Key Facts
- Hangul: 좋다 (jota)
- Meaning: good
- Level: A1
- Stem: 좋
- Conjugation class: regular
- Polite present: 좋아요
What Does 좋다 Mean?
좋다 has three everyday uses:
- good in quality: 날씨가 좋다 (the weather is good);
- nice or likeable: 사람이 좋다 (a good-natured person);
- fine, OK: 좋아요! as a reply that accepts a suggestion.
Because 좋다 is an adjective, the thing that is good is always the subject and takes 이/가: 날씨가 좋아요. It can also express liking. In 저는 이 노래가 좋아요 (I like this song), the speaker sits in the topic slot with 은/는 and the song stays the subject. English speakers expect an object here, which is where most mistakes with 좋다 come from. A quick test: if the thing itself is good, 좋다 fits.
When the subject is a respected person, the honorific form is 좋으세요. It is not 좋아하세요, which belongs to the verb 좋아하다.
How Do You Pronounce 좋다?
The ㅎ at the end of 좋 is never heard as an h. Before a vowel it is silent: 좋아요 is read [조아요]. Before ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅈ it merges with that consonant into an aspirated sound: the dictionary form 좋다 is [조타], 좋겠어요 is [조케써요] and 좋지 않아요 is [조치 아나요]. Before ㅅ it makes the ㅅ tense, so 좋습니다 is [조씀니다].
How Do You Use 좋다 in a Sentence?
The three examples rate the weather, give an opinion on a film and make a hopeful guess.
오늘 날씨가 정말 좋아요.
The weather is really good today.
날씨가 is the subject, and 정말 (really) adds emphasis. This is the most common way to comment on a nice day.
어제 본 영화가 좋았어요.
The movie I saw yesterday was good.
The past 좋았어요 gives an opinion about a movie already seen.
비가 오지 않으면 좋을 거예요.
It will be good if it does not rain.
The if-clause 오지 않으면 (if it does not rain) comes first, and 좋을 거예요 is a guess about how things will turn out.
Useful Patterns with 좋다
The opposite of 좋다 is 나쁘다 (bad). When something is merely acceptable rather than good, 괜찮다 (okay, fine) is the softer choice. Adding -아지다 gives 좋아지다 (to get better), for weather, health or a mood that improves. Before a noun, 좋다 becomes 좋은: 좋은 사람 is a good person, and 좋은 영화 a good film.
How Does Jota Conjugation Work?
좋다 is regular. The stem 좋 ends in a consonant and its last vowel is ㅗ, so it takes 아: 좋아요, 좋았어요. Endings that start with a consonant attach directly (좋습니다, 좋지 않아요), and endings with (으) keep the 으 (좋으면, 좋으세요). The ㅎ is silent in 좋아요, but it never drops from the spelling, which is why 좋다 is not an ㅎ-irregular word. The table leaves out -고 싶다, which attaches to action verbs only.
좋다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 좋아요 | ||
| Polite past | 좋았어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 좋을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 좋겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 좋습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 좋았습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 좋을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 좋아 | ||
| Casual past | 좋았어 | ||
| Casual future | 좋을 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 좋으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 좋아서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 좋으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 좋은 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 좋았던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 좋을 | ||
| Short negative | 안 좋아요 | ||
| Long negative | 좋지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 좋아요 | [조아요] |
| Polite future | 좋을 거예요 | [조을꺼예요] |
| Formal present | 좋습니다 | [조씀니다] |
| Casual present | 좋아 | [조아] |
| Casual future | 좋을 거야 | [조을꺼야] |
| If | 좋으면 | [조으면] |
| Past modifier | 좋았던 | [조앋떤] |
| Long negative | 좋지 않아요 | [조치 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 저는 커피를 좋아요
Correct: ✓ 저는 커피가 좋아요 / 커피를 좋아해요
Why: 좋다 is an adjective, so the liked item is its subject with 이/가. If you want an object with 을/를, switch to the verb 좋아하다.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 좋다 |
|---|---|
| 좋아하다 | 좋아하다 is a verb meaning to like something (영화를 좋아해요); 좋다 is an adjective describing quality, with the thing as subject (영화가 좋아요). |
| 잘하다 | 잘하다 means to be good at doing something; 좋다 means good in quality. |
Choosing a Cafe for Tomorrow
Two coworkers discuss a place to meet. They accept the idea, recall a previous visit and predict how tomorrow’s visit will be.
Mina
이 카페가 좋아요?
I kapega joayo?
Is this cafe good?
Jun
네. 지난번에도 좋았어요.
Ne. Jinanbeonedo joasseoyo.
Yes. It was good last time too.
Mina
내일도 좋을 거예요.
Naeildo joeul geoyeyo.
It will be good tomorrow too.
좋아요 evaluates the cafe now, 좋았어요 recalls the previous visit, and 좋을 거예요 predicts another pleasant visit. No one is performing a “good” action: the cafe or experience is being described. The same first answer could express approval of the plan if the cafe were already understood.
Phrases That Make “Good” More Specific
기분이 좋다 means “to be in a good mood.” 기분 names the feeling, so the phrase concerns how someone feels. 기분이 좋아지다 adds a change into that mood. A person can already be cheerful without anything having improved since the previous moment.
사이가 좋다 means “to get along well” or “to have a good relationship.” 사이 concerns the connection between people. It does not say that each person is good at a skill. This phrase helps when discussing siblings, coworkers or friends whose relationship is friendly.
몸에 좋다 means “to be good for the body.” The 에 marks what benefits. The phrase is common in talk about food and habits, but the wording alone supplies no evidence about a health benefit. When reading or translating it, keep the claim’s scope instead of expanding “good for you” into a promise of treatment.
좋은 생각 means “a good idea.” 좋은 is the adjective modifier and belongs before the noun. 좋습니다 can express formal approval in a meeting; 좋아요 is natural in a polite everyday exchange. Either may approve a proposal without claiming that it is the only possible choice.
Where Will You Encounter 좋아요 outside a Sentence?
Social platforms use 좋아요 as the label for a “like.” Here you are looking at an interface label rather than a full description of someone’s feelings. The connection is approval, but pressing the button and saying that you like a person are different social actions.
In shops, 좋아요 can be a positive assessment of an item. In planning conversations, it can accept a proposed time or place. Read the preceding question: the same short reply may mean “It is good,” “I like it” or “That works for me.” Korean often leaves the understood subject unspoken.
Related Words for Evaluating Things
| Related word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 나쁘다 | to be bad | Gives the opposite assessment of quality. |
| 괜찮다 | to be okay / fine | Often accepts something without strong praise. |
| 잘하다 | to do well | Describes skill or performance, not general quality. |
| 좋아지다 | to get better | Adds improvement over time. |
The opposite adjectives lesson places positive and negative assessments side by side.
Mini Drill: Choose the Quality or Liking Pattern
- Complete “The coffee is good”: 커피____ 좋아요.
- Put 좋다 before 사람.
- Change 좋아요 to polite past.
- Choose the respectful adjective form: 좋으세요 or 좋아하세요.
Show drill answers
- 커피가 좋아요. The coffee is the subject.
- 좋은 사람, “a good person.”
- 좋았어요. The written ㅎ remains.
- 좋으세요. 좋아하세요 belongs to 좋아하다.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 사이가 좋다 describe?
- Which word describes being good at an activity?
- Does 좋아요 always mean a literal “yes”?
Show answers
- People getting along well or having a good relationship.
- 잘하다. 좋다 evaluates quality or a state.
- No. It can evaluate something, express liking or approve a suggestion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can 좋아요 Mean Yes?
Yes, as a reply to a suggestion. When a friend proposes a plan, 좋아요! means "Sounds good" or "OK", and it sounds warmer than a plain "yes".
How Is 좋다 Different from 좋아하다?
좋다 is an adjective, so the thing that is good is its subject (영화가 좋아요). 좋아하다 is a verb meaning "to like", and the liked thing is its object with 을/를 (영화를 좋아해요).
Can I Add -고 싶다 to 좋다?
No. -고 싶다 attaches to action verbs, not to descriptive words such as 좋다. Its guess form 좋겠어요 is the usual way to wish for something good.
Is 좋다 the Word for Being Good at Something?
No. Being good at an activity is 잘하다. 좋다 rates the quality of a thing or a person's character, not someone's skill.
Which Words Are Related to 좋다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 나쁘다 next as the direct opposite, then 괜찮다 for the polite "it's fine". Why the silent ㅎ does not make 좋다 irregular is covered in regular Korean verbs that look irregular. You can check any other form in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.