저는 독서를 좋아해요
jeoneun dokseoreul joahaeyo
To say I like to read in Korean, use 저는 독서를 좋아해요 (jeoneun dokseoreul joahaeyo).
저는 독서를 좋아해요 is a natural way to tell people that reading is one of your hobbies, for example when introducing yourself.
What does it mean word for word?
저는 means I, 독서 means reading as an activity, the particle 를 marks it as the object and 좋아해요 means like. Using 독서 sounds a little more formal and specific than using the verb to read.
Which one should you use?
A casual way that uses the verb for reading is 난 책 읽는 거 좋아해, I like reading books. Here 난 is short for 나는.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as jeoneun dokseoreul joahaeyo.
Did you know?
- If you express your love for reading by saying you are 'into' books, you might say you are 책에 빠져 있다, which literally translates to being 'fallen into' or 'submerged in' books.
- The word 독서 is used in the name of the ‘Reading and Writing’ section of the CSAT, the high-stakes university entrance exam that defines many students' futures.
- In Korea, the concept of 'reading' is often tied to 독서법, which refers to the specific 'method' or 'art' of reading to maximize understanding.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their hobbies at a cafe.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지 씨는 취미가 뭐예요?minji ssineun hwimiga mwoyeyo?Minji, what is your hobby?
- 민지 Min-ji저는 독서를 좋아해요.jeoneun dokseoreul joahae-yo.I like to read.
- 도현 Do-hyeon와, 정말 멋지네요!wa, jeongmal meotjine-yo!Wow, that is really cool!
- 민지 Min-ji도현 씨는요?dohyeon ssineun-yo?How about you, Dohyeon?
