-았/었으면 좋겠다 expresses wishes, hopes, or desires. It means "I wish [verb]," "I hope [verb]," or "It would be nice if [verb]" and conveys what the speaker wants to happen or wishes were different.
Structure
Verb/Adjective stem + -았/었으면 좋겠다
Breakdown:
- -았/었으면: If [past tense marker]
- 좋겠다: Would be good (희망/wish marker)
Literal meaning: "If it were [verb]-ed, it would be good" → "I wish [verb]"
Basic Forms
Vowel Harmony
ㅏ/ㅗ stems: -았으면 좋겠다
- 가다 → 갔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [someone] would go)
- 오다 → 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [someone] would come)
- 낫다 → 나았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [it] would get better)
Other vowels: -었으면 좋겠다
- 먹다 → 먹었으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [someone] would eat)
- 되다 → 되었으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would work out)
- 주다 → 주었으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [someone] would give)
하다 verbs: -했으면 좋겠다
- 공부하다 → 공부했으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [someone] would study)
- 성공하다 → 성공했으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [someone] would succeed)
Conjugation
Informal/Casual
-았/었으면 좋겠어:
- 왔으면 좋겠어 (I wish you'd come)
- 됐으면 좋겠어 (I wish it would work out)
Polite
-았/었으면 좋겠어요:
- 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish you'd come)
- 됐으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would work out)
Formal
-았/었으면 좋겠습니다:
- 왔으면 좋겠습니다 (I wish you'd come)
- 됐으면 좋겠습니다 (I wish it would work out)
Core Meanings
1. Personal Wishes
What you hope for yourself:
- 건강했으면 좋겠어요 (I wish I were healthy)
- 행복했으면 좋겠어요 (I wish I were happy)
- 성공했으면 좋겠어요 (I wish I would succeed)
2. Wishes for Others
What you hope for someone else:
- 빨리 나았으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you get better soon)
- 합격했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you pass)
- 행복했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you're happy)
3. Situational Wishes
About circumstances or events:
- 비가 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would rain)
- 날씨가 좋았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish the weather were nice)
- 시험이 쉬웠으면 좋겠어요 (I wish the exam were easy)
4. Polite Requests
Softened requests:
- 도와주셨으면 좋겠어요 (I would appreciate if you could help)
- 같이 가셨으면 좋겠어요 (I'd like it if you came with me)
Common Usage Patterns
Weather Wishes
- 비가 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would rain)
- 눈이 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would snow)
- 날씨가 좋았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish the weather were nice)
- 안 더웠으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it weren't hot)
Health Wishes
- 빨리 나았으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you get better soon)
- 건강했으면 좋겠어요 (I wish you were healthy)
- 아프지 않았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish you weren't sick)
Success Wishes
- 합격했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you pass)
- 성공했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you succeed)
- 잘 됐으면 좋겠어요 (I hope it goes well)
- 꿈을 이루었으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you achieve your dream)
Presence/Absence Wishes
- 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish you'd come)
- 같이 갔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish you'd come with me)
- 여기 있었으면 좋겠어요 (I wish you were here)
Time-Related Wishes
- 빨리 끝났으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would end soon)
- 시간이 빨리 갔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish time would pass quickly)
- 늦지 않았으면 좋겠어요 (I hope we're not late)
Expressing Different Subjects
First Person (I/We)
- 제가 합격했으면 좋겠어요 (I wish I would pass)
- 우리가 이겼으면 좋겠어요 (I hope we win)
Second Person (You)
- 네가 행복했으면 좋겠어 (I hope you're happy)
- 당신이 성공했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you succeed)
Third Person (He/She/They)
- 그 사람이 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish he/she would come)
- 그들이 이해했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope they understand)
Impersonal (Situations)
- 날씨가 좋았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish the weather were nice)
- 일이 잘 됐으면 좋겠어요 (I hope things go well)
Negative Wishes
Wishing Something Wouldn't Happen
안 -았/었으면 좋겠다:
- 비가 안 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it wouldn't rain)
- 안 아팠으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [you] weren't sick)
- 안 늦었으면 좋겠어요 (I hope we're not late)
-지 않았으면 좋겠다:
- 비가 오지 않았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it wouldn't rain)
- 화내지 않았으면 좋겠어요 (I wish [you] wouldn't get angry)
Polite Requests
Softening Requests
Using wishes for politeness:
- 도와주셨으면 좋겠어요 (I'd appreciate if you could help)
- 같이 가 주셨으면 좋겠어요 (I'd like it if you'd come with me)
- 이해해 주셨으면 좋겠어요 (I'd appreciate if you'd understand)
Honorific Forms
With -(으)시-:
- 오셨으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you [hon.] will come)
- 드셨으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you [hon.] will eat)
- 편히 쉬셨으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you [hon.] rest comfortably)
Common Expressions
Well-Wishes
- 행복했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you're happy)
- 건강했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you're healthy)
- 꿈을 이루었으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you achieve your dreams)
- 좋은 일만 있었으면 좋겠어요 (I hope only good things happen)
Academic/Career
- 시험에 합격했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you pass the exam)
- 취직했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you get a job)
- 승진했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you get promoted)
Relationships
- 우리가 친구였으면 좋겠어요 (I wish we were friends)
- 이해해 주셨으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you understand)
- 화해했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you reconcile)
Daily Life
- 일이 잘 됐으면 좋겠어요 (I hope things go well)
- 문제가 해결됐으면 좋겠어요 (I hope the problem is solved)
- 계획대로 됐으면 좋겠어요 (I hope it goes as planned)
Variations and Extensions
Adding 정말/진짜 (Really)
Emphasizing the wish:
- 정말 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I really wish you'd come)
- 진짜 됐으면 좋겠어 (I really hope it works out)
Adding 빨리 (Quickly/Soon)
Urgent wishes:
- 빨리 나았으면 좋겠어요 (I hope you get better soon)
- 빨리 끝났으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would end soon)
Adding 제발 (Please)
Pleading wishes:
- 제발 왔으면 좋겠어요 (Please, I wish you'd come)
- 제발 됐으면 좋겠어요 (Please, I hope it works out)
Comparison with Other Patterns
-았/었으면 좋겠다 vs -(으)면 좋겠다
-았/었으면: Stronger wish, less likely
- 비가 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would rain - unlikely)
-(으)면: Milder hope, more possible
- 비가 오면 좋겠어요 (I hope it rains - possible)
-았/었으면 좋겠다 vs -고 싶다
-았/었으면 좋겠다: General wish, polite
- 성공했으면 좋겠어요 (I hope to succeed)
-고 싶다: Direct desire
- 성공하고 싶어요 (I want to succeed)
-았/었으면 좋겠다 vs -(으)ㄹ 텐데
-았/었으면 좋겠다: Wish (hopeful)
- 갔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish I could go)
-(으)ㄹ 텐데: Conjecture (contrary to fact)
- 갈 텐데... (I would go but...)
Tense Considerations
Always Uses Past Form
Despite future/present meaning:
- 내일 비가 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I hope it rains tomorrow)
- 지금 여기 있었으면 좋겠어요 (I wish you were here now)
The -았/었 is part of the conditional structure, not actual past tense
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 가면 좋겠어요 (when meaning strong wish)
Using present conditional for unlikely wish
✅ Correct: 갔으면 좋겠어요
Use -았/었으면 for wishes
❌ Incorrect: 왔어요으면 좋겠어요
Wrong tense combination
✅ Correct: 왔으면 좋겠어요
Use -았/었으면, not -았어요으면
❌ Incorrect: 갔으면 좋았어요
Wrong ending
✅ Correct: 갔으면 좋겠어요
Use 좋겠다 (future hope), not 좋았다 (past)
Summary Table
| Vowel Type | Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅏ/ㅗ | -았으면 좋겠어요 | 갔으면 좋겠어요 | I wish I'd go |
| Other | -었으면 좋겠어요 | 먹었으면 좋겠어요 | I wish I'd eat |
| 하다 | -했으면 좋겠어요 | 공부했으면 좋겠어요 | I wish I'd study |
| Negative | 안 -았/었으면 좋겠어요 | 안 왔으면 좋겠어요 | I wish it wouldn't come |
| Honorific | -(으)셨으면 좋겠어요 | 오셨으면 좋겠어요 | I hope you [hon.] come |
| Emphasis | 정말 -았/었으면 좋겠어요 | 정말 됐으면 좋겠어요 | I really hope it works |