When to use 해 when expressing a desire/wish (-고 싶다)?
안녕하세요!!

Lately I've been working on expressing desires/wishes in Korean, but I'm confused by when it's appropriate to use 해 ... for example, why is it appropriate to say 싶어해요 in the second phrase below, but not in the first? Or could you also say "배우고 싶어해요"? And if "해" was eliminated from the second phrase, would the meaning change?

1. 나는 중국말도 배우고 싶어요
2. 수진 씨는 애기와 같이 놀고 싶어해요

Thanks in advance! 감사합니다!!

Question

When to use 해 when expressing a desire/wish (-고 싶다)?
안녕하세요!!

Lately I've been working on expressing desires/wishes in Korean, but I'm confused by when it's appropriate to use 해 ... for example, why is it appropriate to say 싶어해요 in the second phrase below, but not in the first? Or could you also say "배우고 싶어해요"? And if "해" was eliminated from the second phrase, would the meaning change?

1. 나는 중국말도 배우고 싶어요
2. 수진 씨는 애기와 같이 놀고 싶어해요

Thanks in advance! 감사합니다!!

Answer

-고 싶어하다 is used to talk about other people than yourself and the person you're talking to.

나는 영화를 보고 싶고 내 친구도 영화를 보고 싶어해요. 너도 영화를 보고 싶어?

This pretty much summarizes everything. :P

Answer

and If '해' is eliminated in from the second phrase, it sounds unnatural and grammatically wrong.

Happy new year

Answer

Yeah I think they're called "reverse construction" verbs. Like how in Spanish "me gustan los libros" is literally "books please me" instead of "I like books".

I assume this is what you're talking about! I don't speak any other languages, but I've only ever seen this "reverse construction verb" term used when talking about Spanish. It's cool how there's something similar in Korean! Thanks, Jake!

Answer

Its characteristics are similar to "gustar" in Spanish where subject and object seem "swapped" to English speakers. There are some "adjective verbs" in Korean with this gustar-like behaviour. Could you please tell me the linguistic term for this? It's called "역구조 동사" in Korean

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