-(으)ㄹ까요? - Shall we? | Korean Grammar Documentation

-(으)ㄹ까요? is used to make suggestions or ask for opinions. It means "shall we...?", "should I...?", or "how about...?"

Structure

Verb stem + -(으)ㄹ까요?

Breakdown:

-(으)ㄹ: Future modifier
까: Wonder/question marker
요: Polite ending

Meaning: "Shall we/I...?" or "Should we/I...?"

Conjugation Rules

After Vowel or ㄹ: -ㄹ까요?

No final consonant:

가다 → 갈까요? (shall we go?)
오다 → 올까요? (shall I come?)
하다 → 할까요? (shall we do?)

After ㄹ (drop ㄹ):

만들다 → 만들까요? (shall we make?)
팔다 → 팔까요? (shall we sell?)

After Consonant: -을까요?

Final consonant present:

먹다 → 먹을까요? (shall we eat?)
읽다 → 읽을까요? (shall we read?)
듣다 → 들을까요? (shall we listen?)
앉다 → 앉을까요? (shall we sit?)

Two Main Uses

1. Suggesting Together (Shall we...?)

Making suggestions for group action:

같이 갈까요? (Shall we go together?)
영화 볼까요? (Shall we watch a movie?)
밥 먹을까요? (Shall we eat?)
커피 마실까요? (Shall we drink coffee?)

Focus: Joint action, inviting participation

2. Asking for Permission/Opinion (Should I...?)

Asking what to do:

도와드릴까요? (Shall I help you?)
문 닫을까요? (Shall I close the door?)
불 켤까요? (Shall I turn on the light?)
창문 열까요? (Shall I open the window?)

Focus: Offering to do something, asking preference

Politeness Levels

Polite (해요체): -(으)ㄹ까요?

Standard polite question:

갈까요? (Shall we go?)
할까요? (Shall we do it?)
먹을까요? (Shall we eat?)

Casual (반말): -(으)ㄹ까?

To friends:

갈까? (Shall we go?)
할까? (Shall we do it?)
먹을까? (Shall we eat?)

Very Formal: -(으)ㄹ까요? + 님

Extra polite with title:

시작할까요? (Shall we start? - meeting)

Common Suggestions

Making Plans

영화 볼까요? (Shall we watch a movie?)
산책할까요? (Shall we take a walk?)
쇼핑 갈까요? (Shall we go shopping?)
게임할까요? (Shall we play a game?)
운동할까요? (Shall we exercise?)

Eating/Drinking

밥 먹을까요? (Shall we eat?)
커피 마실까요? (Shall we have coffee?)
저녁 먹을까요? (Shall we have dinner?)
한잔할까요? (Shall we have a drink?)
뭐 먹을까요? (What shall we eat?)

Activities

노래방 갈까요? (Shall we go to karaoke?)
놀러 갈까요? (Shall we go have fun?)
여행 갈까요? (Shall we go on a trip?)
파티 할까요? (Shall we have a party?)

Offering Help

Service/Assistance

Politely offering:

도와드릴까요? (Shall I help you?)
들어드릴까요? (Shall I carry it for you?)
안내해 드릴까요? (Shall I guide you?)
설명해 드릴까요? (Shall I explain?)
가져다 드릴까요? (Shall I bring it for you?)

At Restaurant/Store

주문 받을까요? (Shall I take your order?)
포장해 드릴까요? (Shall I wrap it for you?)
영수증 드릴까요? (Shall I give you a receipt?)
물 더 드릴까요? (Shall I give you more water?)

Asking for Decisions

Seeking Input

What should we do?:

어떻게 할까요? (What shall we do?)
뭐 할까요? (What shall we do?)
어디 갈까요? (Where shall we go?)
언제 만날까요? (When shall we meet?)
누구 부를까요? (Who shall we call?)

Making Choices

이걸로 할까요? (Shall we go with this one?)
여기 앉을까요? (Shall we sit here?)
이거 살까요? (Shall we buy this?)
내일 할까요? (Shall we do it tomorrow?)

Common Patterns

With Question Words

뭐 (what):

뭐 먹을까요? (What shall we eat?)
뭐 할까요? (What shall we do?)

어디 (where):

어디 갈까요? (Where shall we go?)
어디서 만날까요? (Where shall we meet?)

언제 (when):

언제 갈까요? (When shall we go?)
언제 시작할까요? (When shall we start?)

어떻게 (how):

어떻게 할까요? (How shall we do it?)
어떻게 갈까요? (How shall we go?)

Responses

Agreeing

Positive responses:

네, 그럽시다 (Yes, let's do that)
네, 좋아요 (Yes, sounds good)
그래요 (Okay)
좋은 생각이에요 (Good idea)
그럼요 (Of course)

Disagreeing/Alternative

Suggesting alternative:

아니요, 이거 어때요? (No, how about this?)
다른 거 할까요? (Shall we do something else?)
나중에 할까요? (Shall we do it later?)

Leaving Decision to Other

좋아요. 당신이 정하세요 (Fine. You decide)
아무거나 괜찮아요 (Anything is fine)
마음대로 하세요 (As you wish)

At Work/Meetings

Starting/Organizing

시작할까요? (Shall we start?)
회의 시작할까요? (Shall we start the meeting?)
다음으로 넘어갈까요? (Shall we move to the next?)
여기서 마칠까요? (Shall we finish here?)
휴식할까요? (Shall we take a break?)

Making Decisions

어떻게 진행할까요? (How shall we proceed?)
누가 할까요? (Who shall do it?)
언제 제출할까요? (When shall we submit?)

Example Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Making Plans

A: 주말에 뭐 할까요?
(What shall we do this weekend?)

B: 영화 볼까요?
(Shall we watch a movie?)

A: 좋아요! 어떤 영화 볼까요?
(Good! What movie shall we watch?)

Dialogue 2: At Restaurant

A: 뭐 먹을까요?
(What shall we eat?)

B: 파스타 어때요?
(How about pasta?)

A: 좋아요. 주문할까요?
(Good. Shall we order?)

Dialogue 3: Offering Help

Staff: 도와드릴까요?
(Shall I help you?)

Customer: 네, 이거 찾고 있어요.
(Yes, I'm looking for this.)

Staff: 안내해 드릴까요?
(Shall I guide you?)

Dialogue 4: At Home

A: 문 닫을까요?
(Shall I close the door?)

B: 네, 추우니까 닫아 주세요.
(Yes, please close it since it's cold.)

Contrast with Similar Forms

-(으)ㄹ까요? vs -(으)ㅂ시다

-(으)ㄹ까요?: Asking, suggesting (question)

갈까요? (Shall we go? - asking)
→ More tentative, seeking agreement

-(으)ㅂ시다: Let's (statement)

갑시다 (Let's go - statement)
→ More decisive, leading

-(으)ㄹ까요? vs -(으)시겠어요?

-(으)ㄹ까요?: Shall we/I? (neutral)

도와드릴까요? (Shall I help you?)
→ Offering, suggesting

-(으)시겠어요?: Would you like to? (deferential)

도와드리시겠어요? ✗ (wrong)
도와드릴까요? ✓ (correct)

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: 갈게요?

Wrong ending for suggestion

✅ Correct: 갈까요?

Use -(으)ㄹ까요? for "shall we"

❌ Incorrect: 먹을까요요?

Double 요

✅ Correct: 먹을까요?

Only one 요

❌ Incorrect: 가자까요?

Mixing casual and polite

✅ Correct: 갈까요? (polite) or 갈까? (casual)

Be consistent with formality

Summary Table

Type	Example	Meaning	Usage
Group suggestion	갈까요?	Shall we go?	Making plans together
Asking permission	도와드릴까요?	Shall I help?	Offering assistance
Seeking decision	뭐 먹을까요?	What shall we eat?	Asking for choice
Making choice	이걸로 할까요?	Shall we go with this?	Confirming selection

Key Takeaways

✅ Main usage: Suggestions and asking for opinions
✅ After vowel/ㄹ: -ㄹ까요?
✅ After consonant: -을까요?
✅ Two meanings: "Shall we?" (together) / "Shall I?" (offering)
✅ Very common: Essential for natural conversation
✅ Polite and natural: Perfect for making suggestions

-(으)ㄹ까요? is one of the most useful patterns in Korean for making suggestions, seeking opinions, and offering help in a natural, polite way. It's essential for everyday social interaction and decision-making conversations.