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Easy Korean - Level 6, Unit 2: What do you think about...? (-에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요?)

In the previous unit, we asked for someone's opinion on a suggestion ("How about we do this?"). In this unit, we will ask for their opinion on a topic, concept, or issue: "What do you think about [X]?"

1. Noun + 에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요?

To ask what someone thinks about a noun (a person, an idea, a movie), we use the structure: [Noun] + 에 대해서 + 어떻게 생각해요?

  • 에 대해서 = about / regarding
  • 어떻게 = how

  • 생각해요? = do you think? (Note: In English we say "What do you think?", but in Korean it is always "How do you think?")

  • 이 아이디어에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think about this idea?)

  • 그 영화에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think about that movie?)
  • 저 사람에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think about that person?)

2. Verb + 는 것에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요?

If you want to ask what someone thinks about an action, you must turn the verb into a noun first using -는 것 (the act of doing).

  • 한국에서 사는 것 (the act of living in Korea) -> 한국에서 사는 것에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think about living in Korea?)

  • 혼자 여행하는 것 (traveling alone) -> 혼자 여행하는 것에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think about traveling alone?)

Conversational Shortening

In casual, everyday speech, -에 대해서 (about) is often shortened to -에 대해 or replaced simply with -는 거 (that thing).

  • 이거 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think of this?)
  • 제가 가는 거 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think about me going?)

Example Sentences

  1. 새로운 프로젝트에 대해서 어떻게 생각하세요? (What do you think about the new project? - 생각하세요 is more polite)
  2. 결혼을 일찍 하는 것에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요? (What do you think about getting married early?)
  3. 제 계획에 대해 어떻게 생각해? (What do you think about my plan? - Casual)