…?”: 영화를 볼까요? More decisive: -(으)ㅂ시다 “let's!”: 갑시다! English “let's” works with anyone, but -(으)ㅂ시다 is not said to an elder: to a teacher or an elder, only the question -(으)ㄹ까요?
After a vowel, -ㄹ까요 and -ㅂ시다: 마실까요, 마십시다. After a 받침, -을까요 and -읍시다: 웃을까요, 웃읍시다. The forms are in the table.
If the stem ends in ㄹ (만들다, 놀다, 팔다), there is no 으: 팔까요. Before ㅂ the ㄹ drops: 팝시다. These are ㄹ-stem verbs. In 해요체 they are regular: 만들어요, 놀아요.
To accept: 좋아요!, 그럼요! A polite no avoids a direct “no”: 미안해요, 약속이 있어요 or 글쎄요… 그럼 also means “then”: 그럼 토요일에 갈까요? “Shall we go together?” is the set phrase 같이 갈까요?
명 is the counter for people (never 개), with native Korean numbers: 세 명. 몇 명 is read [면명].
Common mistakes:
• NOT “팔을까요” → 팔까요.
• NOT “팔읍시다” → 팝시다.
• NOT “웃을시다” → 웃읍시다.
• NOT “선생님, 마십시다!” → 선생님, 마실까요?
Let's…
After a 받침 — 을 / 읍; ㄹ-stems don't need 으, and ㄹ drops before ㅂ.
| Dictionary form | -(으)ㄹ까요? | -(으)ㅂ시다 |
|---|---|---|
| 마시다 | 마실까요? | 마십시다 |
| 웃다 | 웃을까요? | 웃읍시다 |
| 팔다 | 팔까요? | 팝시다 |
How to answer an invitation
Turn it down gently: apologize or say “well, I don't know…”.
| Accepting | Polite refusal |
|---|---|
| 좋아요! | 미안해요, 약속이 있어요. |
| 그럼요! | 글쎄요… |
Lesson notes
Let's: -(으)ㄹ까요 and -(으)ㅂ시다
To suggest doing something together: -(으)ㄹ까요? — “shall we…?”: 영화를 볼까요? More decisive: -(으)ㅂ시다 “let's!”: 갑시다! English “let's” works with anyone, but -(으)ㅂ시다 is not said to an elder: to a teacher or an elder, only the question -(으)ㄹ까요?
After a vowel, -ㄹ까요 and -ㅂ시다: 마실까요, 마십시다. After a 받침, -을까요 and -읍시다: 웃을까요, 웃읍시다. The forms are in the table.
If the stem ends in ㄹ (만들다, 놀다, 팔다), there is no 으: 팔까요. Before ㅂ the ㄹ drops: 팝시다. These are ㄹ-stem verbs. In 해요체 they are regular: 만들어요, 놀아요.
To accept: 좋아요!, 그럼요! A polite no avoids a direct “no”: 미안해요, 약속이 있어요 or 글쎄요… 그럼 also means “then”: 그럼 토요일에 갈까요? “Shall we go together?” is the set phrase 같이 갈까요?
명 is the counter for people (never 개), with native Korean numbers: 세 명. 몇 명 is read [면명].
Common mistakes:
• NOT “팔을까요” → 팔까요.
• NOT “팔읍시다” → 팝시다.
• NOT “웃을시다” → 웃읍시다.
• NOT “선생님, 마십시다!” → 선생님, 마실까요?