Jipsuni or Inssa? Describe Your Personality with Hobbies in Korean!

Hello! This is [Maeil Hangeul], here to upgrade your Korean skills!

Have you ever wanted to introduce yourself in Korean beyond just your name and nationality? Today, we’re going to learn how to talk about your hobbies in a way that truly expresses your personality! This is super useful when making new Korean friends.

And guess what? These days in Korea, everyone is talking about their personality, especially their MBTI type! We’ll connect our lesson to this hot trend so you can sound natural and up-to-date. Let’s get started!

Core Expressions You Need to Know

Here are some essential phrases to talk about your hobbies and personality like a native speaker.

1. -는 걸 좋아해요 (neun geol joahaeyo)

• Romanization: [neun geol jo-a-hae-yo]
• English Meaning: I like to (do)… / I like doing…
• Detailed Explanation: This is THE most important grammar pattern for talking about your hobbies. You attach it to a verb stem to say you like performing that action. It’s a friendly and natural expression you can use with anyone.
  • 보다 (to see/watch) → 보는 걸 좋아해요 (I like watching)
  • 읽다 (to read) → 읽는 걸 좋아해요 (I like reading)

2. 활발하다 (hwalbalhada)

• Romanization: [hwal-bal-ha-da]
• English Meaning: To be active, outgoing, lively.
• Detailed Explanation: This adjective is perfect for describing an extroverted personality. If you love sports, meeting people, and being outdoors, you are a 활발한 사람 (an active person). In conversation, you’ll often use it as 활발해요 (I am active).

3. 집순이 / 집돌이 (jipsuni / jipdori)

• Romanization: [jip-sun-i / jip-dol-i]
• English Meaning: A homebody (female/male).
• Detailed Explanation: This is a super popular slang term! It combines 집 (jip), meaning “home,” with 순이 (suni), a common old-fashioned female name ending, or 돌이 (dori) for males. If your perfect weekend involves staying home and relaxing, you can proudly say, “저는 집순이예요!” (I’m a jipsuni!). It’s a cute and friendly way to describe your introverted side.

4. 성격에 맞다 (seonggyeoge matda)

• Romanization: [seong-gyeog-e mat-da]
• English Meaning: To fit one’s personality.
• Detailed Explanation: This is a fantastic phrase to connect an activity directly to your personality. You can use it to explain why you like a certain hobby. For example, “책 읽는 것은 제 성격에 맞아요” (Reading books fits my personality). In conversation, you’d say 성격에 맞아요.

Example Dialogue

Let’s see how these expressions are used in a real conversation between two friends, Minjun and Chloe.

A: 민준 (Minjun)
B: 클로이 (Chloe)

A: 클로이 씨, 주말에 보통 뭐 해요? (Chloe, what do you usually do on the weekends?)
B: 저는 완전 집순이라서 집에서 드라마 보는 걸 좋아해요. (I’m a total homebody, so I like watching dramas at home.)
A: 진짜요? 저는 MBTI가 E라서 엄청 활발해요. 친구들이랑 운동하는 걸 좋아해요. (Really? My MBTI starts with E, so I’m very active. I like exercising with my friends.)
B: 와, 우리는 정말 다르네요! 조용히 쉬는 게 제 성격에 맞아요. (Wow, we’re so different! Resting quietly fits my personality.)

Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive

Your MBTI is Your New Introduction in Korea!

You heard Minjun mention his MBTI in the dialogue, right? In Korea, especially among the younger generation (the Z-generation), the MBTI personality test is a huge trend. People don’t just take the test for fun; they use it to understand themselves and others.

• Making Friends: It’s very common for Koreans to ask “MBTI가 뭐예요?” (What’s your MBTI?) when they first meet someone. It’s a fun conversation starter to guess each other’s personalities and hobbies.
• “I” vs. “E”: If your MBTI starts with ‘I’ (Introvert), you can easily explain your personality by saying you’re a 집순이 (jipsuni) or 집돌이 (jipdori). If it starts with ‘E’ (Extrovert), saying you’re 활발해요 (hwalbalhaeyo) is the perfect description!

So, next time you talk to a Korean friend, try telling them your MBTI and a hobby that 성격에 맞아요 (fits your personality). You’ll look like a true insider!

Let’s Review & Practice!

Great job today! We learned how to talk about our hobbies in a way that shows our personality. We learned -는 걸 좋아해요 (I like to…), 활발하다 (to be active), 집순이/집돌이 (homebody), and 성격에 맞다 (it fits my personality).

Now, it’s your turn to practice!

1. Fill in the blank:
   저는 (I am a) 집순이예요. 그래서 조용히 ______ 걸 좋아해요.
   (A) 음악 듣는 (listening to music)
   (B) 춤추는 (dancing)

2. Your Turn!
   What is your personality like? Are you a 집순이/집돌이 or are you 활발해요?

Leave a comment below using the expressions you learned today! We can’t wait to read about you