Korean for Beginners: Say 'I Like' and 'I Don't Like' with Food
Learn to express personal food preferences in Korean using 좋아해요 and 안 좋아해요, with common food words and a polite pattern.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In Korean, talking about what you like to eat is a basic and useful skill. This lesson focuses on the pattern for 'I like' and 'I don't like' when talking about food. You will learn the verb 좋아하다 (to like) and how to make it negative with 안. You will also practice with common food items like rice, kimchi, and fruit. By the end, you will be able to say what you like and don't like, and ask others about their preferences. Remember, this is about personal taste, not whether the food itself is sweet, spicy, etc. Let's start!
By the end, you can…
- say I like a specific food using 좋아해요.
- say I don't like a specific food using 안 좋아해요.
- ask someone if they like a food using 좋아해요?
- understand and use common food vocabulary in Korean.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
저는 밥을 좋아해요.
I like rice.
jeo-neun ba-beul jo-a-hae-yo
Use this to state that you like rice. 저는 means 'I' (polite), 밥을 is the object 'rice', 좋아해요 is the polite present tense of 'like'. Note that 좋아해요 is the 해요체 (polite informal) form of 좋아하다.
저는 김치를 안 좋아해요.
I don't like kimchi.
jeo-neun gim-chi-reul an jo-a-hae-yo
This expresses dislike. 안 is placed before the verb to make it negative. 김치를 is the object 'kimchi'. 안 좋아해요 is the short-form negation of 좋아해요.
과일을 좋아해요?
Do you like fruit?
gwa-il-eul jo-a-hae-yo?
A yes/no question. Intonation rises at the end. 과일을 means 'fruit' as the object. In 해요체, word order stays the same; only intonation marks the question.
저는 고기를 안 먹어요. 하지만 좋아해요.
I don't eat meat. But I like it.
jeo-neun go-gi-reul an meo-geo-yo. ha-ji-man jo-a-hae-yo
This shows a contrast: not eating something but still liking it. 안 먹어요 means 'don't eat', 좋아해요 means 'like'. The subject 저는 carries over to the second clause.
매운 음식을 좋아해요.
I like spicy food.
mae-un eum-si-geul jo-a-hae-yo
Here, the object is 'spicy food' (매운 음식). Use this to talk about a category of food you like. 매운 is the 관형사형 (modifier form) of 맵다 (to be spicy).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: Subject + Object + 좋아해요 (like) or 안 좋아해요 (don't like). The subject 저는 (I) is often omitted if clear from context. The object takes the particle 을/를: 을 after a consonant, 를 after a vowel. For example, 밥을 좋아해요 (I like rice), 김치를 안 좋아해요 (I don't like kimchi). To ask a question, simply raise your intonation: 좋아해요? You can also use 좋아하다 with other subjects: 우리 엄마는 김치를 좋아해요 (My mom likes kimchi). Note that 좋아하다 is a regular verb, so it conjugates as 좋아해요 in the polite informal (해요체) style.
When to use it
Use 좋아해요 to express personal preference for food, activities, or people. It is not about the taste of the food itself; for that, you would use different expressions like 맛있어요 (it's delicious). For example, if you want to say 'I like kimchi', you say 김치를 좋아해요. If you want to say 'Kimchi is delicious', you say 김치가 맛있어요. This lesson focuses on preference. Also, 안 좋아해요 is a direct way to say you don't like something. It is polite and common. For stronger dislike, you can use 싫어해요 (dislike/hate), but that is stronger.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저는 과일을 좋아해요. 당신은요?
I like fruit. How about you?jeo-neun gwa-il-eul jo-a-hae-yo. dang-sin-eun-yo?저는 과일을 안 좋아해요. 하지만 채소를 좋아해요.
I don't like fruit. But I like vegetables.jeo-neun gwa-il-eul an jo-a-hae-yo. ha-ji-man chae-so-reul jo-a-hae-yo.아, 그래요? 저는 채소를 안 좋아해요. 고기를 좋아해요.
Oh, really? I don't like vegetables. I like meat.a, geu-rae-yo? jeo-neun chae-so-reul an jo-a-hae-yo. go-gi-reul jo-a-hae-yo.저도 고기를 좋아해요. 같이 먹어요!
I like meat too. Let's eat together!jeo-do go-gi-reul jo-a-hae-yo. ga-chi meo-geo-yo!A little context goes a long way
In Korean culture, food is often shared, and expressing likes and dislikes is common. However, when someone offers you food, it's polite to accept even if you don't like it, or politely decline with a reason. Saying '안 좋아해요' directly is fine among friends, but with elders or in formal settings, you might soften it by saying '저는 잘 안 먹어요' (I don't eat it much) or '저는 좀...' (I'm a bit...). Also, age and hierarchy can affect speech levels; this lesson uses polite informal (해요체), which is safe for most everyday situations.
One thing to watch for
Using 안 좋아해요 to mean 'I don't like it' when talking about the taste of food, e.g., saying '이 음식은 안 좋아해요' to mean 'This food doesn't taste good'.
Try this instead: 안 좋아해요 means 'I don't like it' as a personal preference. To say the food itself is not tasty, use 맛없어요 (it's not delicious). For example, 이 음식은 맛없어요 (This food is not tasty). If you say 이 음식은 안 좋아해요, it means 'I don't like this food', which is about your preference, not the food's inherent taste.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I like kimchi' in Korean?
Show a sample answer
저는 김치를 좋아해요.
This uses the subject 저는, object 김치를, and verb 좋아해요. You can omit 저는 if context is clear: 김치를 좋아해요.
2Translate to Korean: 'I don't like spicy food.'
Show a sample answer
저는 매운 음식을 안 좋아해요.
매운 음식 means 'spicy food', and 안 좋아해요 makes it negative. You could also say 저는 매운 음식을 싫어해요, but that is stronger.
3Ask your friend if they like fruit.
Show a sample answer
과일을 좋아해요?
This is a simple yes/no question. You can add 친구는 (friend) at the beginning: 친구는 과일을 좋아해요? But it's often omitted.
To express food preferences in Korean, use the pattern: (저는) + food + 을/를 + 좋아해요 (like) or 안 좋아해요 (don't like). Remember that this is about personal taste, not the food's flavor. Practice with common foods and ask others about their likes and dislikes.
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