jeoneun suyeongeul johahaeyo.

I like swimming.

Breakdown of jeoneun suyeongeul johahaeyo.

• ~을: object particle
• 저: I
• ~는: topic particle
• 좋아하다: to like
• 수영: swimming

Questions & Answers about jeoneun suyeongeul johahaeyo.

Why is 저는 used here instead of 나?

저 is the polite/humble form of “I,” while 나 is casual/informal. In everyday conversation, especially with people you don’t know well or in a polite setting, you use 저. The particle -는 then marks it as the topic (“As for me…”).

What does the particle -는 do in 저는?

-는 is the topic marker. It sets 저 (“I”) as the topic of the sentence, indicating that what follows is about you. It can also imply contrast (e.g., “As for me…” vs. someone else).

Why do we say 수영을 instead of 수영이 or just 수영?

Because 좋아하다 is a transitive verb (“to like”), it takes an object. Objects in Korean require the particle -을/를 (here -을 after the vowel). 수영을 therefore means “swimming” is the thing you like. If you used 수영이, you’d be marking swimming as the subject instead.

What’s the difference between 수영을 좋아해요 and 수영이 좋아요?

• 수영을 좋아해요 uses 좋아하다 (a transitive verb) with 수영 as its object: “I like swimming.”
• 수영이 좋아요 uses 좋다 (an intransitive adjective/verb): “Swimming is good.” Contextually it often also means “I like swimming,” but grammatically the thing you like becomes the subject.

What does the -요 ending in 좋아해요 signify?

The -요 ending makes the sentence polite and is part of the 해요 style. It’s appropriate for everyday polite conversation. Without -요, you’d be using an informal style (e.g., 좋아해).

Why is the verb 좋아해요 placed at the end of the sentence?

Korean follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. You first state the topic/subject (저는), then the object (수영을), and finally the verb (좋아해요).

Can 저는 be omitted so it’s just 수영을 좋아해요?

Yes. Korean often drops the topic/subject when it’s clear from context. 수영을 좋아해요 on its own still means “I like swimming,” assuming the listener knows you’re talking about yourself.