Korean for Elementary Learners: Inviting Classmates to Study Together and Setting Study Goals
Learn to invite a classmate to study together in polite Korean and to set simple academic goals, using the pattern -ㄹ까요? and goal phrases like -기로 했어요.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
This lesson teaches one specific skill: inviting a classmate to study together and agreeing on a study goal. It is not the same as making weekend plans. The focus is academic collaboration, so you will use polite suggestion questions and simple goal statements. You will learn 같이 공부할까요? (Shall we study together?), 목표를 세워요 (Let's set a goal), and 오늘은 단어를 외우기로 했어요 (We decided to memorize vocabulary today). Korean verb endings change with politeness level, so all examples here use the polite -요 style, which is safe with classmates you do not know well.
By the end, you can…
- invite a classmate to study together using a polite Korean suggestion.
- name a simple study goal and say what we decided to do.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
같이 공부할까요?
Shall we study together?
ga-chi gong-bu-hal-kka-yo?
Polite suggestion. Use -ㄹ까요? when you propose doing something together. 같이 means together.
오늘은 뭐 공부할까요?
What shall we study today?
o-neul-eun mwo gong-bu-hal-kka-yo?
Asks about today's study content. 오늘은 marks today as the topic.
목표를 세워요.
Let's set a goal.
mok-pyo-reul se-wo-yo.
목표 goal, 세우다 to set or establish. 세워요 is the polite -요 form of 세우다.
단어를 외우기로 했어요.
We decided to memorize vocabulary.
dan-eo-reul oe-u-gi-ro hae-sseo-yo.
-기로 했어요 means decided to do. Use it for a study plan you agreed on.
몇 시에 만날까요?
What time shall we meet?
myeot si-e man-nal-kka-yo?
Use this to set a meeting time. 몇 시에 means at what time.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern -ㄹ까요? turns a verb into a polite suggestion or question about doing something together. With 같이, it becomes an invitation: 같이 공부할까요? (Shall we study together?). You can swap the verb: 같이 도서관에 갈까요? (Shall we go to the library together?) and 같이 복습할까요? (Shall we review together?). For goals, use -기로 했어요 to say what you decided: 숙제를 끝내기로 했어요 (We decided to finish homework).
When to use it
Use -ㄹ까요? when you want to propose an activity and hear the other person's answer. It is softer than a command and works well with classmates. Use -기로 했어요 after you both agree, to state the decision clearly: 우리는 매일 단어를 외우기로 했어요 (We decided to memorize words every day). If you are just asking about a plan, not suggesting, use 뭐 할 거예요? (What are you going to do?).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
민수 씨, 이번 주말에 같이 공부할까요?
Minsu, shall we study together this weekend?min-su ssi, i-beon ju-mal-e ga-chi gong-bu-hal-kka-yo?네, 좋아요. 오늘은 뭐 공부할까요?
Yes, sounds good. What shall we study today?ne, jo-a-yo. o-neul-eun mwo gong-bu-hal-kka-yo?단어를 외우기로 했어요. 목표는 백 개예요.
We decided to memorize vocabulary. The goal is one hundred words.dan-eo-reul oe-u-gi-ro hae-sseo-yo. mok-pyo-neun baek gae-ye-yo.좋아요. 몇 시에 만날까요?
Good. What time shall we meet?jo-a-yo. myeot si-e man-nal-kka-yo?A little context goes a long way
Korean study culture often values clear, shared goals and regular meetings. When you invite a classmate, using polite -요 speech and the person's name with 씨 is common among students of similar age. If the classmate is older or a senior, use their title or name plus 선배 instead of 씨, and keep the same polite endings.
One thing to watch for
Using 같이 공부해요? as a suggestion, which sounds like a plain yes/no question about a habit.
Try this instead: For an invitation, use the suggestion pattern -ㄹ까요?: 같이 공부할까요? (Shall we study together?). 같이 공부해요? can mean 'Do we study together?' as a general fact, not a proposal.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely suggest studying together with a classmate?
Show a sample answer
같이 공부할까요?
This uses 같이 plus the suggestion ending -ㄹ까요? in polite -요 style. You could also say 같이 공부하실래요? to be extra polite, but -ㄹ까요? is the standard classmate suggestion.
2How do you say 'We decided to memorize vocabulary'?
Show a sample answer
단어를 외우기로 했어요.
The pattern -기로 했어요 expresses a decision. 단어를 is the object form of 단어 (word). You could replace 단어 with 문법 (grammar) for a different goal.
3What question asks 'What shall we study today?'
Show a sample answer
오늘은 뭐 공부할까요?
오늘은 marks today as the topic, 뭐 means what, and 공부할까요? is the polite suggestion form of 공부하다. You can also say 오늘 뭐 공부할까요? without 은; both are natural.
Use -ㄹ까요? to invite a classmate to study together, and -기로 했어요 to state the study goal you agreed on.
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