Korean grammar patterns › Level 1
-겠-
will, intend to (formal); must be (guess)
Level 1 · TOPIK I · beginner
How to use it
1) The speaker's intention, formal and firm (I/we subject): 하겠습니다. 2) A guess based on what you see or hear right now: 'must be, looks'. Also in set phrases: 알겠습니다, 처음 뵙겠습니다.
Forming it
| 하다 | → 하겠습니다 |
| 가다 | → 가겠어요 |
| 맛있다 | → 맛있겠어요 |
| 힘들다 | → 힘들었겠어요 |
For a guess about the past use -았/었겠-: 힘들었겠어요 ('that must have been hard').
Examples
내일까지 꼭 보고서를 끝내겠습니다.
I will definitely finish the report by tomorrow.
와, 이 케이크 정말 맛있겠어요.
Wow, this cake looks delicious.
Compared with similar patterns
-(으)ㄹ 거예요 is a plainer plan or guess; -(으)ㄹ게요 is a promise to the listener; -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 is a softer guess ('I think').