eotteon saegeul johahaeyo?

Which color do you like?

Breakdown of eotteon saegeul johahaeyo?

• ~을: object particle
• 좋아하다: to like
• 어떤: which
• 색: color

Questions & Answers about eotteon saegeul johahaeyo?

What exactly does 어떤 mean here, and how is it different from 무슨 or 어느?

• 어떤: what kind of/which (open-ended; asking about qualities or preference). Very natural here.
• 무슨: what/which (neutral for categories). 무슨 색(을) 좋아해요? is just as common as 어떤 색(을) 좋아해요?.
• 어느: which (choosing from a known, limited set). Use when you’re pointing to options: 이 중에 어느 색이 좋아요?

Why is it 색을 and not 색를?

Korean object particles alternate by final sound:

• Noun ending in a consonant + 을: 색을, 책을
• Noun ending in a vowel + 를: 사과를, 노래를

색 ends with a consonant (ㄱ), so you use 을.

Can I drop the object particle and say 어떤 색 좋아해요? Is that natural?

Yes. In everyday speech, 을/를 is often omitted when the meaning is clear. 어떤 색 좋아해요? sounds perfectly natural and slightly more casual than 어떤 색을 좋아해요?

Why 좋아해요 and not 좋아요? What’s the difference between 좋아하다 and 좋다?

• 좋아하다 is a verb meaning “to like” and takes an object with 을/를: 색을 좋아해요.
• 좋다 is a descriptive verb “to be good/to be liked,” and the liked thing takes 이/가: 색이 좋아요. Both can express preference, but the structure changes:
• Preference via 좋아하다: 어떤 색(을) 좋아해요?
• Preference via 좋다: 어떤 색이 좋아요?

Is 어떤 색이 좋아요? also correct for asking “Which color do you like?”

Yes. Koreans often use X가 좋아요 to mean “I like X.” 어떤 색이 좋아요? can mean “Which color do you like?” and is also used when choosing among visible options (“Which color is good?”). Context and intonation decide the nuance.

What level of politeness is -해요, and how do I change the formality?

• Casual: 어떤 색 좋아해?
• Friendly to younger: 어떤 색 좋아하니?
• Polite (neutral): 어떤 색(을) 좋아해요?
• Honorific (to respected person): 어떤 색(을) 좋아하세요? (adds -시-)
• Formal/polite: 어떤 색(을) 좋아합니까?

When should I use the honorific -시- (as in 좋아하세요)?

Use -시- when the subject is someone you should respect (teacher, customer, elder). If you’re asking them about their own preference, honorify the verb: 선생님은 어떤 색을 좋아하세요?

Do I need to say “you”? Is 당신 okay here?

You normally omit “you.” Don’t use 당신 in everyday conversation; it often sounds rude or intimate. Use the person’s name/title + -은/는, or omit the subject:

• 민수 씨는 어떤 색을 좋아해요?
• (Subject omitted) 어떤 색(을) 좋아해요?

How do I pronounce the whole sentence naturally?

• 어떤: [eo-tteon] (tense ㅌ sound on ㅆ-like “tt”)
• 색을: [sae-geul] (the ㄱ carries over: 새글)
• 좋아해요: [joa-hae-yo] (often smoothed to [joaheyo]) Use a rising intonation at the end for the question.

Can I change the word order, like 좋아해요 어떤 색을?

No. Korean is typically SOV, so the object comes before the verb. Keep:

• 어떤 색(을) 좋아해요? Reordering the object after the verb sounds unnatural here.

Are 색 and 색깔 the same? Which should I use?

Both mean “color.”

• 색: Sino-Korean, short, common in compounds and very common in this question.
• 색깔: native noun, slightly more concrete/colloquial. Here, both are fine: 어떤 색(깔)을 좋아해요?

How do I ask “Which color do you like better/most?”

• Better: 어떤 색을 더 좋아해요?
• Most: 어떤 색을 가장/제일 좋아해요?

How do I say “What’s your favorite color?” more literally?

• 좋아하는 색이 뭐예요?
• 가장 좋아하는 색은 뭐예요? Both are very natural.

Is there another verb besides 좋아하다 that sounds natural?

Yes, 마음에 들다 (“appeal to, please”):

• 어떤 색이 마음에 들어요? This uses 이/가 because the color is the subject that “enters the heart.”

Can I use color nouns like 파랑/빨강/노랑, or should I say 파란색/빨간색/노란색?

Both are fine.

• Noun forms: 파랑/빨강/노랑 (e.g., 파랑을 좋아해요)
• “X-colored” + 색: 파란색/빨간색/노란색 (e.g., 파란색을 좋아해요) Everyday speech favors 파란색/빨간색/노란색, but 파랑/빨강/노랑 is also correct.

Does 어떤 ever mean “some/certain”? Does that apply here?

Yes, 어떤 can mean “some/certain” in statements (e.g., 어떤 사람 = “a certain person”). In questions like 어떤 색을 좋아해요?, it’s the interrogative “which/what kind of,” not “some.”