Key Facts
- Hangul: 재미있다 (jaemiitda)
- Meaning: fun/interesting
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 재미있
- Conjugation class: regular
- Grammar: Takes 이/가 for the thing that is fun; the person who enjoys it can take 은/는.
- Usage: Colloquially shortened to 재밌다 (재밌어요). Use 는 as the modifier: 재미있는, 재미없는.
What Does 재미있다 Mean?
재미있다 describes the thing, not the feeling: 재미있는 영화 is a movie that is fun or interesting. The thing that is fun takes 이/가, and the person who enjoys it can take 은/는.
The colloquial shortening is 재밌다 (재밌어요), which you will hear and see in chat messages. Both are correct; formal writing usually keeps the full form.
Senses:
- fun, interesting: Describes something enjoyable or interesting, e.g. 재미있는 영화.
How Do You Pronounce 재미있다?
The word is written 재미있다 and read [재미읻따]: the ㅆ of 있 is a stop at the end of a syllable (ㄷ), and it tenses the ㄷ of 다. Because 있 is a separate piece, the ㅆ resurfaces before a vowel: 재미있어요 is [재미이써요] and 재미있었어요 is [재미이써써요]. Before a consonant it stays a stop, as in 재미있습니다 [재미읻씀니다].
How Do You Use 재미있다 in a Sentence?
그 영화는 정말 재미있어요.
That movie is really fun.
그 영화는 sets 'that movie' as the topic and 정말 intensifies 재미있어요, which is a plain present statement.
어제 파티가 재미있었어요.
The party yesterday was fun.
어제 파티가 sets the time and subject; 재미있었어요 is the past, built on 있었어요.
재미있는 책을 추천해 주세요.
Please recommend an interesting book.
재미있는 책을 shows the modifier: the word ending in 있다 takes 는, so 재미있는 attaches to the noun 책.
How Does Jaemiitda Conjugation Work?
재미있다 is regular: the stem 재미있 stays whole and 어 is chosen (재미있어요, 재미있었어요). The one thing to remember is the modifier. Because the word ends in 있다, it takes 는 like an action verb, not 은: 재미있는, and the past modifier is 재미있었던.
재미있다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 재미있어요 | ||
| Polite past | 재미있었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 재미있을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 재미있겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 재미있습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 재미있었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 재미있을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 재미있어 | ||
| Casual past | 재미있었어 | ||
| Casual future | 재미있을 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 재미있으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 재미있어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 재미있으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 재미있는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 재미있었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 재미있을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 재미있어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 재미있지 않아요 |
For a word meaning 'fun', -고 싶다 has no cell, because that ending attaches to action verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 재미있어요 | [재미이써요] |
| Polite past | 재미있었어요 | [재미이써써요] |
| Polite future | 재미있을 거예요 | [재미이쓸꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 재미있겠어요 | [재미읻께써요] |
| Formal present | 재미있습니다 | [재미읻씀니다] |
| Formal past | 재미있었습니다 | [재미이썯씀니다] |
| Formal future | 재미있을 것입니다 | [재미이쓸꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 재미있었어 | [재미이써써] |
| Past modifier | 재미있었던 | [재미이썯떤] |
| Long negative | 재미있지 않아요 | [재미읻찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 재미있은 영화
Correct: ✓ 재미있는 영화
Why: The word describes a quality, so learners reach for the adjective modifier 은. But anything ending in 있다 or 없다 takes 는 instead: 재미있는 영화.
Where Does 재미있다 Turn up in Daily Talk?
Use 재미있다 for the thing that entertains and 즐겁다 for the happy feeling of the person: 재미있는 책을 추천해 주세요 asks for a good read. 신나다 is more about excitement and energy, and 지루하다 and 재미없다 are the negative side.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 재미있다?
| Word | How to tell it from 재미있다 |
|---|---|
| 즐겁다 | 즐겁다 describes the happy feeling of the person; 재미있다 describes the thing as entertaining. |
| 신나다 | 신나다 means excited and lively, more about energy than interest. |
Recommending a Film to a Coworker
Two coworkers are looking for something to watch after work. Their conversation moves from a past viewing experience to an interesting kind of movie and a current recommendation.
Jisu
어제 본 영화가 재미있었어요.
Eoje bon yeonghwaga jaemiisseosseoyo.
The movie I watched yesterday was interesting.
Alex
저도 재미있는 영화를 보고 싶어요.
Jeodo jaemiinneun yeonghwareul bogo sipeoyo.
I want to watch an interesting movie too.
Jisu
이 드라마도 재미있어요.
I deuramado jaemiisseoyo.
This drama is interesting too.
Alex
그럼 오늘 볼게요.
Geureom oneul bolgeyo.
Then I will watch it today.
재미있었어요 reports enjoyment of yesterday's film. 재미있는 영화 names the kind of film Alex wants. 재미있어요 recommends a drama on the basis of its entertainment value. The same English “interesting” works in all three translations, but the Korean ending tells you whether the word ends the sentence or modifies a noun.
Alex says 영화를 보고 싶어요 because the desired action is watching a film. The movie's quality is 재미있는. This gives you a natural way to combine a descriptive word with “want to”, without trying to turn 재미있다 itself into the action you want to perform.
Which Phrases Use 재미?
| Phrase | Meaning | How the parts work |
|---|---|---|
| 재미있는 이야기 | an interesting story | The story holds someone's attention. |
| 정말 재미있다 | to be really interesting / fun | 정말 strengthens the positive judgment. |
| 재미있게 보다 | to enjoy watching / reading | 재미있게 describes the way you experience it. |
| 재미를 붙이다 | to develop an interest in something | Literally “attach interest”; enjoyment grows with involvement. |
재미있게 보다 is useful for a film, a show or a book. 보다 can cover watching or reading depending on the object, so the English translation changes with what you enjoyed. 재미있게 contributes the positive experience rather than a separate action.
재미를 붙이다 goes beyond a single entertaining moment. Someone may start enjoying a hobby after trying it several times. The noun 재미 takes 를, and 붙이다 supplies the action of developing that interest. Knowing this phrase helps you recognise 재미 when it appears outside the adjective 재미있다.
Where Does 재미있다 Appear in Everyday Korean?
Movie recommendations, book reviews and conversations after games often use 재미있다. The English choice depends on the experience: an absorbing novel is “interesting”, a party is “fun”, and a joke may be “funny”. The Korean word does not require laughter, so a serious story can also be 재미있다.
Short comments and messages often use 재밌어요, the shortened form already covered above. Keep the spelling distinction clear: 재미있어요 is the full form, while 재밌어요 is the shorter word conjugated. Both can evaluate the same show; a longer spelling does not imply greater enthusiasm.
Polite 재미있어요 is useful when discussing a class with its teacher or a recommendation with a colleague. Casual 재미있어 suits close friends. Saying a person is 재미있어요 can describe someone entertaining or amusing. It need not mean that their life is unusual or that you want to study them.
What Should You Watch for in the Modifier?
재미있는 has 는 even though 재미있다 describes a quality. Before ㄴ, the final sound of 있 becomes nasal, so 재미있는 is pronounced [재미인는]. Keep 있 in writing: the sound change does not create a new stem. This is separate from the exception that selects 는 as the modifier ending.
The compound 재미있다 stays joined when endings are added. The short negative 안 재미있어요 has a space after 안; the longer 재미있지 않아요 has a space before 않아요. The ordinary opposite 재미없어요 is often the more direct way to say that something was not enjoyable.
재미있을 거예요 predicts enjoyment. A speaker may recommend a film they expect you to like, even if you have not watched it yet. Compare that with 재미있었어요, which reports an earlier experience. Neither ending promises that every viewer will share the opinion.
Vocabulary for Recommending Entertainment
| Korean | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 이야기 | story | Name the content that holds your attention. |
| 영화 | movie | Use when recommending a film. |
| 책 | book | Pair with reading or a request for a recommendation. |
| 추천 | recommendation | Name the suggestion you give or request. |
For genres and viewing vocabulary, continue with the movies and TV lesson. It gives you nouns to explain what kind of entertainment you enjoy.
Mini Drill: Turn Enjoyment into a Recommendation
- Complete “an interesting book”: ____ 책.
- Give the polite past of 재미있다.
- Give the polite prediction ending in 거예요.
- Choose the action in “I want to watch an interesting movie”: 재미있다 or 보다?
Show drill answers
- 재미있는 책.
- 재미있었어요.
- 재미있을 거예요.
- 보다; the dialogue uses 보고 싶어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 재미있다 always mean “funny”?
- What does 재미를 붙이다 describe?
- Which word gives the direct opposite of 재미있다?
Show answers
- No. Something can hold your interest without making you laugh.
- Developing an interest or enjoyment in something.
- 재미없다.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say "It Is Fun" in Korean?
재미있어요. For example, 그 영화는 정말 재미있어요 means 'That movie is really fun.'
Why Is It 재미있는 and Not 재미있은?
Words ending in 있다 take the 는 modifier. The same applies to 재미없는.
Is 재밌어요 Correct?
Yes. 재밌다 is the dictionary-listed short form of 재미있다, so 재밌어요 is correct and is everywhere in speech and chat. Formal writing usually keeps the full form.
What Is the Opposite of 재미있다?
재미없다 is the plain opposite, and 지루하다 describes something tedious.
Which Words Are Related to 재미있다?
The entries closest to 재미있다 (fun/interesting) are 재미없다 (boring), 즐겁다 (to be enjoyable; to be joyful), 지루하다 (to be boring), 맛있다 (delicious).
What Should You Learn Next?
Move on to 재미없다, the opposite, and then 즐겁다 and 지루하다 for the feeling and the dull side. 맛있다 follows the same 있다 pattern. To see why 'fun' takes the form 재미있어요, read how to conjugate the present tense; the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.