정말 좋아해요
jeongmal joahaeyo
In Korean, "I really like it" can be expressed as 정말 좋아해요 (jeongmal joahaeyo).
This phrase is used to express a strong feeling of liking or enjoying something. Note that in Korean, the subject "I" (나/저) is often omitted when it is clear from the context that you are talking about yourself.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 정말 (really) and 좋아해요 (to like/love).
Which one should you use?
아주 마음에 듭니다 can also be used to mean "I really like it" or "I'm really pleased with it" in formal settings. Additionally, you may see 정말 좋아해 or 진짜 좋아해 used in informal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase informal and suitable for use with close friends or people younger than you, you can drop the 요 at the end of 정말 좋아해요 to get 정말 좋아해. To make the phrase highly formal, change the ending to 좋아합니다 to get 정말 좋아합니다.
How do you pronounce it?
jeongmal joahaeyo
Did you know?
- While 좋아해요 expresses liking, Koreans often use the phrase 마음에 들어요, which literally means 'it enters my heart', to describe liking a physical object or a choice.
- When responding to a compliment about something they like, a Korean person might modestly disagree or downplay their liking to avoid appearing greedy or overly boastful.
- The word 정말 is built from the characters for 'correct' and 'word', suggesting that when you say you 'really' like something, you are speaking the 'true word'.
Examples in context
- 영화를 정말 좋아합니다.I really like the movie.
- 그림이 아주 마음에 듭니다.I'm really pleased with the painting.
- 그 노래 진짜 좋아해.I really like that song.
- 이 영화 정말 좋아.I really like this movie.
- 이 노래 정말 좋아해요.i norae jeongmal joahaeyo.I really like this song.
- 저는 한국 음식을 정말 좋아해요.jeoneun hanguk eumsigeul jeongmal joahaeyo.I really like Korean food.
- 그 영화 정말 좋아해요.geu yeonghwa jeongmal joahaeyo.I really like that movie.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Hyeon-woo are at a cafe.
- 지은 Ji-eun현우 씨, 이 커피 어때요?hyeon-u ssi, i keopi eottaeyo?Hyeon-woo, how is this coffee?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo저 이 커피 정말 좋아해요.jeo i keopi jeongmal joahae-yo.I really like this coffee.
- 지은 Ji-eun다행이네요. 맛이 좋죠?dahaeng-ineyo. masi jochyo?That's a relief. It tastes good, right?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 정말 맛있어요.ne, jeongmal masisseoyo.Yes, it's really delicious.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 정말, CC BY-SA 4.0.
