Mmm Yummy! How To Say Delicious In Korean
One thing everyone can agree on is that Korean food is really delicious! No matter if you’re eating Korean street food or eating meat at a Korean bbq, learning how to say “delicious” in Korean will definitely come in handy. In the lesson below, you’ll learn how to say “delicious” in Korean. You’ll learn the informal, polite, and formal ways to say “delicious”, plus some related expressions such as “It’s delicious”, It’s really delicious”, and “It’s not delicious”. Ready? Let’s get started.
Related: What Koreans Say Before Eating
How To Say Delicious In Korean
Delicious in Korean is 맛있다 [ma-sit-da]. This is made up of the word 맛 which means ‘taste’ and 있다 which means ‘to exist’ or ‘to have’. So, 맛있다 literally means ‘It has taste’ and is the word used to say ‘delicious’ or ‘yummy’ in Korean.
Delicious In Korean – Informal
The informal way to say “delicious” in Korean is 맛있어 [ma-si-sseo]. This is the basic form (맛있다) conjugated into the present tense without any polite or formal ending. An even more informal way to say delicious is to just use the basic form and say “맛있다!” As these are informal expressions, they should only be used with close friends and those much younger than you.
Delicious In Korean – Polite
The polite way to say “delicious” in Korean is 맛있어요 [ma-si-sseo-yo]. This is the basic form (맛있다) conjugated into the present tense with the polite ending 요 attached. As this is a polite expression, you can use it in most situations and you will sound polite and respectful.
Delicious In Korean – Formal
The formal way to say “delicious” in Korean is 맛있습니다 [ma-si-sseum-ni-da]. This is the basic form (맛있다) conjugated together with the formal ending ~(스)ㅂ니다. As this is a formal expression, this can be used in formal situations and in conversations when you want to sound extra polite and respectful.
Related Expressions
It’s Really Delicious
When you want to emphasize just how good the food you are eating tastes, you probably want to say “It’s really delicious!”. To say this, you simply add the Korean word for really. Here are the informal, polite, and formal ways to say “It’s really delicious” in Korean:
- 진짜 맛있어 [jin-jja ma-si-sseo] = It’s really delicious. (Informal)
- 진짜 맛있어요 [jin-jja ma-si-sseo-yo] = It’s really delicious. (Polite)
- 진짜 맛있습니다 [jin-jja ma-si-sseum-ni-da] = It’s really delicious. (Formal)
It’s Not Delicious / It Doesn’t Taste Good
As we mentioned above, delicious in Korean is 맛 (taste) plus 있다 (to exist/to have) To say ‘not delicious’ you simply substitute 있다 (to exist/to have) for the opposite word 없다 (to not exist). Here are the informal, polite, and formal ways to say “It’s not delicious” or “It doesn’t taste good.” in Korean:
- 맛없어 [ma-deop-seo]= It’s not delicious. (Informal)
- 맛없어요 [ma-deop-seo-yo]= It’s not delicious. (polite)
- 맛없습니다 [ma-deop-seum-ni-da] = It’s not delicious. (formal)
Example Sentences
Here are some example sentences you can use when you want to say something is delicious in Korean:
- 비빔밥이 맛있어요. [bi-bim-ba-bi ma-si-sseo-yo] = Bibimbap is delicious.
- 이 빵이 진짜 맛있어요. [i ppang-i jin-jja ma-si-sseo-yo] = This bread is really delicious.
- 피자가 맛있어요? [pi-ja-ga ma-si-sseo-yo] = Is the pizza delicious?
- 오늘 점심이 맛있었어요. [o-neul jeom-si-mi ma-si-sseo-sseo-yo] = Today’s lunch was delicious. (past tense).
- 맛이 좋아요. [ma-si jo-a-yo] = It’s delicious. (Lit. The taste is good.)
- 맛있게 드세요. [ma-sit-ge deu-se-yo] = Enjoy your meal! (Lit. Eat deliciously.)
- 맛있겠어요. [ma-sit-ge-sseo-yo] = It looks delicious.
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