How to Say "The prince wants to see the child" in Korean | -고 싶어요 Grammar

Quick Answer: "The prince wants to see the child" in Korean is "왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요." (wangjaneun aireul bogo sipeoyo.). It uses the -고 싶어요 grammar pattern (Want to (V-고 싶어요)). Level: A1.

Master the Korean expression "왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요." (The prince wants to see the child). It showcases the -고 싶어요 pattern, which you will encounter constantly in Korean dramas, books, and conversations.

Category: 감정

What does "The prince wants to see the child" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요." translates to "The prince wants to see the child." in English. This sentence — "왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요." — is one you can start using right away. It expresses "the prince wants to see the child" in a natural, polished way that native speakers would instantly understand.

Pronunciation guide: wangjaneun aireul 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 "왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 왕자는 (wangjaneun) • 아이를 (aireul) • 보고 (bogo) • 싶어요 (sipeoyo)

Listen for the rhythm: Korean syllables tend to be evenly timed, unlike English which stresses certain syllables. This gives Korean its distinctive flowing sound.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

This expression sounds natural because Korean fairy-tale language closely mirrors real-life polite speech. Learning sentences like this prepares you for both storybooks and real conversations.

Cultural Insight

한국 문화에서는 '눈치'가 중요해요. 상대의 감정을 말 없이도 읽어내는 능력을 높이 평가합니다.

Examples

왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요. — wangjaneun aireul bogo sipeoyo. — The prince wants to see the child.

왕자는 아이를 보고 싶었어요. — wangjaneun aireul bogo sipeoteoyo. — The prince wanted to see the child.

왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요? — wangjaneun aireul bogo sipeoyo? — Does the prince wants to see the child?

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 prince wants to see the child" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "왕자는 아이를 보고 싶어요.". wangjaneun aireul bogo sipeoyo.

Fill in the blank: 왕자는 아이를 보고 ___

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