Key Facts
- Hangul: 좋아하다 (joahada)
- Meaning: to like
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: A1
- Stem: 좋아하
- Class: 하다 type
- Object marking: transitive
What Does 좋아하다 Mean?
- to like. Have a liking for something or someone, as in 음악을 좋아하다.
The thing liked takes 을/를, as in 음악을 좋아해요. That differs from the adjective 좋다, whose subject takes 이/가: 커피가 좋아요.
Unlike the adjective 좋다, which mainly reports the speaker's own feelings, 좋아하다 works for anyone: you can say what you like and what other people like. Its opposite is 싫어하다, and 사랑하다 is the stronger neighbor.
How Do You Pronounce 좋아하다?
The ㅎ at the end of 좋 is silent before a vowel, so 좋아 is read [조아]. The polite present is read [조아해요], the past [조아해써요], and the formal present [조아함니다].
How Do You Use 좋아하다 in a Sentence?
저는 한국 음식을 좋아해요.
I like Korean food.
A basic preference: 한국 음식을 (Korean food) is the object, and 좋아해요 is the statement.
어릴 때 개를 좋아했어요.
I liked dogs when I was young.
Looking back: 어릴 때 (when young) 개를 (dogs), with the past 좋아했어요.
제가 좋아하는 색은 파란색이에요.
The color I like is blue.
A modifier use. 좋아하는 comes before 색, giving "the color I like"; the sentence ends in 파란색이에요 (blue).
How Does Joahada Conjugation Work?
The stem 좋아하 is built from the adjective 좋다, but it conjugates like any 하다 verb: 좋아하 plus 여 gives 좋아해, so 좋아해요, 좋아했어요 and 좋아해서. The modifier 좋아하는 is the form used before a noun, as in the example about colors.
좋아하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 좋아해요 | ||
| Polite past | 좋아했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 좋아할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 좋아하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 좋아합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 좋아했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 좋아할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 좋아해 | ||
| Casual past | 좋아했어 | ||
| Casual future | 좋아할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 좋아하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 좋아하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 좋아해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 좋아하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 좋아하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 좋아한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 좋아할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 좋아해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 좋아하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 좋아해요 | [조아해요] |
| Polite past | 좋아했어요 | [조아해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 좋아할 거예요 | [조아할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 좋아하겠어요 | [조아하게써요] |
| Formal present | 좋아합니다 | [조아함니다] |
| Formal past | 좋아했습니다 | [조아핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 좋아할 것입니다 | [조아할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 좋아해 | [조아해] |
| Casual past | 좋아했어 | [조아해써] |
| Casual future | 좋아할 거야 | [조아할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 좋아하고 싶어요 | [조아하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 좋아하세요 | [조아하세요] |
| Because / and then | 좋아해서 | [조아해서] |
| If (conditional) | 좋아하면 | [조아하면] |
| Modifier, present | 좋아하는 | [조아하는] |
| Modifier, past | 좋아한 | [조아한] |
| Modifier, future | 좋아할 | [조아할] |
| Negative, short | 안 좋아해요 | [안 조아해요] |
| Negative, long | 좋아하지 않아요 | [조아하지 아나요] |
The rule behind 좋아하다 (하다 type) is taught in 하다 to 해요.
Common Mistake with 좋아하다
Wrong: ✗ 저는 커피가 좋아해요
Correct: ✓ 저는 커피를 좋아해요
Why: 좋아하다 is a verb with an object marked by 을/를; 이/가 goes with the adjective 좋다 (커피가 좋아요).
The slip blends two patterns. With the verb, say 저는 커피를 좋아해요; with the adjective, say 커피가 좋아요. Both mean roughly 'I like coffee'.
좋아하다 Versus Similar Verbs
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 좋다 | 좋아하다 is a verb: a person likes something (을/를); 좋다 is an adjective: something is good (이/가). |
| 사랑하다 | 좋아하다 is to like; 사랑하다 is to love, which is stronger and more serious. |
Choosing a Film with a Classmate
Two classmates are picking a film for the weekend. They ask about a current preference, compare a past preference, and name something they both enjoy.
Mina
어떤 영화를 좋아해요?
Eotteon yeonghwareul joahaeyo?
What kind of movies do you like?
Alex
예전에는 액션 영화를 좋아했어요.
Yejeoneneun aeksyeon yeonghwareul joahaesseoyo.
I used to like action movies.
Mina
지금은요?
Jigeumeunyo?
And now?
Alex
지금은 코미디를 좋아해요. 좋아하는 배우도 나와요.
Jigeumeun komidireul joahaeyo. Joahaneun baeudo nawayo.
Now I like comedies. An actor I like is in this one, too.
예전에는 sets up “in the past”, while 지금은 shifts to “now”. The change of preference is clear without saying that Alex dislikes action films today. 좋아하는 배우 means “an actor I like”; the actor is the noun described by 좋아하는.
Phrases for Preferences and Feelings
제일 좋아하다 means “to like best”. 제일 adds a ranking to the liking: 제일 좋아하는 음식 is “favorite food”, literally “food one likes best”. English uses the adjective “favorite”; Korean often builds the same idea with this verb before a noun. 가장 can also mean “most” in this pattern.
별로 안 좋아해요 means “I don't really like it”. 별로 usually works with a negative expression here. It softens a refusal when someone offers a food or suggests an activity. Compare the force with 싫어해요, “I dislike it”: the softer phrase can be useful when declining a friend's suggestion without sounding strongly opposed.
좋아하는 사람이 있어요 means “there is someone I like”. In a conversation about romance, this often means having a crush. The verb alone does not guarantee a romantic meaning: 좋아하는 선생님 can simply be a teacher you like. The person, setting, and surrounding conversation supply that distinction.
Where Will You Hear 좋아하다?
In introductions and hobby conversations, 좋아해요 invites a follow-up about music, films, food, or sports. A question ending in 좋아하세요 asks respectfully about the other person's preferences. The ending honours the person doing the liking; it does not make the food or hobby special.
In a drama confession, 좋아해요 can mean “I like you” when the object is understood. Adding 당신 is usually unnecessary and can sound awkward in an ordinary conversation. Korean often leaves the person unnamed when both speakers know who is meant. In an interview, 좋아하는 appears before nouns in questions about favorite singers or books.
What Makes 좋아하다 Tricky?
좋아하다 is written as one word. Its short negative is 안 좋아해요, with 안 before the whole verb. This differs from many noun-plus-하다 expressions that allow 안 between the noun and 하다. Keep the complete unit 좋아하다 together when writing a negative answer.
The future 좋아할 거예요 often predicts someone else's reaction: “they will like it”. It does not always describe a decision to start liking something. Likewise, 좋아하고 싶어요 means wanting to like something, which is possible but much less useful for a simple preference than 좋아해요.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 취미 | hobby | Names an activity you can discuss with 좋아하다. |
| 취향 | taste / preference | Describes a person's broader taste, including music or clothes. |
| 관심 | interest / attention | Interest in a topic does not always mean liking it. |
| 즐기다 | to enjoy | Often describes enjoying an activity through participation. |
Use the hobbies vocabulary lesson to find activities for a more specific answer than “I like it”.
Mini Drill: Describe a Preference
- Add the correct particle: 음악___ 좋아해요.
- Change 좋아하다 to the polite past.
- Complete “a movie I like”: ___ 영화.
- Write the short negative of 좋아해요.
Show preference drill answers
- 음악을 좋아해요. Music is the object.
- 좋아했어요.
- 좋아하는 영화.
- 안 좋아해요. Keep a space after 안.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 제일 add to 좋아하다?
- Does 좋아하는 사람이 있어요 always describe romance?
- Which expression is softer: 별로 안 좋아해요 or 싫어해요?
Show answers
- “Best” or “most”: it ranks the preference.
- No. Romance is a common reading in a romantic conversation, but context decides.
- 별로 안 좋아해요 usually expresses the milder preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why 커피를 좋아해요, Not 커피가 좋아해요?
좋아하다 is a verb and its object takes 을/를. 이/가 goes with the adjective 좋다.
What Is the Opposite of 좋아하다?
싫어하다. It follows the same pattern, so the thing disliked takes 을/를 as well.
Can I Use 좋아하다 for Another Person's Feelings in the Present?
Yes. 좋아하다 works for anyone, so you can say what a friend likes in the present. It is the adjective 좋다 that mainly reports the speaker's own feelings.
What Is the Form for "the Color I Like"?
Use the modifier 좋아하는 before the noun.
What Is the Polite past of 좋아하다?
It is 좋아했어요, read [조아해써요]. The example 어릴 때 개를 좋아했어요 uses it for a feeling in childhood.
Which Words Are Related to 좋아하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 싫어하다 for the opposite and 사랑하다 for the stronger verb. When 좋아하다 feels familiar, compare it with other entries in the verb dictionary or check a form in the conjugator.