Day 27: Making Decisions and Giving Opinions in Korean

 Day 27: Making Decisions and Giving Opinions in Korean

Welcome to Day 27 of your Korean language journey! Today, we’ll learn how to make decisions and give opinions in Korean.

Being able to express your opinions and make decisions is essential for conversations, whether you're discussing your preferences, deciding on an activity, or sharing your thoughts with others. In Korean, there are specific ways to express what you think and how to make decisions, which will allow you to communicate confidently and clearly.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to express your opinions, ask for others’ opinions, and make decisions in Korean.

1. Giving Opinions in Korean (의견 표현하기)

When giving your opinion in Korean, it’s important to use polite language, especially if you’re speaking to someone older or of higher status. The most common way to express opinions is by using verbs like 생각하다 (saenggakhada) – to think, and 생각이에요 (saenggak-ieyo) – to be one’s thought or opinion.

The basic structure for expressing opinions is:

[Subject] + [Verb] + [Opinion]

Examples:

  1. 저는 이 영화가 재미있다고 생각해요. (Jeoneun i yeonghwaga jaemiitdago saenggakaeyo.)
    Translation: I think this movie is interesting.

  2. 저는 그 식당이 맛있다고 생각해요. (Jeoneun geu sikdangi masitdago saenggakaeyo.)
    Translation: I think that restaurant is delicious.

  3. 저는 이 책이 너무 어렵다고 생각해요. (Jeoneun i chaegi neomu eoryeopdago saenggakaeyo.)
    Translation: I think this book is very difficult.

  • -다고 생각하다 (dago saenggakhada): This structure is used after an adjective or verb to express what you think something is like.

    Examples:

    • 쉽다고 생각해요. (Swipdago saenggakaeyo.) – I think it’s easy.

    • 멋있다고 생각해요. (Meos-ittago saenggakaeyo.) – I think it’s cool.

2. Asking for Opinions in Korean (의견 묻기)

If you want to ask for someone’s opinion or get feedback, here are some common phrases to use:

  1. 어떻게 생각해요? (Eotteoke saenggakaeyo?) – What do you think?

    • Example: 이 영화 어때요? 어떻게 생각해요? (I yeonghwa eottaeyo? Eotteoke saenggakaeyo?) – How is this movie? What do you think?

  2. 어떤 생각이에요? (Eotteon saenggak-ieyo?) – What’s your opinion?

    • Example: 이 계획에 대한 당신의 생각은 어떤 생각이에요? (I gyehoek-e daehan dangsin-ui saenggak-eun eotteon saenggak-ieyo?) – What’s your opinion about this plan?

  3. 어떻게 느껴요? (Eotteoke neukkyeoyo?) – How do you feel about it?

    • Example: 그 영화 어때요? 어떻게 느껴요? (Geu yeonghwa eottaeyo? Eotteoke neukkyeoyo?) – How do you feel about the movie?

3. Making Decisions in Korean (결정하기)

To make a decision or to express your decision in Korean, the most common expression is 결정하다 (gyeoljeonghada), which means "to decide."

The basic structure for making a decision is:

[Subject] + [Verb] + [Object] + 결정하다 (gyeoljeonghada) – [Subject] decides to [verb].

Examples:

  1. 저는 내일 여행을 갈지 결정했어요. (Jeoneun naeil yeohaengeul galji gyeoljeonghaesseoyo.)
    Translation: I decided to go on a trip tomorrow.

  2. 우리는 점심에 피자를 먹기로 결정했어요. (Urineun jeomsime pijareul meokgiro gyeoljeonghaesseoyo.)
    Translation: We decided to eat pizza for lunch.

  3. 그녀는 그 사람과 결혼하기로 결심했어요. (Geunyeoneun geu saramgwa gyeolhonhagiro gyeolsimhaesseoyo.)
    Translation: She decided to marry that person.

  • -기로 결정하다 (giro gyeoljeonghada) – used when you decide to do something. This can also be used when you and others agree on a course of action.

Examples:

  • 우리는 함께 여행을 가기로 했어요. (Urineun hamkke yeohaengeul gagiro haesseoyo.) – We decided to go on a trip together.

4. Expressing Uncertainty About a Decision (결정에 대한 불확실성 표현하기)

Sometimes, you might want to express that you’re unsure or haven’t fully made up your mind. You can use -ㄹ/을지 모르다 (-l/eulji moreuda), which means "I’m not sure whether" or "I don’t know if."

Examples:

  1. 내일 갈지 모르겠어요. (Naeil galji moreugesseoyo.)
    Translation: I’m not sure if I will go tomorrow.

  2. 이 영화를 볼지 모르겠어요. (I yeonghwareul bolji moreugesseoyo.)
    Translation: I don’t know if I will watch this movie.

  3. 이 일을 할지 말지 모르겠어요. (I ireul halji malji moreugesseoyo.)
    Translation: I’m not sure if I should do this work.

5. Practice Asking and Giving Opinions

Let’s practice using the phrases for giving opinions, asking for opinions, and making decisions:

  1. What do you think about this plan?
    이 계획에 대해 어떻게 생각해요? (I gyehoek-e daehae eotteoke saenggakaeyo?)

  2. I think this movie is really good.
    저는 이 영화가 정말 좋아요. (Jeoneun i yeonghwaga jeongmal joayo.)

  3. Let’s decide where to go next week.
    다음 주에 어디 갈지 결정해요. (Daeum jue eodi galji gyeoljeonghaeyo.)

  4. What do you want to do?
    뭐 하고 싶어요? (Mwo hago sipeoyo?)

  5. I’m not sure if I should go.
    갈지 모르겠어요. (Galji moreugesseoyo.)

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Using the Present Tense Instead of the Future Tense:
    When making decisions or giving opinions about the future, make sure to use the future tense. For example, don’t say, “내일 여행을 갈 거예요.” (Nael yeohaengeul gal geoyeyo.) instead of “내일 여행을 갈지 모르겠어요.” (Naeil yeohaengeul galji moreugesseoyo.) – the future action should be marked correctly.

  2. Overusing the Phrase “-해요 (-haeyo)”:
    Although -해요 is polite, using it too often can make your speech sound overly formal. Use it appropriately, and switch to more casual expressions when needed.

  3. Confusing “-고 싶어요 (-go sipeoyo)” and “-고 싶다 (-go sipda)”:
    -고 싶어요 (go sipeoyo) is polite, while -고 싶다 (go sipda) is informal. Make sure to use the appropriate form based on your relationship with the listener.

What’s Next? (다음은 무엇인가요?)

Tomorrow, in Day 28, we will learn about giving and following commands in Korean. You will learn how to tell others to do things politely and how to follow instructions using the appropriate verb forms!