TTMIK Level 6 Lesson 2 - What do you think about ...?

In this lesson, let us take a look at how to say “What do you think about …?” in Korean. In our previous lesson, we introduced the expression 어때요? [eo-ttae-yo?], which means “How about …?”. Sometimes this expression, 어때요?, can also be used to mean “What do you think?”.

어때요? [eo-ttae-yo?] = How is it? = How about …? = What do you think?

But when you want to add more details to the sentence and say “What do you think about + NOUN?” or “What do you think about + VERB-ing?”, you need to use different expressions.

There are various ways to say “What do you think?” in Korean, but here let us take a look at the two most commonly used expressions.

1. 어떻게 생각해요? [eo-tteo-ke saeng-ga-kae-yo?] = What do you think?

2. 어떤 것 같아요? [eo-tteo-ke saeng-ga-kae-yo?] = What do you think?

The word “what” is used in English because you ask “what” is on someone’s mind or “what” are their thoughts about a certain topic, but in Korean, you use the word for “how” because you are asking about “how” someone looks at the matter or “how” they think something is.

The basic verb for “to be how” is 어떻다 [eo-tteo-ta] and when you change it to the adverb form, it becomes 어떻게 [eo-tteo-ke].

어떻게 생각해요? is literally translated as “HOW think?”

어떤 것 같아요? is literally translated as “HOW it seems?” or “What kind of thing it seems like?” (**To review on the -(으/느)ㄴ 것 같다, go back to Level 3 Lesson 9.)

What do you think ABOUT + NOUN? The expression for “about” in Korean is -에 대해서 [-e dae-hae-seo].

About school = 학교에 대해서 About me = 저에 대해서 (formal language), 나에 대해서 (casual language) About what = 뭐에 대해서

What do you think about _______? = _______에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요? = _______ 어떤 것 같아요?

What do you think ABOUT + VERB-ing? In order to use “about / -에 대해서" after it, the verb needs to be changed to the noun form of -는 것 [-neun geot].

이렇게 하다 = to do it like this → “이렇게 하는 것”에 대해서 = about doing it this way

물어보다 = to ask → “물어보는 것"에 대해서 = about asking

Sample Sentences 1. 이 책에 대해서 어떻게 생각하세요? [i chae-ge dae-hae-seo eo-tteo-ke saeng-ga-ka-se-yo?] = What do you think about this book?

이 책 어떤 것 같아요? [i chaek eo-tteon geot ga-ta-yo?] = What do you think about this book?

2. 어릴 때 유학을 가는 것에 대해서 어떻게 생각하세요? [eo-ril ttae yu-ha-geul ga-neun geo-se da-hae-seo eo-tteo-ke saeng-ga-ka-se-yo?] = What do you think about studying abroad at a young age?

어릴 때 유학 가는 거, 어떤 것 같아요? [eo-ril ttae yu-hak ga-neun geo, eo-tteon geo ga-ta-yo?] = What do you think about studying abroad at a young age?

3. 제 아이디어에 대해서 어떻게 생각하세요? [je a-i-di-eo-e dae-hae-seo eo-tteo-ke saeng-ga-ka-se-yo?] = What do you think about my idea?

제 아이디어 어떤 것 같아요? [je a-i-di-eo eo-tteon geot ga-ta-yo?] = What do you think about my idea?