“Let's, shall we” in Korean

There are many ways to propose group action in Korean, à la "let's" in English.

• -어요 (polite, informal)

• -자 (non-polite, informal)

• -(으)시죠 (honourific)

• -(으)ㄹ래요? (polite, casual)

• -(으)실래요? (polite, formal)

-어요

The simplest way to say "let's do something" uses, indeed, nothing more than the plain present verb ending -어요. As with everything else in Korean, context carries, possibly aided by a 같이 ("together"), 우리 ("we, us"), etc.

저도 서점에 갈 거예요. 같이 가요!

I'm going to the bookstore too. Let's go together!

대 안 고파요? 우리 햄버거 먹어요.

Are you hungry? Let's eat hamburgers.

다른 데 가요. 여기 안 좋은 것 같아요.

Let's go somewhere else. I think this place is not so good.

저 금요일까지 바빠요. 토요일에 시작해요. 어때요?

I will be busy until Friday. Let's start on saturday. What do you think?

-자

An informal way to suggest group action be taken in 반말 is the suffix -자.

보스턴에 가자.

Let's go to Boston.

This is less formal and less nuanced than -(으)ㄹ까요.

References

• [cite:@howtostudykoreanlesson]

• [cite:@talktomeinkorean2015talka]