What does it mean word for word?
너무 좋아 is composed of 너무 (neomu), meaning "too much" or "very" and 좋아 (joa), meaning "is good" or "to like".
Which one should you use?
While 너무 좋아 describes a state of something being good, the form 너무 좋아해요 uses the transitive verb 좋아하다 to explicitly express the speaker's action of liking something.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal situations, you can use 아주 좋아합니다 for emphasis or 매우 좋아합니다 to express a high level of fondness. In informal settings, you can also use 좋아해, 정말 좋아해 to express stronger admiration or 진짜 좋아해 to convey a deep sense of genuine affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the expression polite by adding the suffix '-요' (-yo) to 너무 좋아, resulting in 너무 좋아요. This version is suitable for speaking to people you are not close with or who are older than you. Additionally, 너무 좋아해요 is a polite transitive form.
How do you pronounce it?
neomu joa
Did you know?
- If you are talking about a person you love, you should avoid using 너무 좋아 and instead use 사랑해 (saranghae) to avoid sounding like you are just describing a pleasant object.
- In high-intensity situations, speakers may repeat the word 너무 as 너무너무 좋아 to add an extra layer of childish or extreme enthusiasm.
- The root of 너무 comes from the verb 넘다 (neomda), which means 'to surpass' or 'to go over' a boundary.
Examples in context
- 제가 이 옷을 정말 좋아합니다.I really love this dress.
- 그 작품은 아주 좋아합니다.I absolutely love that artwork.
- 이 음악을 정말 좋아해.I really love this song.
- 너무 맛있어서 정말 좋아해.It's so delicious, I really love it.
- 이 노래 너무 좋아.i norae neomu joa.I love this song.
- 그 영화 진짜 너무 좋아.geu yeonghwa jinjja neomu joa.I really love that movie.
- 여기 분위기 너무 좋아.yeogi bunwigi neomu joa.I love the atmosphere here.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Jieun are at a new cafe.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은아, 여기 커피 어때?jieun-a, yeogi keopi eottae?Jieun, how is the coffee here?
- 지은 Ji-eun와, 이 카페 너무 좋아!wa, i kape neomu joa!Wow, I love this cafe!
- 도현 Do-hyeon그치? 나도 너무 좋아.geuchi? nado neomu joa.Right? I love it too.
- 지은 Ji-eun우리 다음에 또 오자.uri daeume tto oja.Let's come here again next time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 너무, CC BY-SA 4.0.
