좋아하다
joahada[ˈt͡ɕo̞(ː)a̠ɦa̠da̠]
To say like in Korean, meaning to find something pleasant, use 좋아하다 (joahada).
좋아하다 is used for liking foods, activities, things and people.
Which one should you use?
좋아하다 takes an object, meaning to like something, while 좋다 is an adjective meaning to be good or pleasing.
How does it change in a sentence?
좋아해요 is the standard polite form, and 좋아해 is the casual one for friends or people younger than you. Before a noun it becomes 좋아하는, and 좋아하는 것 means the thing I like.
How do you pronounce it?
It is written in Latin letters as joahada.
Did you know?
- Korean has a specific term 취향저격 ('taste sniper') to describe something you like so much that it feels like it was perfectly targeted to your preferences.
- In romantic contexts, saying 좋아해 can be a way of confessing a crush, serving as a much more direct and heavy declaration than the casual English 'I like you'.
- In casual texting, you might see the word shortened to 조아 instead of the full 좋아해 to sound extra cute or 'aegyo' when expressing affection.
Examples in context
- 나는 모든 종류의 음식을 좋아해.I like all kinds of food.좋아해 is the casual form, saying I like all kinds of food.
- 워싱턴 사람들은 운동하는 것을 좋아해요.People in Washington like to work out!좋아해요 is the polite form, saying people like to work out.
- 나는 음악을 좋아해.I like music.
- 우리 함께 시간을 보내는 것을 좋아해.I like spending time together.
- 나 오늘 시험 좀 찜찜해.I feel a little uneasy about the exam today.
- 저는 수영을 좋아합니다.I like swimming.
- 커피를 좋아하시나요?Do you like coffee?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 좋아하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
