Level 2 · Basic Conversation
Learn to talk about your hobbies, express what you like and dislike, and say what you want to do.
13 words · tap 🔊 to hear native-speaker pronunciation
Welcome to Level 2! In Level 1, you learned survival Korean -- greetings, numbers, ordering food, and getting around. Now it's time to go deeper. Level 2 is all about expressing yourself: your personality, your feelings, and your life.
In this first unit, you'll learn to talk about your hobbies and interests. This is one of the most common conversation topics when making Korean friends. You'll also learn two powerful grammar patterns: how to say "I want to..." and how to turn verbs into nouns (like "singing" or "cooking"). Let's get started!
hobby
취미가 뭐예요?What is your hobby?
💡 Memory tip: "Chimi" sounds like "cheeky me" -- your hobby is the cheeky, fun thing you do for yourself!
Pronunciation: 취 is pronounced with an aspirated ㅊ. The ㅟ vowel sounds like "wee."
exercise / sports
저는 운동을 좋아해요.I like exercise.
💡 Memory tip: "Un-dong" -- think of "undoing" your laziness by working out!
Pronunciation: Both syllables have the ㅗ→ㅜ nasal vowel. 운 = [un], 동 = [dong].
movie
주말에 영화를 봤어요.I watched a movie on the weekend.
💡 Memory tip: "Young-hwa" -- young people love watching movies (hwa sounds like "wow")!
Pronunciation: ㅇ at the end of 영 is the nasal [ng] sound. 화 blends ㅎ+ㅘ smoothly.
music
음악 듣는 것을 좋아해요.I like listening to music.
💡 Memory tip: "Eu-mak" -- "Ooh, music!" The "eu" sound is like a surprised reaction to a great song.
Pronunciation: 음 ends with the nasal ㅁ [m]. 악 is pronounced [ak] with a clear final ㄱ.
song / singing
한국 노래를 자주 들어요.I often listen to Korean songs.
💡 Memory tip: "No-rae" -- "No way!" you say when you hear how good Korean songs are!
travel
여행을 자주 가요?Do you travel often?
💡 Memory tip: "Yeo-haeng" -- imagine "yeah, hang out" in different countries while traveling!
Pronunciation: ㅎ in 행 is clearly aspirated. The ㅐ vowel in 행 sounds like "ae" in "airplane."
reading (books)
독서가 취미예요.Reading is my hobby.
💡 Memory tip: "Dok-seo" -- think of reading a "doc" (document/book) while sitting "so" comfortably.
Pronunciation: ㄱ at the end of 독 is unreleased [k] before ㅅ. 서 sounds like "seo."
cooking
한국 요리를 배우고 싶어요.I want to learn Korean cooking.
💡 Memory tip: "Yo-ri" -- "Yo! Really?" That's what people say when they taste your amazing Korean cooking!
game
친구하고 게임을 해요.I play games with my friend.
💡 Memory tip: This is a loanword from English "game"! Written in Korean as 게임.
Pronunciation: This is a Konglish (English loanword) word. 게 = "ge" and 임 = "im."
drawing / painting
그림 그리는 것을 좋아해요.I like drawing pictures.
💡 Memory tip: "Geu-rim" -- imagine drawing on the "rim" of a cup. "Geu" (그) is like "that" in Korean, so it's "that rim" you drew on!
Pronunciation: ㄹ in 림 is pronounced as a flapped [r] between vowels, similar to the "tt" in "butter."
to like
저는 한국 음식을 좋아해요.I like Korean food.
💡 Memory tip: "Jo-a-ha-da" -- "Jo-ah!" is like exclaiming "So good!" when you like something.
Pronunciation: 좋 has a silent ㅎ when followed by 아 -- 좋아 is pronounced [조아], not [좋하].
to dislike
저는 매운 음식을 싫어해요.I dislike spicy food.
💡 Memory tip: "Si-reo-ha-da" -- "Sir, oh!" Imagine politely telling someone "Sir, oh, I don't like that!"
Pronunciation: 싫 has a ㅎ final consonant. 싫어 is pronounced [시러] -- the ㅎ merges with the following vowel.
interest
한국 문화에 관심이 있어요.I have an interest in Korean culture.
💡 Memory tip: "Gwan-sim" -- think "I've gone sim(ilar)" to this topic, meaning you keep coming back because you're interested!
Pronunciation: ㄱㅘ in 관 is a rounded "gwa" sound. 심 ends with a nasal ㅁ [m].
Koreans have a vibrant and social approach to hobbies! Here are some uniquely Korean leisure experiences:
-- PC방 (PC bang): Internet and gaming cafes are everywhere in Korea. For a few thousand won per hour, you get a high-end gaming PC, snacks, and drinks. It's a massive part of Korean gaming culture and the birthplace of esports.
-- 노래방 (noraebang): Korean-style karaoke rooms where you rent a private room with friends instead of singing in front of strangers. Singing is a huge part of social life -- even company gatherings (회식) often end at a noraebang.
-- 한강 (Han River): Seoul's iconic river is a favorite spot for cycling, picnicking with chicken and beer (치맥), and just hanging out on the riverside parks. Delivery food straight to the riverbank is common!
-- 등산 (deungsan): Hiking is practically a national pastime. Korea has mountains everywhere, and weekend trails are packed with hikers of all ages wearing colorful gear. Many Koreans hike weekly as both exercise and socializing.
-- Webtoons & K-drama: Binge-reading webtoons on apps like Naver Webtoon and watching K-dramas are among the most popular leisure activities. Koreans often discuss the latest episodes as a way of bonding.
When someone asks "취미가 뭐예요?" it's one of the most common icebreakers. Having a hobby you can talk about is a great way to connect!
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