How do you conjugate "to come" properly?

[cherrypopgyaru8283]

12 월를와요. I thought this is supposed to mean "I'm coming in December."

I want to be able to tell this to my Korean friends! But I'm getting confused... In the dictionary there is a way to say "I will come" - 올 것이다

So If I want to say I'm coming in December or even better... I THINK I'm coming in December do I say

12 월를올 것이다.

Also since thinking is a verb and coming is also a verb, which verb comes first?? I always get confused cause Korean is Subject / Object / Verb but if there's more than one verb I don't know how or where to place it.

[trutherous]

Hi Cherry*

I am George - a fellow student here at KC101. Nice to meet you.

I will get this ball rolling (so to speak) by contributing some input that will no doubt confuse you even further, but don't worry the native Koreans will come along after me with a more complete explanation.

First off:
12월에 와요 - (He/She/They) come in December --the particle "에" is a 'post position' that is the equivalent "at" or "in" or "during" (and "to") --so I don't think you would use the object particle 을/를 after 12월

와요 = 옵니다 = come/comes
오고 있습니다 = is coming (now), is on the way
올 거에요 (것이다/겁니다) = will come, will arrive

Now for the really confusing part:

Coming vs Going (Going to, will go to) and the Korean mindset -- in the above cases Koreans are typically talking about someone else coming/arriving to a location they currently occupy, but there are a few exceptions, one might be "I'll come(be) back again (to the place I am now in/at)" (나는) 다시 올거에요.

Ok so how do you say 'I'm coming in December?" I think "I'm going (to Korea) in December." 12월에 가요 is correct, "I will go to Korea in December" "나는 12월에 한국으로 갈 거에요" because you are leaving the place you ARE and GOING to the place you will arrive at.

The word for "arrive" is 도착하다 - so if you wanted to say 'I am going to arrive December 1st" you could say something like 12월 1일에 도착할 거에요. "I will arrive in Korea on December 15, at 2:00PM."(난는) 12월 15일 2시에 한국에 도착할 거에요.

I THINK I'm coming in December.

In this example "I THINK" expresses the idea of uncertainty or doubt, kind of 'planing' so it would be more accurate to translate the phrase using 'maybe/perhaps' or 'there is a chance:'

Perhaps I will go (come) to Korea in December - 아마 12월에 한국으로 갈 거에요.
There is a chance I will go to Korea in December - 12월에 한국으로 갈 가능성이 있어요.
I am planning to go to Korea in December - 12월에 한국으로 갈 계획 있어요.
Lit: I have a thought to go to Korea in December - 12월에 한국으로 갈 생각 있어요

"I think" or "thinking of" this English expression can be translated into Korean in a number of different ways; the meaning sometimes is implied by using future tense (as was the case of your example), and sometimes other (more accurate) vocabulary e.g. 'planning' or 'considering' is used. Of course 'thinking of' can be translated exactly as it is, but in the case of "I'm thinking of going to Korea" if we translated that sentence literally word-for-word it would creates a somewhat awkward expression.

Ok now we sit back and wait for clarification from Tim, Sean, and maybe Julia (if we are really lucky)..

Keep up the great efforts!

George

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[cherrypopgyaru8283]

Thanks George! OK, I am confused haha cause the conjugation of the idea of coming / going is a lot more complicated than I expected! It's not as simple as using the same word (will come / come / coming / came). But I understand how to express the idea better thanks to that explanation! So thank you for that!

[timandyou]

Thanks George for your assistance.
"How nice of you~~!!!"
"clarification!!??" Why did I need to say anything more after excellent comment!!?
Nothing to add to your explanation, George~! ^^

So, cherrypopgyaru8283...?
"Are you going to visit Korea in December?" 12월에 한국을 방문할 거예요?
If you'd like to say, "yes", then "Yes, I will go there!" 예, 거기에 갈거예요.

You'd like to say a good sentence to your Korean friend that "you are coming (going)"!!?
Why don't you say...
나 12월에 너 만나러 갈께! "I will visit Korea to meet you in December!"

I think George explains very well.
Thank you for bring up the question and thank George for his response.
cheers,

Tim

[trutherous]

Thanks Tim Although I'm sure there's plenty of room for correction and improvement in what I said.

I never realized how often we Americans misuse the expression 'come to' or 'coming to' until I studied Korean. In English it is so common to hear "I will come there" or "I am coming to someplace" when in fact we have to 'go' there, and others have to 'come to' here where I am.

I have also noticed this exception in both English and Korean, when we are in another country and we speak of our home country and say something like "Next year he will come to my hometown."

My wife laughed and said "See why English is hard for Koreans to learn -you don't know whether you are coming or going."

나

[timandyou]

Your explanation was very good George~~!
Yes, I do agree with your wife.
cheers,

Tim