Middle School - Grade 7
Lesson 14: "Was going to..."
-(으)려고 했어요
Expressing Past Intentions
This grammar point is perfect for talking about something you **intended to do** in the past, but often with the nuance that it **didn't happen**.
It's the past tense of `-(으)려고 하다` ("to plan to..."). You'll often see it paired with "but..." (`-는데`).
The Conjugation Rules
The rule is exactly the same as for `-(으)려고`. You just use the past tense `했어요` instead of `해요`.
Stem ends in Vowel or ㄹ
... + 려고 했어요
전화하다 전화하려고 했어요
"I was going to call."
Stem ends in Consonant (except ㄹ)
... + 으려고 했어요
먹다 먹으려고 했어요
"I was going to eat."
Examples in Action
FAILED ATTEMPT / UNFULFILLED PLAN
어제 전화하려고 했는데 잊어버렸어요.
I was going to call yesterday, but I forgot.
EXPLAINING A PAST INTENTION
친구를 만나려고 밖에 나갔어요.
I went outside in order to meet a friend.
(Note: `-(으)려고` can also be used with other past tense verbs, not just `했어요`.)
FAILED ATTEMPT / UNFULFILLED PLAN
케이크를 만들려고 했는데 우유가 없었어요.
I was going to make a cake, but I didn't have any milk.
Coming Up Next...
You've learned how to describe *why* you do things. Next, let's learn how to describe *how* things change over time, using "to become..."