아주 좋아요
aju joayo
The English phrase "very nice" can be said in Korean as 아주 좋아요 (aju joayo).
This expression is used to say that something is very pleasing or of high quality.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 아주 (very) and 좋아요 (is good/nice).
Which one should you use?
While 아주 좋아요 is common in daily conversation, 매우 좋아요 is a more formal or written-style way to say "very nice".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 아주 좋아요 can be shortened to 아주 좋아 when speaking informally to friends or people younger than you. To express a higher level of politeness and formality, it can be changed to 아주 좋습니다.
How do you pronounce it?
aju joayo
Did you know?
- While 아주 좋아요 is a positive expression, Koreans often use it sarcastically to mean 'great' in a negative sense, similar to how an English speaker might say 'Just great!' when something goes wrong.
- A person might respond to 아주 좋아요 by humbly denying the praise, as Korean cultural norms often prioritize modesty over accepting compliments directly.
- The word 아주 shares its written form with the word for 'Asia' in certain historical contexts, as it is the same way the word 'Asia' is written in Hanja as 亞洲.
Examples in context
- 오늘 옷 정말 멋져!Your outfit looks really nice today!
Example conversation
Jihoon and Minji are looking at a new cafe.
- 지훈 Ji-hun여기 분위기 아주 좋아요.yeogi bunwigi aju joayo.The atmosphere here is very nice.
- 민지 Min-ji맞아요, 정말 마음에 들어요.majayo, jeongmal maeume deureoyo.That's right, I really like it.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민지 씨도 좋아하네요.Minji ssido joahane-yo.Minji, you like it too.
- 민지 Min-ji네, 아주 좋아요!ne, aju joayo!Yes, it is very nice!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 아주, 좋아요, CC BY-SA 4.0.
