SkarpChapter 7 of 9
Social Small Talk: Friends, Hobbies, and Feelings
Develop your ability to build rapport in Korean through small talk about interests, free time, and how you feel, including informal speech basics.
New Words and Phrases: Friends, Hobbies, and Feelings
In this step, you will learn useful words and phrases to talk about hobbies, weekend plans, and how you feel. All examples use polite Korean (-요) that is safe with most people.
| Word | Pronunciation | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 취미 | chwi-mi | hobby | 취미가 뭐예요?(What is your hobby?) |
| 시간 있을 때 | shi-gan i-sseul ttae | when (you) have time / in your free time | 시간 있을 때 뭐 해요?(What do you do when you have time?) |
| 좋아해요 | jo-a-hae-yo | (I/you) like (something) | 저는 영화 보는 거 좋아해요.(I like watching movies.) |
| 별로 안 좋아해요 | byeol-lo an jo-a-hae-yo | I don’t really like (it) | 운동은 별로 안 좋아해요.(I don’t really like exercise.) |
| 재미있어요 | jae-mi-it-ss-eo-yo (often said like 'jae-mi-sseo-yo') | it’s fun / interesting | 한국어 공부가 재미있어요.(Studying Korean is fun.) |
| 심심해요 | shim-shim-hae-yo | I’m bored | 주말에 가끔 심심해요.(I’m sometimes bored on the weekend.) |
| 피곤해요 | pi-gon-hae-yo | I’m tired | 오늘 좀 피곤해요.(I’m a bit tired today.) |
| 주말에 뭐 해요? | ju-mal-e mwo hae-yo? | What do you do on the weekend? | 보통 주말에 뭐 해요?(What do you usually do on the weekend?) |
Language Pattern: Talking About Likes and Feelings (Polite vs. Light Informal)
In this step, you will see how to:
- Talk about what you like / don’t like
- Talk about how you feel (tired, bored, etc.)
- Lightly switch from polite (-요) to informal (-어/-아) with friends
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1. Saying what you like
Basic pattern:
- Noun + 좋아해요 = "(I) like Noun"
Examples:
- 저는 영화 좋아해요.
- jeo-neun yeong-hwa jo-a-hae-yo
- I like movies.
- 저는 운동 별로 안 좋아해요.
- jeo-neun un-dong byeol-lo an jo-a-hae-yo
- I don’t really like exercise.
To ask:
- 취미가 뭐예요?
- chwi-mi-ga mwo-ye-yo?
- What is your hobby?
- 시간 있을 때 뭐 해요?
- shi-gan i-sseul ttae mwo hae-yo?
- What do you do when you have time?
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2. Talking about feelings and conditions
Use adjective + -아요 / -어요 in polite form.
Common ones from this module:
- 재미있어요.
- jae-mi-it-ss-eo-yo (jae-mi-sseo-yo)
- It’s fun / interesting.
- 피곤해요.
- pi-gon-hae-yo
- I’m tired.
- 심심해요.
- shim-shim-hae-yo
- I’m bored.
You can combine with 오늘 (today), 지금 (now), 주말에 (on the weekend):
- 오늘 좀 피곤해요.
- o-neul jom pi-gon-hae-yo
- I’m a bit tired today.
- 주말에 가끔 심심해요.
- ju-mal-e ga-kkeum shim-shim-hae-yo
- I’m sometimes bored on the weekend.
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3. Light informal with friends: -요 → drop 요
With close friends around your age, Koreans often use a light informal style. A simple, safe way to sound more casual (after you are both comfortable) is:
- Start from the polite form you know, then just drop 요.
Examples:
- 좋아해요 → 좋아해.
- jo-a-hae-yo → jo-a-hae
- (I) like it.
- 피곤해요 → 피곤해.
- pi-gon-hae-yo → pi-gon-hae
- I’m tired.
- 심심해요 → 심심해.
- shim-shim-hae-yo → shim-shim-hae
- I’m bored.
- 뭐 해요? → 뭐 해?
- mwo hae-yo? → mwo hae?
- What are you doing? / What do you do?
When can you drop 요?
- With close friends, classmates, or peers similar in age
- Usually after you both have already used informal speech
- If you’re not sure: stay with -요. Polite is always safe.
Example change in style:
- A (polite): 취미가 뭐예요?
- chwi-mi-ga mwo-ye-yo?
- What is your hobby?
- B (polite): 저는 게임 좋아해요.
- jeo-neun ge-im jo-a-hae-yo
- I like games.
Later, as friends:
- A (informal): 주말에 뭐 해?
- ju-mal-e mwo hae?
- What do you do on the weekend?
- B (informal): 보통 게임해. 재미있어.
- bo-tong ge-im-hae. jae-mi-sseo.
- I usually play games. It’s fun.
Practice Dialogue: Talking About Hobbies with a Classmate
Two classmates are taking a break after Korean class. They start with polite speech, then lightly move into informal speech as they become more friendly.
After class, two students (Minji and Alex) are chatting about hobbies and how they feel today.
알렉스 씨, 주말에 뭐 해요?
Alex, what do you do on the weekend?
보통 집에서 쉬어요. 가끔 영화 봐요. 민지 씨는요?
I usually rest at home. Sometimes I watch movies. How about you, Minji?
저는 친구들이랑 운동해요. 근데 오늘은 조금 피곤해요.
I exercise with my friends. But today I’m a little tired.
아, 그래요? 저는 지금 좀 심심해요. 시간 있을 때 뭐 해요?
Ah, really? I’m a bit bored right now. What do you do when you have time?
시간 있을 때 게임 좋아해요. 취미가 게임이에요.
When I have time, I like games. My hobby is games.
아, 저도 게임 좋아해요. 한국어 공부도 재미있어요.
Oh, I like games too. Studying Korean is fun as well.
우리 이제 말 편하게 해도 돼요. 주말에 뭐 해?
We can talk casually now. What do you do on the weekend?
응, 좋아. 보통 집에서 게임해. 진짜 재미있어.
Yeah, sounds good. I usually play games at home. It’s really fun.
Check Your Understanding: Likes, Feelings, and Style
Answer this question about the expressions from the module.
You want to politely say: “I’m a bit tired today.” Which is the best Korean sentence?
- 오늘 좀 피곤해요.
- 오늘 피곤해.
- 오늘 심심해요.
- 오늘 취미가 피곤해요.
Show Answer
Answer: A) 오늘 좀 피곤해요.
Option 1, "오늘 좀 피곤해요." (o-neul jom pi-gon-hae-yo) means "I’m a bit tired today" in polite form. Option 2 is informal (피곤해), option 3 says "I’m bored today," and option 4 is incorrect because it literally says "Today my hobby is tired."
Key Terms
- 취미
- hobby; used to ask and answer about what you like to do in your free time
- 심심해요
- I’m bored (polite); describes your feeling when you have nothing fun to do
- 좋아해요
- to like (polite); attach after a noun to say you like it
- 피곤해요
- I’m tired (polite); common way to talk about your condition
- 재미있어요
- it is fun/interesting (polite); can describe activities, classes, movies, etc.
- 시간 있을 때
- when (you) have time, in your free time; often followed by 뭐 해요? (what do you do?)
- 주말에 뭐 해요?
- What do you do on the weekend? (polite); useful small-talk question about free time
- 별로 안 좋아해요
- don’t really like (polite); a soft, natural way to say you don’t like something much