Hobbies in Korean: 좋아하다 vs 좋다, -고, and the 도 Particle
Talk about hobbies in Korean: 취미가 뭐예요?, the verb 좋아하다 vs 좋다, listing actions with -고, and the particle 도 (too) — which replaces 을/를, never stacks.
Published:
Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
To talk about hobbies in Korean, ask 취미가 뭐예요? (what is your hobby?) and answer with three tools: 좋아하다 (to like — 운동을 좋아해요), the connector -고 to chain verbs (영화도 보고 음악도 들어요 — I watch movies and listen to music), and 도 (too), the particle that replaces 을/를 instead of stacking on it. Welcome to chapter 5 — small-talk territory, where your sentences stop being single moves and start being combos.
Hobby words Koreans actually ask about
취미가 뭐예요? is a first-meeting standard, right after names and jobs. These ten words answer it:
좋아하다 or 좋다 — which one says “I like it”?
Two words, one English translation, endlessly swapped by beginners. 좋아하다 is a verb — to like — and its target takes 을/를: 음악을 좋아해요. 좋다 is an adjective — to be good, pleasing — and the thing you like becomes the subject with 이/가: 음악이 좋아요, literally “music is good (to me).”
Both are natural and constantly used; what breaks a sentence is mixing the particle sets. 음악을 좋아요 and 음악이 좋아해요 are the two classic errors. The fix is mechanical: hear 좋아요 → the particle upstream must be 이/가; hear 좋아해요 → it must be 을/를. Drill the two good pairs until the bad pairs feel itchy.
Chain your verbs with -고
영화도 보고 음악도 들어요 = I watch movies and listen to music. 주말에 요리하고 운동해요 = On weekends I cook and exercise. No vowel matching, ever — the stem takes 고 as-is: 보고, 먹고, 듣고.
You already own half of this: -고 있다 from Lesson 13 is literally this -고 plus 있다. Keep the division of labor straight, too — 하고 joins nouns (Lesson 15: 비빔밥하고 김치찌개), while -고 joins verbs and clauses. One careful footnote: 듣다 stays 듣고 with -고 but becomes 들어요 in the 해요 form — a ㄷ-irregular preview, fully explained in grade 2.
도 — me too, that too
저도 영화를 좋아해요 = I like movies too. 영화도 보고 게임도 해요 = I watch movies AND play games (both!). 도 evicts 은/는, 이/가, 을/를 and takes their seat: 커피도 ✓ — 커피를도 ✗, 저는도 ✗.
That eviction rule is the single most common 도 mistake, so make it physical: when 도 walks in, the old particle walks out — they never share the spot. And doubling 도 across a list (영화도 보고 음악도 들어요) adds a cheerful “both this and that” flavor Koreans reach for constantly when listing hobbies.
취미가 뭐예요? in the wild
The last bubble stacks the whole lesson into nine syllables of grammar: 좋아요 the adjective answering the invitation, then 저도 with 도 replacing 는, then 좋아하다 taking 를. Steal the line whole — it works in every small-talk exchange you will have this year.
FAQ
What is the difference between 좋아하다 and 좋다? 좋아하다 is a verb, “to like,” and its target takes 을/를: 음악을 좋아해요. 좋다 is an adjective, “to be good / pleasing,” and what you like becomes the subject with 이/가: 음악이 좋아요 — literally “music is good (to me).” Both translate as “I like music,” but never mix the particle sets: 음악을 좋아요 and 음악이 좋아해요 are the two classic beginner errors.
Can I say 음악을도 들어요 for “I listen to music too”? No — 도 kicks out 을/를, 은/는, and 이/가 and takes their seat: 음악도 들어요. Same with people: 저도 가요 = I am going too (never 저는도). One comfort: this rule has zero exceptions at this level, so once it clicks, it stays clicked.
Why does 듣다 become 들어요 and 듣고? 듣다 is a ㄷ-irregular verb: the final ㄷ turns into ㄹ before vowel endings — 들어요 (I listen) — but stays ㄷ before consonant endings — 듣고 (listen and…). For now just memorize the pair 들어요/듣고; the whole ㄷ-irregular family gets its own lesson in grade 2.
Next: Korean weather and comparisons. Previous: shopping in Korean — 얼마예요 and 만. Full path: curriculum hub.