LEARN + KOREAN / Note 11 TOPIK I
I Like It, I Don't (좋아해요)
a
좋아하다 (to like) behaves like any other verb from the last lesson: it takes 을/를 for whatever’s being liked, not a special construction. It also finishes off the negation story that started with 아니다. That word only exists to negate 이다. Every other verb in Korean, including 좋아하다, negates the plain way: drop 안 in front of the verb and stop.
In Real Life
좋아요 by itself, with nothing attached, isn’t “I like it,” it’s closer to “that’s good” or “sounds good,” the same word stamped on the Like button across Korean apps. To actually like a specific thing, you need the object: 이거 좋아해요 (“I like this”), not just 좋아요 floating on its own.
What Do You Like?
The Simple Way to Say No
In Real Life
Verbs built from noun + 하다 (공부하다, 운동하다, 일하다) let 안 land in two spots: 안 공부해요 or 공부 안 해요, splitting the noun off from 하다. Both are correct, but Korean speakers reach for the split version, noun first, more often in casual conversation.
Vocabulary
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
joahada | to like |
saranghada | to love |
gangaji | puppy, dog |
goyangi | cat |
gimchi | kimchi |
bulgogi | bulgogi |
yeonghwa | movie |
geim | game |
eumsik | food |
kkot | flower |
sireohada | to dislike |
gwansim | interest |
chwihyang | taste, preference |
choego | the best |
jjang | awesome (slang) |
byeollo | not really, not particularly |
geunyang | just because, no particular reason |
aewandongmul | pet |
ingi | popularity |
teukbyeolhada | to be special |