어 하다

shows a feeling (usually someone else's)

Turns a feeling word into an action verb about a person visibly having that feeling — finding something hard, being curious, adoring someone, having a hard time. Korean treats bare feeling words as the speaker's own, so when you report what another person feels or wants you add this: "he wants Korean food" and "he doesn't want revenge" both need it, while your own wanting takes plain 고 싶다. Several everyday verbs, including the ordinary word for liking something, are built this way and no longer feel like a construction at all.

Register: neutral; all levels