좋아
joa
In Korean, 좋아 (joa) is the way to say sounds good.
This phrase is used to express agreement with a suggestion or to show approval of a plan.
What does it mean word for word?
좋아 is the casual conjugation of the adjective 좋다, which means to be good or to like.
Which one should you use?
While 좋아 is a direct way to say sounds good, the word 괜찮아 can also be used informally to indicate agreement or acceptance of a suggestion or plan, meaning it's okay.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 좋습니다 is a formal version used in professional settings or public speaking. To make the phrase even more polite, you can add 네 to the beginning to say 네, 좋습니다 (Yes, sounds good). The default form 좋아 is informal.
How do you pronounce it?
joa
Did you know?
- While 좋아 means 'it is good', saying it to someone older than you or of higher social status without a polite ending is considered very rude, even if you are just agreeing with them.
- If you use 좋아 with a rising intonation like a question, it transforms from 'sounds good' into 'is it okay?', effectively turning a statement of agreement into a request for confirmation.
- If you want to sound more enthusiastic when saying 'sounds good', you can stretch the vowel in 좋아 to sound like 조아, which is common in text messaging.
Examples in context
- 네, 좋습니다Yes, sounds good
- 응, 좋아Yeah, sounds good
- 그래, 좋아!Sure, sounds good!
- 그 계획 좋아.geu gye-hwoek jo-a.That plan sounds good.
- 점심에 비빔밥 먹는 거 좋아!jeom-sim-e bi-bim-bap meok-neun geo jo-a!Eating bibimbap for lunch sounds good!
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Do-hyeon are deciding where to eat lunch.
- 지은 Ji-eun오늘 점심에 파스타 먹으러 갈까?o-neul jeom-sim-e pa-seu-ta meok-eu-reo gal-kka?Shall we go eat pasta for lunch today?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 그 식당 좋아.eung, geu sik-dang jo-a.Yes, that restaurant sounds good.
- 지은 Ji-eun그럼 한 시에 만날까?geu-reom han si-e man-nal-kka?Then shall we meet at one o'clock?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 좋아.eung, jo-a.Yes, sounds good.
