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Questions & Answers about badareul johahaeyo.
What is the role of 바다를 in this sentence?
The particle 를 marks the direct object of the transitive verb 좋아해요. It indicates what is being liked—in this case, 바다 (the sea). Because 바다 ends in a vowel, we attach 를 (not 을).
Why is 좋아해요 used here instead of an adjective?
In Korean, 좋아하다 is a verb meaning “to like.” You conjugate it like any other 하다-verb: 좋아해요 is the polite present tense. There is no separate adjective for “to like” in Korean.
Why is the subject omitted in 바다를 좋아해요?
Korean often drops subjects when they’re clear from context. Here, the default subject is “I,” so (저는) 바다를 좋아해요 means “I like the sea.” You can add 저는 or 나는 if you want to be explicit.
Can I say 나는 바다를 좋아해요 instead?
Yes. Adding 나는 (plain) or 저는 (polite) explicitly marks the subject “I.” Both are grammatically correct: 저는 바다를 좋아해요 or 나는 바다를 좋아해요.
Why 좋아해요 and not 좋아해?
좋아해요 uses the polite -요 ending. 좋아해 is the casual present tense you’d use with close friends or younger people. If you’re speaking politely to strangers or superiors, you use 좋아해요.
Could I say 바다 좋아해요 without the particle?
In casual speech, native speakers sometimes drop particles: 바다 좋아해(요). It’s more common in fast, informal conversation. However, in formal or written Korean, you should keep 를 to avoid ambiguity.
How do I ask “Do you like the sea?” using this structure?
Turn it into a question by raising the intonation: 바다를 좋아해요? If you want to be extra polite, you can use -세요: 바다를 좋아하세요?
What’s the difference between 바다를 좋아해요 and 바다가 좋아요?
바다를 좋아해요 literally means “I like the sea,” using a verb. 바다가 좋아요 uses 좋다 (“to be good”) with 바다 as the subject, so “the sea is good.” While they often overlap, 바다가 좋아요 can sound like a comment on the sea’s qualities rather than a statement of personal preference.