마음에 들다.
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Like / Be pleased with.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use '마음에 들다' to express that something fits your taste or satisfies you perfectly.
- Means: To like something or find it agreeable (literally 'to enter the heart').
- Used in: Shopping for clothes, receiving gifts, or meeting someone you like.
- Don't confuse: With '좋아하다', which is a general 'to like' regardless of first impressions.
Explanation at your level:
Signification
To find something agreeable or to be satisfied with it.
Contexte culturel
When receiving a gift, it is polite to say '마음에 들어요' even if it's not your favorite thing, to show appreciation for the giver's effort in choosing something for your 'heart'. In Korean business, a boss saying '마음에 듭니다' about a report is the highest form of simple praise, indicating the work aligns with the company's vision. On a 'Sogaeting' (blind date), if someone says '그쪽이 마음에 들어요,' it is a very direct and clear green light for a second date. Koreans use this phrase frequently when house hunting. A house isn't just a building; it must 'enter the heart' to become a home.
Shorten it!
In 90% of casual conversations, Koreans say '맘에 들어' instead of '마음에 들어'.
Particle Alert
Never use '를' with this phrase. It's always '이/가 마음에 들다'.
Signification
To find something agreeable or to be satisfied with it.
Shorten it!
In 90% of casual conversations, Koreans say '맘에 들어' instead of '마음에 들어'.
Particle Alert
Never use '를' with this phrase. It's always '이/가 마음에 들다'.
The 'Third Person' Rule
If you say 'He likes it,' use '마음에 들어 해요' instead of '마음에 들어요'.
Polite Dissatisfaction
If you don't like something, saying '제 스타일이 아니에요' (It's not my style) is often softer than '마음에 안 들어요'.
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct particle for the object you like.
이 구두___ 마음에 들어요.
The object being liked is the subject of '마음에 들다', so it needs the subject marker '이/가'.
Choose the most natural response to a gift.
친구: '이 선물 어때?' 나: '_________________'
The standard idiom is '마음에 들다'.
Complete the dialogue in a formal setting.
A: 새로 이사한 집은 어떠십니까? B: 네, 아주 _________________.
In a formal setting (indicated by '어떠십니까'), the '-습니다' ending is most appropriate.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
When you absolutely love something and it fits perfectly, you say:
'쏙' adds the nuance of 'perfectly' or 'completely'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
마음에 들다 vs 좋아하다
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsYes! It means you find them attractive or agreeable. It's common in dating or professional contexts.
'마음에 들다' is a reaction to a specific thing's qualities. '좋아하다' is a general feeling of liking.
Use '마음에 안 들어요' or '마음에 들지 않아요'.
Yes, but use the formal form: '마음에 듭니다'.
Usually, you'd say '맛있어요' (delicious). Use '마음에 들다' for the restaurant or the presentation.
Because the heart is the location/destination that the object enters.
It's an onomatopoeia for something fitting perfectly or popping in easily. It means 'I love it!'.
Yes: '마음에 들었어요' (I liked it).
No, it's just a common contraction used in standard casual speech.
Use '좋아하다'. You don't say 'I like swimming' with '마음에 들다'.
No, that would be '마음에 새기다' (to carve in the heart) or '기억하다'.
Yes, it is a standard Korean expression used across the peninsula.
Expressions liées
마음에 쏙 들다
specialized formTo love something perfectly
좋아하다
similarTo like
만족하다
similarTo be satisfied
마음에 차다
similarTo be satisfied/enough
눈에 차다
similarTo be good enough for one's eyes
취향저격
slangSniping one's taste
Où l'utiliser
Shopping for a dress
Clerk: 이 원피스 어떠세요?
Customer: 정말 마음에 들어요. 이걸로 살게요.
Receiving a birthday gift
Friend: 생일 축하해! 선물이야.
You: 와, 고마워! 진짜 맘에 들어!
After a blind date
Matchmaker: 오늘 만난 분 어땠어요?
User: 성격이 참 마음에 들었어요.
Looking at a new office
Manager: 새 사무실은 어떠십니까?
Employee: 네, 아주 마음에 듭니다. 깨끗하네요.
Ordering at a cafe
Barista: 추천해 드린 커피는 입에 맞으세요?
Customer: 네, 향이 정말 마음에 들어요.
Reviewing a design
Designer: 수정된 로고입니다.
Client: 이 부분이 조금 마음에 안 드네요. 다시 해주세요.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of your heart as a VIP club. Only things you really like are allowed to 'enter' (들다) the 'heart' (마음).
Visual Association
Imagine a small red heart-shaped box. When you see something you like, a tiny version of that object flies through the air and lands perfectly inside the box.
Rhyme
Ma-eum-e deul-da, you're the star, I like you just the way you are!
Story
You are walking through a magical forest (your mind). You see a beautiful golden apple. You pick it up and place it inside your chest. Now, the apple is 'in your heart' (마음에 들다). You feel happy and satisfied.
Word Web
Défi
Go to an online shopping site (like Coupang or Gmarket) and find 5 items. For each one, say out loud: '이거 마음에 들어요' or '이거 마음에 안 들어요'.
In Other Languages
Me gusta / Me cae bien
Spanish separates people and objects; Korean uses one phrase for both.
Ça me plaît
French doesn't use the 'heart' metaphor as explicitly in this common phrase.
Es gefällt mir
German 'gefallen' is a single verb, while Korean is a multi-word idiom.
気に入る (Ki ni iru)
Japanese uses 'ki' (energy/spirit) while Korean uses 'ma-eum' (heart/mind).
يعجبني (Yu'jibuni)
Arabic lacks the 'entering a container' spatial metaphor.
中意 (Zhòngyì)
Chinese focuses on the 'target' while Korean focuses on the 'container'.
맴에 든다 (Maem-e deunda)
Just a phonetic variation used in southern provinces.
Gostar de / Ir com a cara
Portuguese is much more informal when using the 'face' metaphor.
Easily Confused
Both mean 'to like'.
Use '마음에 들다' for a reaction to something specific you see or receive. Use '좋아하다' for general interests like 'I like movies.'
Both start with '마음'.
'들뜨다' means to be excited or restless, not to like something.
FAQ (12)
Yes! It means you find them attractive or agreeable. It's common in dating or professional contexts.
'마음에 들다' is a reaction to a specific thing's qualities. '좋아하다' is a general feeling of liking.
Use '마음에 안 들어요' or '마음에 들지 않아요'.
Yes, but use the formal form: '마음에 듭니다'.
Usually, you'd say '맛있어요' (delicious). Use '마음에 들다' for the restaurant or the presentation.
Because the heart is the location/destination that the object enters.
It's an onomatopoeia for something fitting perfectly or popping in easily. It means 'I love it!'.
Yes: '마음에 들었어요' (I liked it).
No, it's just a common contraction used in standard casual speech.
Use '좋아하다'. You don't say 'I like swimming' with '마음에 들다'.
No, that would be '마음에 새기다' (to carve in the heart) or '기억하다'.
Yes, it is a standard Korean expression used across the peninsula.
