좋아해요
joahaeyo
In Korean, "you like someone" is expressed as 좋아해요 (joahaeyo).
This phrase is used to express that you have a positive feeling toward another person or that you are romantically attracted to them.
How does it change in a sentence?
The dictionary form of the verb is 좋아하다.
How do you pronounce it?
joahaeyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistake the verb 좋아하다 (to like) for the adjective 좋다 (to be good/likable), but they are used differently in sentences.
Did you know?
- When expressing romantic interest, Koreans often use the phrase 관심 있다, which literally translates to 'to have interest', as a more subtle way to say you like someone.
- The word 좋아하다 is often used in a 'confession' (고백), a formal social ritual where one person explicitly declares their romantic interest to another.
- If you want to say you like someone very intensely, you might say you 'fall' for them using 반하다, a word that implies being struck by lightning or being captivated.
Examples in context
- 저는 민수 씨를 좋아해요.jeoneun minsu ssireul joahaeyo.I like Minsu.
- 누구를 좋아해요?nugureul joahaeyo?Who do you like?
- 진짜로 좋아해요.jinjaro joahaeyo.I really like them.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Subin are talking about a new coworker.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈 씨는 그분을 좋아해요?subin ssineun geubuneul joahaeyo?Subin, do you like him?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 정말 좋아해요.ne, jeongmal joahaeyo.Yes, I really like him.
- 도현 Do-hyeon그렇게 좋아해요?geureoke joahaeyo?You like him that much?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 아주 많이 좋아해요.ne, aju mani joahaeyo.Yes, I like him a lot.
