Shall we?: -(으)ㄹ까요

The ending is built like -을게요: -을까요? after a consonant (먹을까요?, 앉을까요?), and after a vowel an l on the last syllable plus 까요 (갈까요?, 할까요?). Stems in rieul add only 까요: 열까요?, 만들까요?. Stems that change before a vowel change here too: 들을까요?, 추울까요?. Below, -을까요? stands for both shapes.

With “we” as the subject, said or understood, it suggests doing something together: 같이 갈까요?, “shall we go together?”. With “I” it offers to do something and asks what the listener would like: 제가 창문을 닫을까요?, “shall I close the window?”. With a question word it asks the listener to choose: 뭐 먹을까요?, “what shall we eat?”.

When the subject is somebody else, or the weather, or an adjective, nobody is offering anything: the speaker is wondering aloud and asking for an opinion. 내일 비가 올까요? is “do you think it will rain tomorrow?”, and 이 색이 저한테 어울릴까요? is “do you think this colour suits me?”. A past form before it wonders about the past: 벌써 도착했을까요?, “do you think they've arrived yet?”.

English speakers often invite with “do you want to …?” and translate it as -고 싶어요?. That asks about the listener's private wishes and sounds strangely direct; an invitation in Korean is -을까요?. Answers follow the question: a suggestion is accepted with 네, 좋아요 or 그래요, 가요, an offer with 네, 닫아 주세요 or 아니요, 괜찮아요. Among friends it is -을까?.