Grammar
-기로 하다
Meaning
Intermediate-giro hada
-기로 하다 attaches to a verb stem to express that the speaker, or a group, has made a decision, plan, or promise to do something. It's used both for personal resolutions ('I've decided to ~') and for agreements reached between people or organizations ('agreed to ~').
Form
Attach -기로 하다 directly to a verb stem, with no batchim-based change: 가다 → 가기로 하다, 먹다 → 먹기로 하다. Past tense -기로 했다 is extremely common and means the decision was already made — it does not mean the action itself already happened. Negative: -지 않기로 하다 ('decided not to ~').
Examples
한화문화재단과 파리 퐁피두센터는 4년 동안 협력하기로 했습니다.
The Hanwha Cultural Foundation and the Centre Pompidou in Paris agreed to cooperate for four years.
From: Centre Pompidou Hanwha Opens in Seoul With Cubist Exhibition
저는 내년에 유학을 가기로 했어요.
I've decided to study abroad next year.
우리는 매주 토요일에 만나기로 했다.
We agreed to meet every Saturday.
그는 술을 마시지 않기로 했다.
He decided not to drink alcohol.
Common mistakes & nuance
A common misunderstanding: -기로 했다 (past tense) does NOT mean the action already happened. It means the decision was made in the past — the action itself (가다, 만나다, etc.) may still be in the future.
Similar grammar
- -자고 제안하다
-자고 제안하다 reports that someone proposed or suggested doing something to others — the proposal may or may not be accepted. -기로 하다 states that a decision or agreement was actually reached, often as the result of a suggestion like this being accepted.
- -(으)ㄹ 것이다
-(으)ㄹ 것이다 simply states a future plan or guess ('will ~'). -기로 하다 specifically emphasizes that a decision was reached, often after consideration, discussion, or agreement with others — it carries more weight than just stating a future intention.