How to Say "The bear wants to see mom" in Korean | -고 싶어요 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The bear wants to see mom" in Korean is "곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요." (gomeun eommareul bogo sipeoyo.). It uses the -고 싶어요 grammar pattern (Want to (V-고 싶어요)). Level: A1.

In Korean, "The bear wants to see mom" is expressed as "곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요.". This sentence demonstrates Want to (V-고 싶어요), one of the most useful grammar patterns for Korean learners. Let's explore the grammar and vocabulary.

Category: 가족

What does "The bear wants to see mom" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요." translates to "The bear wants to see mom." in English. "곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요." is the kind of sentence you would hear in a Korean storybook. It is simple yet expressive, painting the scene of "the bear wants to see mom" with just a few words.

Pronunciation guide: gomeun eommareul bogo sipeoyo.

Grammar Point: Want to (V-고 싶어요)

The pattern -고 싶어요 attaches to a verb stem to express a desire or wish. It is one of the first grammar points Korean learners encounter. This sentence also uses -아/어요.

Remove the 다 from the dictionary form, then add -고 싶어요. For example: 보다 → 보고 싶어요 (want to see).

Korean Sentence Structure Breakdown

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). In "곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 곰은 (gomeun) • 엄마를 (eommareul) • 보고 (bogo) • 싶어요 (sipeoyo)

Read this sentence aloud three times. Korean pronunciation flows best when you connect each syllable smoothly without pausing between words.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

Native Korean speakers would use exactly this phrasing in daily life. The sentence flows smoothly because each particle guides the listener from subject to action without ambiguity.

Cultural Insight

한국어에는 가족 호칭이 매우 세분화되어 있어요. 아버지 쪽 형제와 어머니 쪽 형제를 다른 단어로 부르며, 이는 관계의 깊이를 반영합니다.

Examples

곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요. — gomeun eommareul bogo sipeoyo. — The bear wants to see mom.

곰은 엄마를 보고 싶었어요. — gomeun eommareul bogo sipeoteoyo. — The bear wanted to see mom.

곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요? — gomeun eommareul bogo sipeoyo? — Does the bear wants to see mom?

Common Mistakes

Incorrect: 보다 싶어요 → Correct: 보고 싶어요. You must use the connective -고 between the verb stem and 싶어요. Dropping -고 is a common beginner mistake.

Incorrect: 먹아요 → Correct: 먹어요. The stem 먹- ends in a dark vowel (ㅓ), so it takes -어요 not -아요. Match the vowel harmony.

Quiz

How do you say "The bear wants to see mom" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "곰은 엄마를 보고 싶어요.". gomeun eommareul bogo sipeoyo.

Fill in the blank: 곰은 엄마를 보고 ___

The correct ending is "싶어요". The polite -요 form is essential for everyday Korean conversation.