Korean for Beginners: Agreeing to Plans with 'That Works for Me' and 'Sounds Good'
Learn beginner Korean phrases for confirming negotiated plans, including joayo, gwaenchanayo, and doe-yo, with polite endings and natural conversation flow.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
When you make plans in Korean, agreeing is not always the same as accepting an invitation. In a negotiation, both people suggest times, places, or conditions, and you often need to say that a proposal works for you. This lesson teaches beginner-friendly Korean expressions for confirming plans: 좋아요 (joayo, sounds good), 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo, that works for me), and 돼요 (doe-yo, that works). You will also learn how to respond when the other person adjusts the plan, so you can keep the conversation moving politely.
By the end, you can…
- confirm a proposed plan in Korean using 좋아요, 괜찮아요, and 돼요.
- respond politely when a time or place is changed during a negotiation.
- distinguish simple agreement from accepting an invitation in Korean.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
좋아요.
Sounds good. / That's good.
jo-a-yo
A friendly, common way to agree to a suggestion. It is polite with the -요 ending and works in many casual-to-polite situations.
괜찮아요.
That works for me. / It's okay.
gwaen-chan-a-yo
Use this when a proposed time, place, or condition is acceptable. It can also mean 'I'm okay' or 'No thanks,' so context matters.
그때 돼요.
That time works. / I'm available then.
geu-ttae doe-yo
Use 돼요 for schedules and availability. 그때 means 'that time,' so this directly confirms a time proposal.
저는 괜찮아요.
That works for me. / I'm fine with it.
jeo-neun gwaen-chan-a-yo
Adding 저는 (jeo-neun, as for me) makes your agreement personal and clear, especially in a group negotiation.
네, 그렇게 해요.
Yes, let's do it that way.
ne, geu-reo-ke hae-yo
A natural way to confirm a plan after details are settled. 그렇게 해요 means 'let's do it that way.'
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
For confirming plans, a simple pattern is [time/place] + 돼요 or 괜찮아요. For example, if someone asks 토요일 어때요? (to-yo-il eo-ttae-yo?, How about Saturday?), you can answer 토요일 괜찮아요 (to-yo-il gwaen-chan-a-yo, Saturday works for me) or 토요일 돼요 (to-yo-il doe-yo, Saturday works). If the other person suggests a time, 그때 돼요 (geu-ttae doe-yo, that time works) is short and natural. Use 좋아요 when you mean 'sounds good' about the idea itself: 좋아요, 그렇게 해요 (jo-a-yo, geu-reo-ke hae-yo, Sounds good, let's do it that way).
When to use it
Use these phrases during negotiation, not when someone first invites you somewhere. If a friend asks 같이 갈래요? (ga-chi gal-lae-yo?, Do you want to go together?), that is an invitation; accepting it is more like 네, 같이 가요 (ne, ga-chi ga-yo, Yes, let's go together). But if you are deciding between Friday and Saturday, or 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., you are negotiating. Then 괜찮아요, 돼요, and 좋아요 confirm that a specific proposal is acceptable. For example: 금요일은 안 돼요. 토요일은 괜찮아요 (geu-myo-il-eun an doe-yo. to-yo-il-eun gwaen-chan-a-yo, Friday doesn't work. Saturday works for me).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
우리 토요일에 만날까요?
Shall we meet on Saturday?u-ri to-yo-il-e man-nal-kka-yo?토요일은 좀 어려워요. 일요일은 괜찮아요.
Saturday is a bit difficult. Sunday works for me.to-yo-il-eun jom eo-ryeo-wo-yo. il-yo-il-eun gwaen-chan-a-yo.아, 그래요? 그럼 일요일 오후 두 시 어때요?
Oh, really? Then how about Sunday at 2 p.m.?a, geu-rae-yo? geu-reom il-yo-il o-hu du si eo-ttae-yo?네, 그때 돼요. 좋아요, 그렇게 해요.
Yes, that time works. Sounds good, let's do it that way.ne, geu-ttae doe-yo. jo-a-yo, geu-reo-ke hae-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean, agreement often sounds softer and more relational than a direct 'yes.' Adding 저는 (jeo-neun, as for me) or using 괜찮아요 can make your confirmation feel considerate rather than abrupt. With people you do not know well, keep the polite -요 ending. Among close friends, dropping it is common, but beginners should practice the polite forms first.
One thing to watch for
Using 좋아요 to mean 'I like it' when someone proposes a plan, and then assuming it always means 'That works for me.'
Try this instead: 좋아요 can mean 'It's good' or 'Sounds good,' but for schedules and availability, 괜찮아요 or 돼요 is clearer. For example, if Saturday is acceptable, say 토요일 괜찮아요 or 토요일 돼요 rather than only 토요일 좋아요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Someone asks 금요일 어때요? (geu-myo-il eo-ttae-yo?, How about Friday?) and Friday works for you. What can you say?
Show a sample answer
금요일 괜찮아요. (geu-myo-il gwaen-chan-a-yo.)
This directly confirms that Friday is acceptable. 금요일 돼요 is also correct, and 좋아요 could work if you mean the idea sounds good, but 괜찮아요 is especially clear for availability.
2Your friend suggests 7 p.m., but you prefer 8 p.m. How do you politely reject 7 and confirm 8?
Show a sample answer
일곱 시는 어려워요. 여덟 시는 괜찮아요. (il-gop si-neun eo-ryeo-wo-yo. yeo-deol si-neun gwaen-chan-a-yo.)
This uses 어려워요 (eo-ryeo-wo-yo, is difficult) to soften the rejection, then 괜찮아요 to confirm the alternative. You could also say 여덟 시 돼요.
3What is the difference between accepting an invitation and confirming a negotiated plan in Korean?
Show a sample answer
Accepting an invitation often uses 같이 가요 (ga-chi ga-yo, let's go together) or 네, 좋아요 (ne, jo-a-yo, Yes, sounds good). Confirming a negotiated plan uses 괜찮아요, 돼요, or 그때 돼요 to show that a specific time or condition works.
Both can include 좋아요, but negotiation focuses on whether a proposed detail is acceptable. Answers like 괜찮아요 and 돼요 are especially useful when comparing options.
When you are negotiating plans in Korean, use 괜찮아요 for 'that works for me,' 돼요 for availability, and 좋아요 for 'sounds good.' Keep the polite -요 ending and confirm the specific time or place.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Korean into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr