Question 1

What does 지금 mean in 지금 창문을 닫고 싶어요 and where can I put it?

Accepted Answer

- 지금 means “now,” indicating the time when you want to close the window.  
- It’s common at the front for emphasis, but you could also say 창문을 지금 닫고 싶어요 without changing the meaning.  
- Putting 지금 at the very end (e.g. 창문을 닫고 싶어요 지금) sounds awkward in Korean, so stick to the front or just before the verb.

Question 2

Why is there an -을 on 창문? Can I drop it?

Accepted Answer

- 을 is the object marker for verbs. Here 창문을 marks 창문 (“window”) as the thing being closed.  
- Dropping 을 (창문 닫고 싶어요) sounds like a fragment or casual note. In polite sentences, you should include 을 to keep the grammar clear.

Question 3

How is 닫고 싶어요 formed? What are its parts?

Accepted Answer

닫고 싶어요 breaks down into three parts:  
1. 닫- (stem of 닫다, “to close”)  
2. -고 (connective ending that links actions or attaches 싶다)  
3. 싶어요 (polite form of 싶다, “to want”)  
So 닫-고 싶-어요 literally means “(I) want to do the action ‘close.’”

Question 4

What exactly does -고 싶다/싶어요 mean?

Accepted Answer

- -고 싶다 attached to a verb stem expresses “to want to do [that verb].”  
- 싶다 on its own is an adjective meaning “to be eager/hoping.” You don’t say 싶다 alone after a noun; it always follows a verb with -고.  
- Politeness is shown by changing 싶다 to 싶어요 (casual polite) or 싶습니다 (more formal).

Question 5

Why can’t I use 원하다 instead of 닫고 싶다?

Accepted Answer

- 원하다 means “to want” or “to desire,” but it typically takes a noun object: 나는 평화를 원해요 (“I want peace”).  
- For wanting to perform an action (like “close”), Korean uses -고 싶다 rather than 원하다. Saying 창문을 닫기를 원해요 is grammatically possible but archaic/formal—learners almost always use 닫고 싶어요.

Question 6

Can I use -고 싶다 for someone else’s desire?

Accepted Answer

No. -고 싶다 expresses your own desire. To talk about a third person (he, she, they), you need -고 싶어 하다:  
- 그는 창문을 닫고 싶어해요. (“He wants to close the window.”)

Question 7

Why is there no subject in 지금 창문을 닫고 싶어요?

Accepted Answer

- Korean often drops subjects when they’re obvious from context.  
- Here it’s assumed to be I or we depending on the situation. If you needed clarity, you could say 저는 지금 창문을 닫고 싶어요.

Question 8

How polite/formal is -고 싶어요? Could I say -고 싶습니다?

Accepted Answer

- -고 싶어요 is polite but casual—suitable for conversations with strangers or colleagues.  
- -고 싶습니다 is more formal (used in presentations, announcements, or with elders where extra respect is needed). Both are correct; choose based on your relationship with the listener.

Question 9

Can I say 닫고 싶어 instead of 닫고 싶어요?

Accepted Answer

- 닫고 싶어 is the informal, plain form—used with close friends or younger people.  
- 닫고 싶어요 is the same tense and meaning but polite.  
- Never mix levels: use 싶어 with 반말 (informal) and 싶어요 with 존댓말 (polite).

Question 10

Is there anything special about pronouncing 닫고?

Accepted Answer

- In fast speech, the ㅌ in 닫- can sound closer to a [t̚] ending, and the following ㄱ in -고 becomes [k͈] due to tense consonant assimilation.  
- You’ll hear something like [닫̚꼬] (batchim ㅌ + initial ㄱ → tense ㄲ). This is normal and nothing to worry about.

Question 11

Can I change the word order: what about 창문을 닫고 싶어요 지금 or 닫고 싶어요 창문을?

Accepted Answer

- Korean is relatively flexible, but these two options are unnatural:  
  • 창문을 닫고 싶어요 지금 (time at the end sounds off)  
  • 닫고 싶어요 창문을 (verb phrase should come at the end in standard SOV order)  
- Stick to [Time] [Object] [Verb]: 지금 창문을 닫고 싶어요 or 창문을 지금 닫고 싶어요.

jigeum changmuneul datgo sipeoyo.

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