G13.5 ~겠-: expressing intention (Polite & formal)

Casual Formal/Courteous


Click here to see a drama script and the video clip.

 

Waitress: 뭐 드시겠어요/뭐 주문하시겠어요/뭐 주문하시겠습니까?
Customer 1
(Host):		 뭐 드실래요/뭐 드시겠어요/뭐 드시겠습니까?
Customer 2: 저 커피 마실래요/마실게요.
Customer 3: 저는 오렌지 주스 마시겠습니다/마시겠어요.

  [Notes]
1. ~겠- may be used to express intention (the speaker's intention in statement and the listener's intention in question).

2. ~겠- is a formal or courteous counter part of ~(으)ㄹ래요 and ~(으)ㄹ게요. In the Polite ~어요/아요 style, '~(으)시겠어요' may be used only in question, e.g. by a service person, or a host in courteously asking the customer's intention (Waitress & host (Customer 1)). The customers would rather use ~(으)ㄹ래요 or ~(으)ㄹ게요 (Customer 2).

In the Deferential style, where ~(으)ㄹ래요 and ~(으)ㄹ게요 are simply not available, '~(으) 시겠습니까?' is used in question in order to ask the listener's intention (Waitress & Host (Customer 1)), and '~겠습니다' is used in statement in order to express the speaker's intention (Customer 3).

3. The difference between ~(으)ㄹ래요 and ~(으)ㄹ게요 on the one hand, and ~겠- (i.e., ~(으) 시겠어요?, ~(으)시겠습니까?, and ~겠습니다) is comparable to the distinction between will and would in English, where would is more polite and courteous than will.

4. Some formulaic expression using ~겠-:

Greetings:
처음 뵙겠습니다.
또 뵙겠습니다.
그만 가 보겠습니다.
잘/맛있게 먹겠습니다.

Announcing an agenda:
지금부터 수업을 시작하겠습니다.
6시 뉴스를 전해 드리겠습니다. [전하다 'deliver, hand over']

[연습]: Answer the given questions, expressing your intention in the deferential style.

  1. A: 뭐 드실래요?
    B: 저는 비빔밥 먹겠습니다
  2. A: 언제 오실래요?
    B: 내일 오겠습니다
  3. A: 어디서 만날까요?
    B: 제가 연구실로 가겠습니다
  4. A: 스티브 생일 파티에 뭐 하실래요/뭐가져 오실래요?
    B: 저는 샐러드/음료수를 가져 오겠습니다

Speaking Activity:

You are meeting a customer in a fancy restaurant. Act out from the very beginning when you meet this person to the end when you depart each other. Use the Deferential style as much as you can. Do the following steps:

  1. Greeting
  2. Waiter comes. Ask for food and/or drink.
  3. Express your appreciation of food.
  4. Ask what the customer would like to/intends to do about the project in question.
  5. Take-leave greeting.

Use the following expressions: