Future plans: -(으)ㄹ 거예요

-(으)ㄹ 거예요 is the most important beginner pattern for talking about the future in Korean. It can mean “will”, “am going to”, or “plan to”, depending on context.

The structure is Verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 거예요. Use ㄹ 거예요 after a verb stem ending in a vowel, and 을 거예요 after a verb stem ending in a final consonant.

For example, 가다 becomes 갈 거예요, meaning “I will go / I am going to go”. 먹다 becomes 먹을 거예요, meaning “I will eat / I am going to eat”. 공부하다 becomes 공부할 거예요, meaning “I will study”.

This pattern is very common when talking about plans: tomorrow, this weekend, next week, after work, after class, or later. It is one of the first future forms learners should master.

The choice between ㄹ 거예요 and 을 거예요 depends on the final sound of the verb stem. This is the same sound-based logic you have seen in patterns like -(으)면 and -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요.

If the verb stem ends in a vowel, attach ㄹ 거예요: 가다 becomes 갈 거예요, 보다 becomes 볼 거예요, and 마시다 becomes 마실 거예요.

If the verb stem ends in a final consonant, attach 을 거예요: 먹다 becomes 먹을 거예요, 읽다 becomes 읽을 거예요, and 앉다 becomes 앉을 거예요.

For stems ending in ㄹ, you usually do not add another 을. For example, 살다 becomes 살 거예요, meaning “will live”. This pattern becomes natural with practice.

To ask about someone’s future plan, use the same future form with question intonation. The most useful question is 뭐 할 거예요?, meaning “What are you going to do?”

You can add time words to make the question more specific: 오늘 뭐 할 거예요? means “What are you going to do today?” 주말에 뭐 할 거예요? means “What are you going to do on the weekend?”

For destination, ask 어디에 갈 거예요?, meaning “Where are you going to go?” For food, ask 뭐 먹을 거예요?, meaning “What are you going to eat?”

This question pattern is essential for making plans with friends, coworkers, classmates, or family members. It is natural, polite, and useful in daily life.

There are two common ways to make future sentences negative. The first is to place 안 before the verb phrase: 안 갈 거예요, 안 먹을 거예요, 공부 안 할 거예요.

The second is Verb stem + 지 않을 거예요, which sounds a little more formal or structured: 가지 않을 거예요, 먹지 않을 거예요, 공부하지 않을 거예요.

In daily conversation, 안 ... 거예요 is very common and natural. For example, 오늘은 안 갈 거예요 means “I will not go today.” 저녁은 안 먹을 거예요 means “I will not eat dinner.”

With 하다 verbs, the natural spoken form often places 안 before 할 거예요: 오늘은 공부 안 할 거예요, meaning “I will not study today.”

-(으)ㄹ 거예요 can express both personal plans and predictions. Context tells you which meaning is intended.

When the subject is the speaker and the verb is an action verb, it often means intention or plan: 저는 내일 갈 거예요 means “I will go tomorrow / I am planning to go tomorrow.”

When the subject is not controlled by the speaker, it often sounds like a prediction: 내일 비가 올 거예요 means “It will rain tomorrow.” 시험이 어려울 거예요 means “The exam will probably be difficult.”

This makes the pattern flexible. You can talk about what you plan to do, what other people will probably do, what the weather will be like, and what you expect to happen.