Which one should you use?
While 좋아요 is the standard polite form, you can use 좋아 for casual situations or 좋습니다 for formal situations. If you want to say something is exceptionally good or cool, you can use the slang term 쩐다. Additionally, 괜찮아 can be used in informal settings to convey that something is "good" or "alright."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
좋습니다 is a standard and formal way to say "that is good". 좋아요 is the polite present tense form. 좋아 is a casual, informal version used among friends, peers or family. 괜찮아 is an informal way to say something is good or alright, and 쩐다 is slang used to express that something is amazing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The dictionary form of the verb is 좋다. The form 좋아요 is the polite present tense conjugation of this adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
joayo
Did you know?
- The slang term 쩐다 originally described something being 'salty' or 'soaked', but it evolved into a way to say something is 'extremely good' or 'insane'.
- In Korea, saying 괜찮아요 can mean 'that is good' or 'I am okay', but it is also the most common way to politely decline an offer, meaning 'No thank you'.
- In the digital age, 좋아요 has become the official term for the 'Like' button on platforms like Facebook and Instagram in Korea.
Examples in context
- 그 영화 정말 좋아That movie is really good
- 이 노래 정말 좋아요.i norae jeongmal joayo.This song is really good.
- 날씨가 아주 좋아요.nalssiga aju joayo.The weather is very good.
- 그 아이디어 아주 좋아요.geu aide-eo aju joayo.That idea is very good.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Do-hyeon are deciding on a restaurant for lunch.
- 지은 Ji-eun우리 비빔밥 먹으러 갈까요?uri bibimbap meogeureo galkkayo?Shall we go eat bibimbap?
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 그거 좋아요.ne, geugeo joayo.Yes, that is good.
- 지은 Ji-eun도현 씨, 근처에 맛집이 있어요.do-hyeon ssi, geuncheoe matjibi isseoyo.Do-hyeon, there is a good restaurant nearby.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말 좋아요. 가요!jeongmal joayo. gayo!That's great. Let's go!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 좋아요, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
