Sound Like a K-Drama Lead: Recommending Books in Korean!
Hello! This is Maeil Hangeul, here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever finished an amazing book and felt the desperate urge to share it with a friend? Today, we’re going to learn how to do just that, in natural, modern Korean! Recommending books is a great way to connect with people and share your passions.
And guess what? These days in Korea, it’s a huge trend for K-Pop idols and celebrities to share their reading lists online. This makes book recommendations a hot topic! So, let’s learn the phrases you need to join the conversation and sound like a true local.
Core Expressions You Need to Know
Here are some essential phrases to recommend your next favorite read.
1. 이 책 진짜 강추! (i chaek jin-jja gang-chu!)
- Romanization: I chaek jin-jja gang-chu!
- English Meaning: I strongly recommend this book!
- Detailed Explanation: 강추 (gang-chu) is a super common slang word you’ll hear everywhere. It’s a shortened version of 강력 추천 (gang-ryeok chu-cheon), which means “strong recommendation.” Adding 진짜 (jin-jja), which means “really,” gives it extra power. This is a very casual and friendly expression to use with your friends.
2. 완전 내 취향이야. (wan-jeon nae chwi-hyang-i-ya.)
- Romanization: Wan-jeon nae chwi-hyang-i-ya.
- English Meaning: It’s totally my style/taste.
- Detailed Explanation: 취향 (chwi-hyang) means “personal taste” or “preference.” You can use this phrase for anything you like—books, movies, music, fashion, you name it! 완전 (wan-jeon) means “completely” or “totally.” It’s the perfect way to explain why you’re recommending something so strongly. This is an informal phrase for friends.
3. 시간 가는 줄 모르고 읽었어. (si-gan ga-neun jul mo-reu-go il-geo-sseo.)
- Romanization: Sigan ganeun jul moreugo ilgeosseo.
- English Meaning: I was so absorbed in it, I lost track of time.
- Detailed Explanation: This is a beautiful, descriptive phrase that means a book was a real “page-turner.” Literally, it translates to “I read it without knowing time was going.” Use this to describe a book that was so captivating you couldn’t put it down!
4. 너도 좋아할 것 같아. (neo-do jo-a-hal geot ga-ta.)
- Romanization: Neo-do joahal geot gata.
- English Meaning: I think you’ll like it too.
- Detailed Explanation: This phrase makes your recommendation personal and thoughtful. The grammar pattern -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 (-eul geot gata) means “I think…” or “It seems like…”. By saying this, you’re showing your friend that you thought about their tastes, not just your own.
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these expressions work in a real conversation!
- A: 뭐 읽어? 재미있어?
- (Mwo ilgeo? Jaemi-isseo? / What are you reading? Is it good?)
- B: 응! 이거 요즘 인기 많은 소설이야. 이 책 진짜 강추!
- (Eung! Igeo yojeum ingi maneun soseoriya. I chaek jin-jja gang-chu! / Yeah! This is a really popular novel these days. I strongly recommend this book!)
- A: 정말? 어떤 내용인데?
- (Jeongmal? Eotteon naeyonginde? / Really? What’s it about?)
- B: 판타지 소설인데, 어젯밤에 시간 가는 줄 모르고 읽었어. 완전 내 취향이야. 너도 판타지 좋아하니까, 너도 좋아할 것 같아.
- (Pantaji soseorinde, eojetbame sigan ganeun jul moreugo ilgeosseo. Wanjeon nae chwihyang-iya. Neodo pantaji joahanikka, neodo joahal geot gata. / It’s a fantasy novel. Last night, I was so absorbed I lost track of time. It’s totally my style. Since you like fantasy too, I think you’ll like it.)
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive: The “Idol’s Bookshelf”
In Korea, when a famous K-Pop idol (like BTS’s RM or SEVENTEEN’s Wonwoo) mentions a book they’re reading on social media, it’s a huge deal! The book often becomes an instant bestseller as fans rush to read what their favorite star is reading.
This is a fun cultural trend you can participate in! You can use today’s phrases to talk about it with your Korean friends. For example:
- “이거 RM이 강추한 책이래!” (I heard this is a book RM strongly recommended!)
- “아이돌 추천 책은 다 내 취향이야.” (Books recommended by idols are all my style.)
Knowing this little cultural detail will make you sound even more like a native speaker!
Let’s Wrap It Up & Practice!
Great job, everyone! Today we learned four amazing, natural-sounding phrases to recommend books in Korean. You can now share your favorite stories and join in on one of Korea’s hottest cultural trends.
Now, let’s test your knowledge!
- Fill in the Blank: A book is so exciting that you read it all night. You can tell your friend:
“어제 ___________ 모르고 다 읽었어.” (Hint: I lost track of time!) -
Make a Sentence: Imagine you want to recommend a book to your best friend. How would you say, “I strongly recommend this book! I think you’ll like it too.” in Korean?
Don’t be shy! What book would you 강추 (gang-chu) to your friends? Leave a comment below using the phrases you learned today! We can’t wait to see your recommendations.
