Day 13: Likes and dislikes
Korean has two ways to say you like something, and they take different particles. This is the sentence Day 5 promised you:
저는 커피가 좋아요. — topic + subject 저는 커피를 좋아해요. — topic + object
Both are correct, both are common, and mixing up the particles is the most frequent error at this level. Section 1 sorts it permanently.
1. ★★ 좋다 and 좋아하다
| Means | Takes | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 좋다 → 좋아요 | to be good / nice | ★ 이/가 | 커피가 좋아요 |
| 좋아하다 → 좋아해요 | to like | ★ 을/를 | 커피를 좋아해요 |
★ The reason is what the verb actually means. 좋다 is a descriptive verb — it describes the coffee, not you. 커피가 좋아요 is literally "the coffee is good", so the coffee is the subject. 좋아하다 is an action verb — you do the liking, so the coffee is the object.
저는 커피가 좋아요. — As for me, coffee is good.저는 커피를 좋아해요. — As for me, I like coffee.
The difference in feel
| 좋아요 | ★ how it strikes you, often right now — closer to "I'm into it" |
|---|---|
| 좋아해요 | ★ a stable preference — closer to "I'm a fan of it" |
이 노래 좋아요! — I love this song (right now, hearing it)저는 재즈를 좋아해요. — I like jazz (in general)
⚠️ Both are natural and you will rarely be wrong choosing either — but you must match the particle to the verb you chose. 커피를 좋아요 and 커피가 좋아해요 are both errors.
The same pair for disliking
| 싫다 → 싫어요 | it's unpleasant | 이/가 — 커피가 싫어요 |
|---|---|---|
| 싫어하다 → 싫어해요 | to dislike | 을/를 — 커피를 싫어해요 |
⚠️ 싫어요 is stronger than English "I don't like it" — it is closer to "I hate it" or "no way". For a mild dislike use 별로 안 좋아해요 (section 4).
★ And 좋아요 also means "OK"
| 같이 갈까요? — 좋아요! | Shall we go together? — Sounds good! |
|---|---|
| 일곱 시 어때요? — 좋아요. | Seven? — Fine. |
This is one of the most common words in spoken Korean. Same word, doing agreement.
2. Hobbies — and turning verbs into nouns
| 취미가 뭐예요? | What's your hobby? |
|---|---|
| 뭐 좋아해요? | What do you like? |
| 시간 있을 때 뭐 해요? | What do you do in your free time? |
| 운동 | exercise | 여행 | travel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 요리 | cooking | 독서 | reading | |
| 음악 | music | 영화 | film | |
| 게임 | games | 등산 | hiking | |
| 산책 | a walk | 사진 | photography |
★ Most of these become verbs with 하다 (Day 6) — 운동해요, 요리해요, 여행해요, 게임해요.
★ Verb → noun with -기
Attach -기 to a verb stem and it becomes a noun, the way English uses -ing:
| Verb | Noun |
|---|---|
| 보다 (watch) | 보기 |
| 듣다 (listen) | 듣기 |
| 읽다 (read) | 읽기 |
| 요리하다 | 요리하기 |
저는 영화 보기를 좋아해요. — I like watching films.저는 음악 듣기를 좋아해요. — I like listening to music.
★ In speech, people more often say 영화 보는 거 (the thing of watching films) — 저는 영화 보는 거 좋아해요. Both are correct; -기 is tidier and easier to build, so use it for now and recognise the other.
3. ★ 잘해요 and 못해요 — good at, bad at
| 잘해요 | to be good at | 저는 요리를 잘해요 |
|---|---|---|
| 못해요 | to be bad at, unable | 저는 요리를 못해요 |
| ★ 잘 못해요 | not very good at | ★ the polite middle |
저는 한국어를 잘 못해요. — My Korean isn't very good.
★ 잘 못해요 is the sentence to have ready. Korean conversation opens with compliments on your Korean, and the expected reply is to play it down (Day 3 §7):
— 한국어 잘하시네요! — 아니에요, 잘 못해요.
⚠️ 못 is also the "cannot" negative — Day 23 covers 안 vs 못 properly. Today, learn 잘해요 / 못해요 / 잘 못해요 as three fixed phrases.
4. ⚠️★ 별로 and 전혀 need a negative verb
| Requires | ||
|---|---|---|
| 자주 | often | — |
| 가끔 | sometimes | — |
| 항상 | always | — |
| ★ 별로 | not really | ★ a negative verb |
| ★ 전혀 | not at all | ★ a negative verb |
| ✅ | ❌ |
|---|---|
| 커피를 별로 안 좋아해요. | |
| 술을 전혀 안 마셔요. | |
| 시간이 별로 없어요. |
★ 별로 and 전혀 are only half of a phrase. They cannot stand in a positive sentence at all — the negative is not optional decoration, it completes the meaning.
★ 별로 안 좋아해요 is the polite way to dislike something. Far softer than 싫어요, and what you should reach for when declining food, plans or suggestions.
And "the most"
제일 or 가장 — the most, the -est:
저는 김치찌개를 제일 좋아해요. — I like kimchi stew the most.뭐가 제일 맛있어요? — What's the tastiest?
5. Dialogue
민수: 알렉스 씨, 취미가 뭐예요?Alex: 저는 영화 보기를 좋아해요. 그리고 요리하는 것도 좋아해요.민수: 요리 잘해요?Alex: 아니요, 잘 못해요. 그냥 좋아해요.민수: 저는 요리를 전혀 안 해요. 운동을 좋아해요.Alex: 무슨 운동 좋아해요?민수: 등산이 좋아요. 주말에 자주 가요.Alex: 아, 저는 등산을 별로 안 좋아해요. 힘들어요.민수: 하하, 그럼 영화 볼까요? 무슨 영화 제일 좋아해요?Alex: 한국 영화가 제일 좋아요!민수: 좋아요! 그럼 토요일에 봐요.
★ Both patterns, side by side, four times:등산이 좋아요 (subject) vs 등산을 별로 안 좋아해요 (object).한국 영화가 제일 좋아요 vs 영화 보기를 좋아해요.And 잘 못해요, 전혀 안 해요, 별로 안 좋아해요 all appear — the three phrases from sections 3 and 4.★ The last 좋아요 is agreement, not liking.
6. Exercises
A. ★ 이/가 or 을/를?
- 커피___ 좋아요. 2. 커피___ 좋아해요. 3. 등산___ 싫어요.
- 영화___ 좋아해요. 5. 한국 음식___ 제일 좋아요.
B. Say it both ways. "I like coffee."
- with 좋다 → 2. with 좋아하다 →
C. Make the verb a noun with -기.
- 보다 2. 듣다 3. 읽다 4. 요리하다
D. ⚠️ Fix it — 별로 and 전혀 need a negative.
- 커피를 별로 좋아해요.
- 술을 전혀 마셔요.
- 시간이 별로 있어요.
E. Translate.
- What's your hobby?
- I like watching films.
- I'm not very good at cooking.
- I don't really like hiking.
- I like Korean food the most.
- Sounds good!
F. How do you reply?
- 한국어 잘하시네요! 2. 같이 갈까요? 3. 뭐 좋아해요?
G. ⚠️ Fix the mistake.
- 저는 커피를 좋아요.
- 저는 커피가 좋아해요.
- 저는 요리를 잘 안 해요. (meaning: I'm not very good at it)
- (mildly declining) 저는 등산이 싫어요.
Answers
A. 1. 커피가 2. 커피를 3. 등산이 4. 영화를 5. 음식이 B. 1. 저는 커피가 좋아요. 2. 저는 커피를 좋아해요. C. 1. 보기 2. 듣기 3. 읽기 4. 요리하기 D. 1. 별로 안 좋아해요 2. 전혀 안 마셔요 3. 별로 없어요 E. 1. 취미가 뭐예요? 2. 저는 영화 보기를 좋아해요. 3. 저는 요리를 잘 못해요. 4. 등산을 별로 안 좋아해요. 5. 저는 한국 음식을 제일 좋아해요. 6. 좋아요! F. 1. 아니에요, 잘 못해요. 2. 좋아요! 3. (your own — e.g. 저는 영화를 좋아해요) G. 1. 커피가 좋아요 (or 커피를 좋아해요) 2. 커피를 좋아해요 3. 잘 못해요 — 잘 안 해요 means "I don't do it often" 4. 별로 안 좋아해요 — 싫어요 is far too strong
7. Today's 10 sentences (flashcards)
- 취미가 뭐예요? — What's your hobby?
- 저는 영화를 좋아해요. — I like films
- 한국 음식이 좋아요. — Korean food is good / I like it
- 저는 영화 보기를 좋아해요. — I like watching films
- 요리를 잘 못해요. — I'm not very good at cooking
- 한국어 잘 못해요. — My Korean isn't very good
- 별로 안 좋아해요. — I don't really like it
- 전혀 안 마셔요. — I don't drink at all
- 김치찌개를 제일 좋아해요. — I like kimchi stew the most
- 좋아요! — Sounds good!
8. 📲 Upload to LangNote
Upload section 1 (the pair) and section 7 → study language Korean.
| Mission | What to do with it today |
|---|---|
| 🎧 Podcast | The dialogue — the two patterns alternate throughout |
| ✍️ Dictation | 좋아요 / 좋아해요 differ by one syllable and change the particle before them |
| 🗣 Shadowing | Five things you like, said both ways |
| 🎭 Role-play | Today's key mission. Talk about hobbies for five turns, no English |
| 📖 Vocab | ★ Enter 커피가 좋아요 / 커피를 좋아해요 as one card with both, so the particles stay attached |
★ Tomorrow is the week 2 review — dictation, a two-minute talk, a restaurant role-play and forty questions. Bring the family description from Day 10.
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