What’s Your Pet Doing? Korean for Animal Lovers!
Hello! Welcome to [Daily Hangul], where we upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever wanted to post a picture of your cute pet on social media with a Korean caption? Or maybe tell a Korean friend what your furry companion is up to? Today, we’re going to learn some simple but super useful phrases to describe what animals are doing.
Lately in Korea, sharing cute videos of pets, especially “먹방 (meokbang)” (eating shows) starring dogs and cats, has become a huge trend on social media. You’ll learn exactly how to describe those adorable moments in Korean today! Let’s get started!
Core Expressions You Need to Know
Here are three essential expressions to talk about your pet’s daily activities.
1. 자요 (jayo)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: jayo
- English Meaning: is sleeping / sleeps
- Detailed Explanation: This is the standard polite way to say something or someone is sleeping. It comes from the basic verb 자다 (jada), which means “to sleep.” You can use this for people, dogs, cats, or any animal taking a nap!
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: The Korean letter ‘ㅈ’ (j) is a sound that’s somewhere between an English ‘j’ and ‘ch’. Try to make the sound at the front of your mouth. It’s softer than the ‘j’ in “jump.”
2. 먹어요 (meogeoyo)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: meogeoyo
- English Meaning: is eating / eats
- Detailed Explanation: This is the standard polite form of the verb 먹다 (meokda), meaning “to eat.” It’s one of the most common verbs in Korean! When your pet is having a meal or a snack, this is the perfect word to use.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: The ‘어’ (eo) vowel sound can be tricky. It sounds like the ‘o’ in the English word “song” or “awe,” but without rounding your lips. For the ‘ㄱ’ (g) sound in the middle of the word, make it softer than you would at the beginning of a word, almost like a soft ‘g’.
3. 뭐 해요? (mwo haeyo?)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: mwo haeyo?
- English Meaning: What are you doing? / What is it doing?
- Detailed Explanation: This is an incredibly useful question. 뭐 (mwo) means “what” and 해요 (haeyo) means “do/does.” You can ask your friend “뭐 해요?” or you can point to a pet and ask the same question to know what it’s doing.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: In natural, fast conversation, the ‘ㅎ’ (h) sound in 해요 (haeyo) can become very soft or even silent. So, you might hear it sound more like [mwo aeyo]. Don’t be surprised if you hear this!
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these expressions are used in a real conversation. Imagine two friends are looking at a pet picture on a phone.
A: Look at this picture of my puppy, Bori!
(내 강아지 보리 사진 좀 봐!)
B: Aww, so cute! 뭐 해요? (mwo haeyo?)
A: He’s sleeping now. 지금 자요 (jayo).
B: He looks so peaceful. What about your cat?
(정말 평화로워 보인다. 고양이는?)
A: She’s eating her snack! 간식 먹어요 (meogeoyo).
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
In Korea, pets are often considered part of the family. They are called 반려동물 (ballyeodongmul), which means “companion animal.” This term shows the deep love and connection people have with their pets.
When Korean pet owners post on Instagram or TikTok, they often use special hashtags!
* For dogs: #멍스타그램 (meong-stagram). “멍멍 (meongmeong)” is the sound a dog makes in Korean, like “woof woof.”
* For cats: #냥스타그램 (nyang-stagram). “야옹 (yaong)” is the sound a cat makes, and “냥 (nyang)” is a cute short version.
Next time you post a picture of your napping dog, try using the caption “우리 강아지 자요” (Uri gangaji jayo – My puppy is sleeping) with the hashtag #멍스타그램. You’ll look just like a Korean pet owner!
Let’s Wrap It Up & Practice!
Great job today! You learned three key phrases to talk about what animals are doing:
* 자요 (jayo) – is sleeping
* 먹어요 (meogeoyo) – is eating
* 뭐 해요? (mwo haeyo?) – What is it doing?
Now it’s time to practice!
Quick Quiz: Your cat is eating its food. What would you say in Korean?
1. 고양이가 자요. (Goyangiga jayo.)
2. 고양이가 먹어요. (Goyangiga meogeoyo.)
(The answer is 2!)
Now it’s your turn! Leave a comment below describing what your pet is doing right now using one of the phrases you learned today! We can’t wait to read them
