Learn Korean: 잘 + Verb

Let’s take a look at the Korean sentence pattern 잘 + Verb. 잘 normally appears right before a verb and acts like an adverb. It has a few notable nuances, the most common of which is to express what someone is good at doing. If my friend is good at dancing, I would brag about it and tell people 춤(을) 잘 춰(요). If he is good at cooking, I would say 요리(를) 잘 해(요). We also use it to tell someone to enjoy doing something. If my son is going out with friends, I would tell them 잘 놀아. When they get home, I would cook something for them and say 잘 먹어. The nuance is the same in past tense. We use 잘 to express that we had fun doing something. If I enjoyed the movie, I would say 영화(를) 잘 봤어(요). If I loved the book my friend lent me, I would say 잘 읽었어(요). We also use this to tell someone to do something well or properly to yield good results. If my daughter is taking a test, I would say 시험 잘 봐. It has a similar nuance to the expression Good luck on (something you are doing). Lastly, we use this as a way to thank someone for giving us something. In this case, we conjugate the verb using (ㄹ/을)게요. If my friend gives me a chocolate drink, I would say 잘 마실게(요). If it is shampoo, I would say 잘 쓸게(요). It makes someone feel his gesture is appreciated.

수할 잘 해요?

Are you good at math?

밥 잘 먹을게요.

Thank you for the food.

면접 잘 봐.

Good luck on your interview.