Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 호기심이 많은 | hogisimi maneun | |
| 궁금하다 | gunggeumhada | [kuŋɡɯmɦa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The phrase can describe a person who is tending to ask questions or a desire to explore and investigate. Use 호기심이 많은 to describe a person's character or a permanent tendency to be inquisitive. Use 궁금하다 to describe a specific state of mind, such as the feeling of wanting to know a particular fact or wondering about something.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between describing a personality and describing a temporary feeling. 호기심이 많은 is used for a person's character or a permanent tendency to be inquisitive. In contrast, 궁금하다 is used to describe the specific feeling of wanting to know something or being curious about a particular fact.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing your own curiosity, you use 궁금하다 (e.g., "I am curious"). However, when describing someone else's curiosity, you should use the form 궁금해하다 (e.g., "He is curious").
How do you pronounce it?
hogisimi maneun
Did you know?
- When Koreans express extreme curiosity, they often use the phrase 궁금해서 미치겠다, which literally means 'I am going crazy because I am curious'.
- The word 궁금하다 originates from a root meaning 'hollow' or 'empty'. It describes curiosity as a feeling of a void or a gap in one's knowledge that needs to be filled.
- In Korean, you cannot use the same word for 'curious' when talking about yourself and when talking about others. You must switch from 궁금하다 to 궁금해하다 because Korean grammar treats the internal feelings of others as observable behaviors.
Examples in context
- 나는 그 수수께끼의 답이 너무 궁금하다.I'm very curious about the answer to that riddle.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are curious about the answer to a riddle using 궁금하다.
- 제가 궁금해서 여쭤봅니다.I'm curious, so I wanted to ask.
- 새로운 사실에 대해 호기심이 생겼습니다.I became curious about the new fact.
- 이 책을 읽다 보니까 더 알고 싶어졌어요.As I read this book, I became more curious.
- 이 곳에 대해 더 알고 싶어.I want to know more about this place.
- 그 아이는 정말 호기심이 많은 편이에요.geu ai-neun jeongmal hogisimi maneun pyeon-ieyo.That child is quite curious.
- 그 과학자는 호기심이 많은 사람입니다.geu gwahakjaneun hogisimi maneun saram-imnida.That scientist is a curious person.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Subin are talking about a new classmate.
- 지훈 Ji-hun새로 온 친구는 어떤 스타일이야?saero on chin-gu-neun eotteon seu-ta-il-iya?What is the new friend's style like?
- 수빈 Su-bin질문도 많고 호기심이 많은 친구야.jilmun-do man-ko hogisimi maneun chin-gu-ya.She is a curious friend who asks many questions.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈아, 그 친구랑 친하게 지내.Subin-a, geu chin-gu-rang chin-ha-ge ji-nae.Subin, get along well with that friend.
- 수빈 Su-bin응, 지훈아. 같이 놀자.eung, Jihoon-a. gat-i nol-ja.Okay, Jihoon. Let's hang out together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “curious” translations and entries 궁금하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 궁금하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
