Learn Hardcore Korean: jeoneun chikineul johahaeyo.

는 after 저 marks the topic: “as for me…”.
을 after 치킨 marks the direct object of the verb 좋아하다 (“to like”). Korean uses particles instead of word order to show each word’s role.

Why is it 저는 and not 제가?

저는 sets “me” as the topic in a neutral, non-contrasty way: “As for me, I like chicken.” 제가 uses the subject marker 가 and is used when you’re emphasizing or contrasting the subject (“I’m the one who likes chicken,” as opposed to someone else). Both are grammatically fine; nuance determines which sounds more natural in context.

Why 을 after 치킨 and not 를?

을/를 is one particle with two “shapes.” Use 을 after a noun ending in a consonant (치킨 ends in ㄴ), and 를 after a noun ending in a vowel (피자 → 피자를).

Why 좋아해요 and not 좋아요?

좋아하다 is the verb “to like” and takes an object with 을/를. 좋다 is an adjective “to be good,” which typically pairs with the subject marker 이/가. So:

저는 치킨을 좋아해요 = I like chicken.
치킨이 좋아요 = Chicken is good / I like chicken (natural in Korean, but the grammar is different; it treats “chicken” as the subject).

Can I drop the particles in casual speech?

Often, yes. You’ll hear 치킨 좋아해요 or even 좋아해요 when context is clear. Dropping particles is common in conversation, but keep them in mind for clarity and in writing or formal speech.

What level of politeness is -해요, and what are other forms?

좋아해요: polite, everyday (you’d use this with most people).
좋아합니다: formal polite (presentational, announcements, business).
좋아해: casual/informal (with close friends or younger people).
좋아해요? becomes a polite question by intonation alone.

How do I say it in the negative?

Two common ways:

안 좋아해요 = I don’t like (short, everyday).
좋아하지 않아요 = I do not like (slightly more formal/emphatic). Both are correct; 안 is a handy adverb you can place before many verbs.

How do I ask “Do you like chicken?” politely or with extra respect?

Polite: 치킨 좋아해요?
With honorific for the subject “you”: 치킨 좋아하세요? (adds -시- to respect the other person). If you include the person as topic: 선생님은 치킨 좋아하세요?

How is the pronunciation?

저는 ≈ “jeo-neun” (the ㅎ in 저 isn’t there; ㅎ is only in 좋다).
치킨을 ≈ “chikin-eul” (the final ㄴ of 치킨 links smoothly: “chi-ki-neul”).
좋아해요 ≈ “jo-a-hae-yo” (ㅎ in 좋 is silent at the end; it sounds like “joa-haeyo”). Romanization: jeoneun chikin-eul joahaeyo.

Can the word order change?

Yes. Korean is flexible as long as the verb goes at the end:

저는 치킨을 좋아해요 (most neutral)
치킨을 저는 좋아해요 (emphasizes the object) You can also drop elements if understood: 치킨을 좋아해요 / 치킨 좋아해요 / 좋아해요.

What’s the difference between 저 and 나?

Both mean “I,” but 저 is the humble/polite form and 나 is casual. In polite speech you’d say 저는 … 좋아해요; with friends you’d say 나 … 좋아해. Don’t mix levels within the same sentence unless you know the nuance you want.

Does 치킨 mean any chicken?

In everyday Korean, 치킨 usually means fried chicken (often the Korean fried chicken style). For the animal, use 닭; for chicken meat in general, 닭고기. So “I like chicken (as a dish)” fits 치킨을 좋아해요, while “I like chicken meat” is 닭고기를 좋아해요.

How can I say “I like chicken too”?

저도 치킨을 좋아해요 = I also (like others do) like chicken.
저는 치킨도 좋아해요 = I like chicken too (among other foods I like). 도 attaches to the word you mean to mark as “also.”

Is 좋아해요 written as one word? What about spacing with particles?

Yes, 좋아해요 is one word (it’s the conjugated form of the single dictionary verb 좋아하다). Particles attach to the preceding word with no space: 저는, 치킨을. So the standard spacing is: 저는 치킨을 좋아해요.

How is 좋아해요 formed from 좋아하다?

좋아하다 (stem: 좋아하-) + the polite ending -아요/어요 gives 좋아해요 because 하 + 여/어요 contracts to 해요. This 하 → 해 contraction is regular for 하다 verbs (공부해요, 일해요, 전화해요, etc.).

Is 좋아하다 strong like “love”? What if I want to intensify?

좋아하다 is “to like.” For food, 사랑하다 (“to love”) sounds odd. To strengthen, add an adverb:

정말/진짜/아주/너무 좋아해요 = I really/very much like it.