Which one should you use?
While 정말 마음에 들어요 focuses on being pleased with something (often an object or a situation), 정말 좋아해요 is a polite way to convey a strong liking for something and 정말 좋습니다 is a formal way to express liking that is common in formal written texts. For more casual emphasis, you can use 완전 좋아, which uses the concept of 'totally' or 'completely' to add extra emphasis.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality varies by the ending used. 정말 마음에 들어요 is a standard polite form. In highly formal professional settings, presentations or when speaking to someone of much higher status, use the formal version 정말 마음에 듭니다. A polite way to convey strong liking is 정말 좋아해요. For informal situations, such as speaking with friends or people younger than you, you can use the informal 진짜 좋아해 or the version 정말 마음에 들어, which is created by dropping the polite ending -어요 from 정말 마음에 들어요.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 정말 마음에 들어요, the word 정말 functions as an adverb meaning 'really' or 'truly' to intensify the expression of liking.
How do you pronounce it?
jeongmal maeume deureoyo
Did you know?
- The phrase 마음에 들어요 literally means 'it enters my heart'. Instead of the speaker acting upon the object, the object is described as entering the speaker's heart.
- The word 정말 is composed of the Hanja 正, meaning 'correct', and 말, meaning 'word'. Therefore, when you say you 'really' like something, you are etymologically saying you are using the 'correct words' to express it.
- When using 정말 마음에 들어요 to express liking a gift, it is common to pair the phrase with a slight bow to show gratitude and respect to the giver.
Examples in context
- 정말 좋아해요!I like it a lot!
- 정말 좋습니다.I like it a lot.
- 네, 진짜 좋아!Yeah, I really like it!
- 진짜 좋아해! 너무 재밌어.I like it a lot! It's so fun.
- 이 디자인이 정말 마음에 들어요.i dijaini jeongmal maeume deureoyo.I like this design a lot.
- 선물 받은 가방이 정말 마음에 들어요.seonmul badeun gabangi jeongmal maeume deureoyo.I like the bag I received as a gift a lot.
- 새로 산 옷이 정말 마음에 들어요.saero san osi jeongmal maeume deureoyo.I like the new clothes I bought a lot.
Example conversation
At a clothing store, Jieun is showing Do-hyeon a dress she bought.
- 지은 Ji-eun도현 씨, 이 원피스 어때요?Do-hyeon ssi, i wonpiseu eotteoyo?Do-hyeon, how is this dress?
- 도현 Do-hyeon색깔이 밝아서 예쁘네요.saekkkari bakhaseo yeppeuneyo.The color is bright, so it's pretty.
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 정말 마음에 들어요.ne, jeongmal maeume deureoyo.Yes, I like it a lot.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은 씨한테 잘 어울려요.Jieun ssi-hante jal eoullyeoyo.It looks good on you, Jieun.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 정말, CC BY-SA 4.0.
