~하는 것을 좋아해요
~haneun geoseul joahaeyo
In Korean, 'I like to' is expressed as ~하는 것을 좋아해요 (~haneun geoseul joahaeyo).
A phrase used to express that someone enjoys doing a particular activity.
Which one should you use?
In spoken Korean, the object '것을' is frequently contracted to ~하는 걸 좋아해요 for smoother pronunciation. For a more formal tone, you can use 저는 ___하기를 좋아합니다 or ___하기를 즐깁니다 to mean 'I enjoy ___ing' or 'I like ___ing'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For professional or highly polite settings, the formal version ~하는 것을 좋아합니다 is used, which employs the '-습니다' ending.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase ~하는 것을 좋아해요, the particle '을/를' (represented by '을' in the default form) is used here to mark the activity as the direct object of the verb 좋아해요 (to like).
How do you pronounce it?
~haneun geoseul joahaeyo
Did you know?
- When expressing that you 'like' a hobby, Koreans often use the word 취미가 (hobby is) instead of saying 'I like to…', as it is considered more natural and sophisticated.
- The word 좋아하다 comes from the root 좋다, meaning 'to be good'. To 'like' something in Korean is linguistically tied to the idea of that thing possessing a quality of 'goodness'.
- Koreans may use the phrase ~하는 편이에요 to say they 'tend to' like something. This softer expression is preferred over a direct 'I like' to avoid sounding too assertive.
Examples in context
- 저는 음악 듣기를 좋아합니다I like to listen to music.
- 피아노 연주를 좋아합니다I like to play the piano.
- 독서하기를 즐깁니다I enjoy reading.
- 내가 요리 좋아해I like cooking.
