Expressing Preferences
Use 좋아하다 (to like) and 싫어하다 (to dislike/hate) to express your preferences for things, people, or activities.
These verbs typically combine with the object marker 을/를 .
Basic Sentence Frame
무엇을 좋아해요? (What do you like?)
저는 [Noun]을/를 좋아해요. (I like [Noun].)
저는 [Noun]을/를 싫어해요. (I dislike [Noun].)
Food and Tastes
A very common way to use these verbs is when talking about food preferences. You can combine them with taste words or specific dishes.
Korean · English
저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요. · I like spicy food.
저는 단 음식을 싫어해요. · I dislike sweet food.
When answering simply, you can drop the object marker in casual conversation, like 커피 좋아해요? (Do you like coffee?).
Places, Weather, and Activities
You can easily expand your sentences by swapping the noun to talk about places, weather, or activities you enjoy or avoid.
비 오는 날을 정말 싫어해요. (I really hate rainy days.)
사람이 많은 곳은 싫어해요. (I dislike crowded places.)
혼자 있는 시간을 좋아해요. (I like alone time.)
Common Mistake: Choosing the Right Verb
Beginners sometimes confuse 좋다 (to be good) and 좋아하다 (to like).
In this course, remember this simple rule: when you want to express your active preference towards an object ("I like X"), use [Noun]을/를 좋아하다 .
Do not use 좋다 when you mean "I like [Noun]" with an object marker. Focus on practicing the 좋아하다 and 싫어하다 frames for your everyday preferences.