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i gwaireun masi johayo.

이 과일은 맛이 좋아요.i gwaireun masi johayo.
This fruit tastes good.
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Questions & Answers about i gwaireun masi johayo.

Why is the topic marker 은 used in 이 과일은? Could I say 이 과일이 instead?
  • 은/는 marks the topic: what the sentence is about. 이 과일은 sets “this fruit” as the topic, often with a contrastive nuance (as for this fruit…).
  • 이/가 marks the grammatical subject. 이 과일이 맛이 좋아요 is also correct and sounds like you’re identifying which fruit has good taste (e.g., in answer to “Which fruit tastes good?”).
  • Nuance:
    • 이 과일은 맛이 좋아요: As for this fruit, its taste is good (possibly contrasting with others).
    • 이 과일이 맛이 좋아요: It’s this fruit that tastes good (focus on identification).
Why does it say 맛이 좋아요 (taste + good) instead of just 좋아요?
  • In Korean, “tastes good” is naturally expressed as 맛(=taste) + 이/가 + 좋다.
  • 좋다 is a descriptive verb meaning “to be good,” so 맛이 좋아요 literally means “the taste is good.”
  • 이 과일은 좋아요 is also grammatical, but it means “this fruit is good” in a general sense (quality/value), not specifically about taste.
What’s the difference between 맛이 좋아요 and 맛있어요?
  • 맛이 좋아요: Neutral-calm evaluation: the taste is good.
  • 맛있어요: More idiomatic and enthusiastic for food: it’s tasty/delicious.
  • In casual conversation about food, 맛있어요 is very common; 맛이 좋아요 is perfectly fine and a bit more matter-of-fact.
Can I drop the subject particle and say 맛 좋아요?
  • Yes in speech: 맛 좋아요 is common and natural in casual conversation.
  • In careful or written Korean, keep the particle: 맛이 좋아요.
Is a “double-subject” like 이 과일이 맛이 좋아요 really okay?
  • Yes. Korean often stacks a subject/topic with another subject-like noun phrase: [이 과일이] [맛이] 좋아요.
  • It emphasizes that this particular fruit is the one whose taste is good (good for answers or emphasis).
What politeness level is 좋아요? What are other forms?
  • 좋아요: Polite, standard (해요체).
  • 좋습니다: Polite, formal (합니다체).
  • 좋아: Casual/intimate.
  • Dictionary: 좋다. Exclamatory: 좋네요 (polite surprise/admiration).
How do I pronounce the sentence naturally?
  • 맛이 → [마시] (final ㅅ links to the following vowel).
  • 좋아요 → approximately [조아요] (the ㅎ is not strongly pronounced before a vowel). Don’t write it as 조아요, but that’s close to how it sounds.
  • 과일은 → [과이른].
  • Altogether: roughly [이 과이른 마시 조아요].
What’s the difference between 이, 그, and 저 in this context?
  • 이 과일: this fruit (near the speaker).
  • 그 과일: that fruit (near the listener or previously mentioned).
  • 저 과일: that fruit (far from both speaker and listener).
How do I say “I like this fruit,” and how is that different from 이 과일은 맛이 좋아요?
  • “I like this fruit”: 이 과일을 좋아해요 (좋아하다 = to like; needs an object with 을/를).
  • 이 과일은 맛이 좋아요: evaluates the fruit’s taste, not your personal liking (though they often align).
How can I intensify or soften the statement?
  • Intensify:
    • 정말/진짜 맛이 좋아요 (really)
    • 아주/매우 맛이 좋아요 (very; 매우 is more formal)
    • 되게/너무 맛이 좋아요 (very; colloquial; 너무 often means “so/really” in speech)
  • Soften:
    • 좀 맛이 좋아요 (kind of/rather good)
    • 꽤 맛이 좋아요 (quite good)
How do I negate it? Is 맛없어요 the opposite?
  • 맛이 안 좋아요: the taste is not good (mild).
  • 맛이 좋지 않아요: more formal/explicit negation.
  • 맛없어요: it’s not tasty; stronger and very common as the opposite of 맛있어요.
Can I say 이 과일의 맛이 좋아요? What about 의 omission?
  • Yes: 이 과일의 맛이 좋아요 (“the taste of this fruit is good”)—sounds more formal or written.
  • In speech, 의 is often dropped: 이 과일 맛이 좋아요.
  • Using the topic is also very natural: 이 과일은 맛이 좋아요.
Does 이 과일은 mean one piece or a kind of fruit? Do I need a plural marker?
  • Korean often leaves number unspecified. 이 과일은 can mean this specific piece or this type, depending on context.
  • You rarely need 들 for inanimate plurals. To emphasize plurality: 이 과일들은 맛이 좋아요, but context usually makes it clear without 들.
Is 좋은 맛이에요 a good alternative to 맛이 좋아요?
  • It’s grammatical: 좋은 맛이에요 = “It is a good taste/flavor.”
  • Everyday evaluations of food prefer 맛이 좋아요 or 맛있어요. 좋은 맛이에요 tends to sound like product description or a stylistic choice.