What does it mean word for word?
The word 정말 means 'really' or 'truly'.
Which one should you use?
While 정말 좋아요 is the standard polite form, you can use 진짜 좋아요 by replacing 정말 with 진짜 to make the phrase sound more colloquial, which is very common in everyday spoken Korean. You can also use 엄청 좋다 or 진짜 좋다 as informal expressions. Additionally, 최고다 means 'the best' and can be used to mean 'really good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the level of formality, you can adjust the endings. Dropping the 요 at the end to say 정말 좋아 makes the phrase informal and used only with close friends or people younger than you. Using the ending –습니다 instead of –아요 results in 정말 좋습니다, which is a highly formal version used in presentations or professional settings.
How do you pronounce it?
jeongmal joayo
Did you know?
- In Korea, when something is 'really good', people often use the word 대박 (daebak) instead of 정말 좋아요. Originally meaning 'big hit', it is now used as a versatile exclamation for anything amazing.
- Because 정말 comes from the Hanja characters for 'correct' and 'word', saying 정말 좋아요 is etymologically similar to saying 'it is a correct word that is good'.
- The word 엄청 in 엄청 좋다 was originally used to describe something physically massive or huge before it became a synonym for 'very'.
Examples in context
- 이 영화는 정말 좋아요.This movie is really good.
- 저녁 식사가 매우 좋았어요.The dinner was really good.
- 그 콘서트는 아주 좋은 경험이었어요.That concert was a really good experience.
- 이 노래는 진짜 좋아!This song is really good!
- 오늘 날씨 엄청 좋아!Today's weather is really good!
- 우리 팀 이번 대회에서 최고야!Our team is the best in this competition!
- 이 노래 정말 좋아요.i norae jeongmal joayo.This song is really good.
- 새로 산 옷이 정말 좋아요.saero san osi jeongmal joayo.The new clothes I bought are really good.
- 오늘 날씨가 정말 좋아요.oneul nalssiga jeongmal joayo.The weather is really good today.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun are talking about a movie they just watched.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준 씨, 이 영화 정말 좋아요.Minjun ssi, i yeonghwa jeongmal joayo.Min-jun, this movie is really good.
- 민준 Min-jun맞아요, 정말 재미있어요.majayo, jeongmal jaemiisseoyo.That's right, it is really fun.
- 지은 Ji-eun배우들의 연기도 정말 좋아요.baeudeurui yeongdodo jeongmal joayo.The actors' acting is also really good.
- 민준 Min-jun지은 씨 의견에 동감이에요.Jieun ssi uigyeone donggamieyo.I agree with your opinion, Ji-eun.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 정말, 좋아요, CC BY-SA 4.0.
