-(으)ㄹ 것이다 expresses future actions, intentions, or predictions. It means "will" or "probably" in English and is the most common way to express the future tense in Korean.
Structure
Verb/Adjective stem + -(으)ㄹ 것이다
Breakdown:
- -(으)ㄹ: Future modifier
- 것: Thing, fact
- 이다: To be
Literal meaning: "It is a thing/fact that [will happen]"
Formation Rules
Stem Ending in Vowel or ㄹ: -ㄹ 것이다
Vowel stems:
- 가다 → 갈 것이다 (will go)
- 하다 → 할 것이다 (will do)
- 오다 → 올 것이다 (will come)
- 되다 → 될 것이다 (will become)
ㄹ stem (drop ㄹ):
- 만들다 → 만들 것이다 (will make)
- 살다 → 살 것이다 (will live)
- 놀다 → 놀 것이다 (will play)
Stem Ending in Consonant: -을 것이다
Consonant stems:
- 먹다 → 먹을 것이다 (will eat)
- 읽다 → 읽을 것이다 (will read)
- 듣다 → 들을 것이다 (will hear)
- 좋다 → 좋을 것이다 (will be good)
- 작다 → 작을 것이다 (will be small)
Politeness Levels
Formal Written (것이다)
- 갈 것이다 (will go - formal writing)
- 먹을 것이다 (will eat - formal writing)
- 좋을 것이다 (will be good - formal writing)
Formal Spoken (겁니다)
- 갈 겁니다 (will go)
- 먹을 겁니다 (will eat)
- 좋을 겁니다 (will be good)
Polite (거예요/걸요)
- 갈 거예요 (will go)
- 먹을 거예요 (will eat)
- 좋을 거예요 (will be good)
- 갈 걸요 (will go - soft assertion)
Casual (거야)
- 갈 거야 (will go)
- 먹을 거야 (will eat)
- 좋을 거야 (will be good)
Very Casual (꺼)
- 갈 꺼 (will go - very casual)
- 먹을 꺼 (will eat - very casual)
Core Meanings
Future Intentions
What you plan to do:
- 내일 학교에 갈 거예요 (I will go to school tomorrow)
- 저녁에 친구를 만날 거예요 (I will meet my friend in the evening)
- 주말에 영화를 볼 거예요 (I will watch a movie this weekend)
- 열심히 공부할 거예요 (I will study hard)
Predictions
What you think will happen:
- 내일 비가 올 거예요 (It will probably rain tomorrow)
- 그가 성공할 거예요 (He will probably succeed)
- 시험이 어려울 거예요 (The exam will probably be difficult)
- 날씨가 좋을 거예요 (The weather will probably be good)
Strong Suppositions
What you believe to be true:
- 그가 집에 있을 거예요 (He's probably at home)
- 지금 자고 있을 거예요 (They're probably sleeping now)
- 이미 알고 있을 거예요 (They probably already know)
Common Usage Patterns
Personal Plans
Your intentions:
- 한국어를 배울 거예요 (I will learn Korean)
- 다이어트를 할 거예요 (I will go on a diet)
- 새 직장을 찾을 거예요 (I will look for a new job)
- 일찍 일어날 거예요 (I will wake up early)
Future Events
Things that will happen:
- 내년에 졸업할 거예요 (I will graduate next year)
- 곧 도착할 거예요 (They will arrive soon)
- 다음 주에 시작할 거예요 (It will start next week)
- 금방 끝날 거예요 (It will end soon)
Predictions About Others
What you think others will do:
- 친구가 올 거예요 (My friend will come)
- 부모님이 좋아하실 거예요 (My parents will like it)
- 선생님이 화내실 거예요 (The teacher will be angry)
- 모두가 놀랄 거예요 (Everyone will be surprised)
Contracted Forms
것 → 거/걸
것이다 becomes:
- 갈 것이다 → 갈 거다 (will go)
- 먹을 것이다 → 먹을 거다 (will eat)
In conversation:
- 갈 거예요 (standard polite)
- 갈 걸요 (softer, with assertion)
- 갈 거야 (casual)
- 갈 꺼 (very casual, often misspelled but common)
겁니다 (Formal Spoken)
것입니다 → 겁니다:
- 갈 겁니다 (will go - formal)
- 먹을 겁니다 (will eat - formal)
- 좋을 겁니다 (will be good - formal)
Negative Forms
Won't Do
안 + verb + -(으)ㄹ 거예요:
- 안 갈 거예요 (won't go)
- 안 먹을 거예요 (won't eat)
- 안 할 거예요 (won't do)
Verb + -지 않을 거예요:
- 가지 않을 거예요 (won't go)
- 먹지 않을 거예요 (won't eat)
- 하지 않을 거예요 (won't do)
Can't/Probably Won't
못 + verb + -(으)ㄹ 거예요:
- 못 갈 거예요 (probably can't go / won't be able to go)
- 못 먹을 거예요 (probably can't eat)
- 못 할 거예요 (probably can't do)
Question Forms
Asking About Plans
Will you...?:
- 갈 거예요? (Will you go?)
- 먹을 거예요? (Will you eat?)
- 할 거예요? (Will you do it?)
- 올 거예요? (Will you come?)
Asking About Predictions
Do you think...?:
- 비가 올 거예요? (Do you think it will rain?)
- 성공할 거예요? (Do you think [they] will succeed?)
- 어려울 거예요? (Do you think it will be difficult?)
Tense Variations
Present Supposition: -고 있을 거예요
Probably doing now:
- 지금 자고 있을 거예요 (They're probably sleeping now)
- 집에 가고 있을 거예요 (They're probably going home)
- 공부하고 있을 거예요 (They're probably studying)
Past Supposition: -았/었을 거예요
Probably did:
- 벌써 갔을 거예요 (They probably already went)
- 이미 먹었을 거예요 (They probably already ate)
- 잘 했을 거예요 (They probably did well)
Common Expressions
Daily Life Plans
- 집에 갈 거예요 (I will go home)
- 친구를 만날 거예요 (I will meet my friend)
- 영화를 볼 거예요 (I will watch a movie)
- 쇼핑할 거예요 (I will go shopping)
- 운동할 거예요 (I will exercise)
Weather Predictions
- 비가 올 거예요 (It will rain)
- 눈이 올 거예요 (It will snow)
- 날씨가 좋을 거예요 (The weather will be good)
- 춥을 거예요 (It will be cold)
- 더울 거예요 (It will be hot)
Time Expressions
- 곧 도착할 거예요 (Will arrive soon)
- 내일 갈 거예요 (Will go tomorrow)
- 다음 주에 할 거예요 (Will do it next week)
- 나중에 연락할 거예요 (Will contact later)
Possibilities
- 괜찮을 거예요 (It will probably be okay)
- 문제없을 거예요 (There will probably be no problem)
- 잘 될 거예요 (It will probably go well)
- 재미있을 거예요 (It will probably be fun)
Example Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Making Plans
A: 주말에 뭐 할 거예요?
(What will you do this weekend?)
B: 친구를 만나고 영화를 볼 거예요.
(I will meet my friend and watch a movie.)
Dialogue 2: Weather Prediction
A: 내일 날씨가 어떨 거예요?
(What will the weather be like tomorrow?)
B: 비가 올 거예요. 우산을 가져가세요.
(It will rain. Bring an umbrella.)
Dialogue 3: Future Intention
A: 한국어 공부를 계속할 거예요?
(Will you continue studying Korean?)
B: 네, 열심히 공부할 거예요.
(Yes, I will study hard.)
Dialogue 4: Prediction
A: 그 사람이 올까요?
(Will that person come?)
B: 아마 올 거예요. 약속했으니까요.
(They'll probably come. They promised.)
Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect: 갈 것예요
Missing 이 in contraction
✅ Correct: 갈 거예요
Proper contraction: 것이에요 → 거예요
❌ Incorrect: 갈 꺼예요
Using 꺼 (thing) instead of 거
✅ Correct: 갈 거예요
Use 거 (contraction of 것이)
❌ Incorrect: 가을 거예요
Adding extra syllable
✅ Correct: 갈 거예요
Simple stem + -(으)ㄹ
Usage Notes
Certainty Levels
-(으)ㄹ 것이다 (neutral certainty):
- 갈 거예요 (I will go / It will probably happen)
More certain alternatives:
- 갈 것입니다 (definitely will go - formal)
- 가겠습니다 (I intend to go - speaker's will)
Less certain alternatives:
- 갈 것 같아요 (seems like will go)
- 갈지도 몰라요 (might go)
Formal vs. Casual
Formal writing:
- 갈 것이다
Formal speech:
- 갈 겁니다
Polite conversation:
- 갈 거예요
Casual:
- 갈 거야 / 갈 꺼
Comparison with Similar Expressions
-(으)ㄹ 거예요 vs -겠어요
-(으)ㄹ 거예요 (neutral future/prediction):
- 비가 올 거예요 (It will rain - prediction based on evidence)
- 갈 거예요 (I will go - plan)
-겠어요 (speaker's intention/immediate future):
- 비가 오겠어요 (It looks like it will rain - immediate)
- 가겠어요 (I will go - strong intention)
-(으)ㄹ 거예요 vs -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요
-(으)ㄹ 거예요 (more certain):
- 갈 거예요 (Will go - more definite)
-(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 (less certain):
- 갈 것 같아요 (Seems like will go - less sure)
Summary Table
| Context | Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal writing | -(으)ㄹ 것이다 | 갈 것이다 | Will go |
| Formal speech | -(으)ㄹ 겁니다 | 갈 겁니다 | Will go |
| Polite | -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | 갈 거예요 | Will go |
| Casual | -(으)ㄹ 거야 | 갈 거야 | Will go |
| Negative | 안 -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | 안 갈 거예요 | Won't go |
| Past supposition | -았/었을 거예요 | 갔을 거예요 | Probably went |
| Present supposition | -고 있을 거예요 | 가고 있을 거예요 | Probably going now |
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Most common future: Primary way to express future tense
- ✅ Multiple uses: Intentions, predictions, suppositions
- ✅ Contractions: 것 → 거/걸 in spoken Korean
- ✅ Formality levels: 것이다 (formal) → 거예요 (polite) → 거야 (casual)
- ✅ Not just future: Also for present suppositions
- ✅ Essential pattern: Must know for natural Korean
-(으)ㄹ 것이다 is the fundamental future tense pattern in Korean. Master this along with its various contractions to express plans, predictions, and suppositions naturally in any context.