Korean for Beginners: Talking About Pets and Pet Stories
Learn to say you have a dog named Max, call yourself a cat person, and share simple pet stories in polite Korean using 있어요, 좋아해요, and -고 싶어요.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn how to talk about pets in polite Korean. You will use 있어요 (isseoyo) to say you have a pet, 좋아해요 (joahaeyo) to say you like a kind of animal, and -고 싶어요 (-go sipeoyo) to say what kind of pet you want. You will also learn how to give a pet's name with 이름은 ...예요/이에요 (ireumeun ...yeyo/ieyo) and how to tell a short pet story in the past tense. Korean does not use articles like a or the, and it does not mark nouns as singular or plural in everyday speech, so 개 있어요 can mean 'I have a dog' or 'I have dogs' depending on context. Focus on the patterns and the polite -요 endings, and you will be able to hold a simple conversation about animals.
By the end, you can…
- say that I have a pet and give its name in polite Korean.
- say which animals I like and which pet I want.
- tell a short, simple story about a pet using past tense.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
저는 강아지가 있어요.
I have a dog.
jeo-neun gang-aji-ga i-sseo-yo
Polite everyday form. 강아지 means 'dog' or 'puppy'; the subject particle 가 marks the dog as the thing that exists.
이름은 맥스예요.
Its name is Max.
i-reu-meun maek-seu-ye-yo
Use 예요 after a vowel and 이에요 after a consonant. 맥스 ends in a vowel sound, so 예요 is correct.
저는 고양이를 좋아해요.
I like cats.
jeo-neun go-yang-i-reul jo-a-hae-yo
The object particle 를 marks 고양이. Korean does not add a plural ending here, so this can also mean 'I like cats' in general.
저는 고양이 집사예요.
I'm a cat person.
jeo-neun go-yang-i jip-sa-ye-yo
집사 literally means a butler who serves a cat; it is a playful, common way to say 'cat person' in modern Korean.
저는 강아지를 키워요.
I raise a dog. / I have a dog.
jeo-neun gang-aji-reul ki-wo-yo
키우다 means to raise or keep an animal. This is the natural verb for owning and caring for a pet.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern for owning a pet is noun + 가/이 있어요. Use 가 after a vowel and 이 after a consonant: 강아지가 있어요 (I have a dog), 고양이가 있어요 (I have a cat), 토끼가 있어요 (I have a rabbit). To say you do not have one, change 있어요 to 없어요: 강아지가 없어요. To ask a friend, say 강아지가 있어요? with a rising intonation. For liking, use noun + 를/을 좋아해요: 고양이를 좋아해요 (I like cats), 강아지를 좋아해요 (I like dogs). For wanting, use verb stem + 고 싶어요: 강아지를 키우고 싶어요 (I want to have a dog).
When to use it
Use 있어요 when you are stating a fact about your household, and 키워요 when you want to emphasize that you care for the animal. Use 좋아해요 for general preferences, and 집사예요 or 애호가예요 when you want to describe your identity as an animal lover. When you tell a story about the past, change the final verb: 어제 강아지랑 산책했어요 (Yesterday I took a walk with my dog). The word 랑 means 'with' and attaches directly to the noun. For a pet's name, say 이름은 맥스예요. If the name ends in a consonant, use 이에요, as in 이름은 민준이에요; if it ends in a vowel sound, use 예요, as in 이름은 철수예요.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
집에서 뭐 키워요?
What do you keep at home?ji-be-seo mwo ki-wo-yo?저는 강아지를 키워요. 이름은 맥스예요.
I have a dog. Its name is Max.jeo-neun gang-aji-reul ki-wo-yo. i-reu-meun maek-seu-ye-yo.맥스는 뭐를 좋아해요?
What does Max like?maek-seu-neun mwo-reul jo-a-hae-yo?맥스는 산책을 좋아해요. 매일 공원에 가요.
Max likes walks. We go to the park every day.maek-seu-neun san-chae-geul jo-a-hae-yo. mae-il gong-wo-ne ga-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean, pet talk often uses affectionate, slightly playful vocabulary. 집사 (butler) is widely used by cat owners as a humorous self-description, while 강아지 mom or 아빠 (dog mom or dad) is common among dog owners. Koreans may also use the honorific -분 when referring to other people's pets in a polite context, but this is optional. Avoid calling a pet it in Korean; use the animal's name or the word 아이 (the little one) for warmth.
One thing to watch for
Saying 저는 고양이가 좋아해요 to mean 'I like cats.'
Try this instead: Use the object particle 를/을 with 좋아해요: 저는 고양이를 좋아해요. The pattern noun + 가/이 좋아해요 is not standard for 'I like'; it would sound like the cat is the one doing the liking. If you want to say 'Cats are good,' say 고양이가 좋아요, which uses the adjective 좋아요, not the verb 좋아해요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I have a cat' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
저는 고양이가 있어요.
This uses the subject particle 가 after the vowel-ending noun 고양이 and the polite 있어요. You may also say 저는 고양이를 키워요 if you want to emphasize that you care for it.
2How do you say 'I want to have a dog'?
Show a sample answer
저는 강아지를 키우고 싶어요.
The verb stem 키우- plus -고 싶어요 expresses 'want to.' You can also say 강아지가 있었으면 좋겠어요 for a softer wish, but the -고 싶어요 pattern is the most direct.
3What is the difference between 좋아요 and 좋아해요?
Show a sample answer
좋아요 is an adjective meaning 'is good' or 'I like it' when the subject is the thing; 좋아해요 is a verb meaning 'like' and takes an object marked by 를/을.
For example, 고양이가 좋아요 means 'Cats are good' or 'I like cats' with the cat as subject, while 고양이를 좋아해요 clearly means 'I like cats' with the cat as object. Both can be correct, but the particle changes the grammar.
Use 있어요 for having a pet, 키워요 for raising one, 좋아해요 for liking animals, and -고 싶어요 for wanting a pet. Give a name with 이름은 ...예요/이에요, and keep your polite -요 endings throughout.
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