How to Say 'I Like to Cook' and 'I Don't Like to Cook' in Korean
Learn the Korean pattern for saying you like or dislike cooking as an activity, using -는 것을 좋아해요 and its negative forms, with clear examples and pronunciation.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In Korean, liking an activity is expressed differently from liking a food. To say 'I like to cook', you attach the particle -는 것을 to the verb stem and add 좋아해요. This lesson teaches that pattern, its shortened spoken form -는 걸, and two ways to say you do not like cooking. You will also learn how to ask someone else about their cooking preferences. All examples use Hangul with Revised Romanization.
By the end, you can…
- say 'I like to cook' in Korean using the activity pattern.
- say 'I don't like to cook' in Korean in two common ways.
- ask another person whether they like to cook.
- distinguish liking an activity from liking a particular food.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
저는 요리하는 것을 좋아해요.
I like to cook.
jeo-neun yo-ri-ha-neun geo-seul jo-a-hae-yo
Neutral polite form. Use with people you do not know well or in formal situations.
저는 요리하는 걸 좋아해요.
I like to cook.
jeo-neun yo-ri-ha-neun geol jo-a-hae-yo
Spoken contraction of 것을 to 걸. Very common in everyday conversation.
저는 요리하는 것을 안 좋아해요.
I don't like to cook.
jeo-neun yo-ri-ha-neun geo-seul an jo-a-hae-yo
Putting 안 before 좋아해요 is a simple, direct negation.
저는 요리하는 것을 좋아하지 않아요.
I don't like to cook.
jeo-neun yo-ri-ha-neun geo-seul jo-a-ha-ji an-a-yo
Long negative form. Slightly more formal or emphatic than the 안 form.
요리하는 것을 좋아하세요?
Do you like to cook?
yo-ri-ha-neun geo-seul jo-a-ha-se-yo
Polite question to someone older or less familiar. Drop 저는 because the subject is clear.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is verb stem + -는 것을 좋아해요. For 요리하다 (to cook), the stem is 요리하-, so you get 요리하는 것을 좋아해요. In speech, 것을 often shortens to 걸: 요리하는 걸 좋아해요. To make it negative, either place 안 before the verb: 요리하는 것을 안 좋아해요, or use the long form: 요리하는 것을 좋아하지 않아요. Both are correct; the 안 form is shorter and the long form can sound a little more formal.
When to use it
Use this pattern when you talk about an activity you enjoy or dislike doing, not about a food you like. Compare 저는 김치를 좋아해요 (I like kimchi) with 저는 요리하는 것을 좋아해요 (I like to cook). The first uses the object particle 를 with a noun; the second uses -는 것을 with a verb. If you want to say you like a specific dish you cook, keep the food as the object: 저는 파스타를 요리하는 것을 좋아해요 (I like to cook pasta).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
민수 씨는 요리하는 것을 좋아해요?
Minsu, do you like to cook?min-su ssi-neun yo-ri-ha-neun geo-seul jo-a-ha-se-yo네, 저는 요리하는 걸 좋아해요.
Yes, I like to cook.ne, jeo-neun yo-ri-ha-neun geol jo-a-hae-yo저는 요리하는 것을 안 좋아해요.
I don't like to cook.jeo-neun yo-ri-ha-neun geo-seul an jo-a-hae-yo그래도 같이 요리해요.
Even so, let's cook together.geu-rae-do ga-chi yo-ri-hae-yoA little context goes a long way
Korean often softens dislikes in conversation. Saying 저는 요리하는 것을 별로 좋아하지 않아요 (I don't really like to cook) with 별로 sounds less blunt than a direct 안 좋아해요. Use the polite -요 ending with acquaintances and strangers; among close friends, the same pattern can end in -아/어 without 요, as in 요리하는 걸 좋아해.
One thing to watch for
저는 요리 좋아해요.
Try this instead: This sounds like 'I like cooking' as a noun, but it is not the standard way to say you like the activity. Say 저는 요리하는 것을 좋아해요 or 저는 요리하는 걸 좋아해요. Keep the verb form 요리하다 and attach -는 것을.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I like to cook' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
저는 요리하는 것을 좋아해요.
This uses the verb stem 요리하- plus -는 것을 좋아해요. The shortened 저는 요리하는 걸 좋아해요 is also correct in conversation.
2Give one polite way to say 'I don't like to cook'.
Show a sample answer
저는 요리하는 것을 안 좋아해요.
The adverb 안 before 좋아해요 makes the sentence negative. The long form 저는 요리하는 것을 좋아하지 않아요 is equally correct and slightly more formal.
3Ask a friend politely whether they like to cook.
Show a sample answer
요리하는 것을 좋아하세요?
The polite question ending -세요 makes this appropriate for someone older or less familiar. With a close friend, 요리하는 걸 좋아해? is also natural.
To talk about liking an activity in Korean, use verb stem + -는 것을 좋아해요, and shorten 것을 to 걸 in everyday speech. For dislikes, use 안 좋아해요 or 좋아하지 않아요.
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