{"id":1469,"date":"2026-03-09T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/?p=1469"},"modified":"2026-02-27T04:57:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T04:57:04","slug":"korean-slang-for-food-and-drinks-11-must-know-terms-youll-hear-in-real-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/korean\/korean-slang-for-food-and-drinks-11-must-know-terms-youll-hear-in-real-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Korean Slang for Food and Drinks: 11 Must-Know Terms You\u2019ll Hear in Real Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n <p>\n        If you\u2019ve been studying Korean for a while, you probably already know the basic words for food and drinks.\n        But when you watch Korean YouTube videos, scroll through Instagram, or chat with Korean friends online,\n        you\u2019ll notice something interesting \u2014 people often use totally different words.\n      <\/p>\n\n      <p>That\u2019s because real-life Korean is full of slang.<\/p>\n\n      <p>In this guide, you\u2019ll discover some of the most common Korean slang words related to food and drinks. For each term, you\u2019ll get:<\/p>\n\n      <ul>\n        <li>Hangul<\/li>\n        <li>Romanization<\/li>\n        <li>Meaning<\/li>\n        <li>Example sentences<\/li>\n        <li>When to use it<\/li>\n        <li>Cultural notes<\/li>\n      <\/ul>\n\n      <p>\n        These expressions are easy for beginners to understand, and intermediate learners will also pick up useful nuances.\n      <\/p>\n\n      <p>Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-1\">\n        <h2>1) \uba39\ubc29 (meokbang) \u2013 \u201ceating broadcast\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> A livestream or video where someone eats food (often large amounts) while talking to viewers.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ub098 \uc5b4\uc81c \uba39\ubc29 \ubd24\uc5b4.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Na eoje meokbang bwasseo.)<\/em><br \/>I watched a mukbang yesterday.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uadf8 \uc720\ud29c\ubc84 \uba39\ubc29 \uc9c4\uc9dc \uc798\ud574.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Geu yutyubeo meokbang jinjja jalhae.)<\/em><br \/>That YouTuber is really good at mukbang.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Extremely common online and in casual speech.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> Mukbang became popular in Korea in the early 2010s and later spread worldwide through platforms like YouTube and AfreecaTV. It reflects how central food and shared eating experiences are in Korean culture.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-2\">\n        <h2>2) \ub9db\uc9d1 (matjip) \u2013 \u201cpopular restaurant known for good food\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Literally \u201ctaste house.\u201d A restaurant known for having especially good food. It often implies popularity, but the core meaning is \u201ca place with great food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc5ec\uae30 \uc9c4\uc9dc \ub9db\uc9d1\uc774\uc57c.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Yeogi jinjja matjibiya.)<\/em><br \/>This place is seriously a great restaurant.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ud64d\ub300 \ub9db\uc9d1 \ucd94\ucc9c\ud574 \uc904\ub798?<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Hongdae matjip chucheonhae jullae?)<\/em><br \/>Can you recommend a good restaurant in Hongdae?<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Very common in conversations, blogs, reviews, and social media.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> People often search \u201c\uc9c0\uc5ed + \ub9db\uc9d1\u201d (area + matjip) when looking for good places to eat.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-3\">\n        <h2>3) JMT \/ \uc874\ub9db (jonmat) \u2013 \u201csuper delicious\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Extremely delicious. It comes from \uc874\ub098 \ub9db\uc788\ub2e4 (jonna masitda), which is very slangy and slightly vulgar.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc774\uac70 \uc874\ub9db\uc774\uc57c.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Igeo jonmasiya.)<\/em><br \/>This is insanely good.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uadf8 \uce74\ud398 \ucf00\uc774\ud06c JMT!<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Geu kape keikeu JMT!)<\/em><br \/>That cafe\u2019s cake is amazing!<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Very casual. Common among friends, online, and in text messages. Avoid in formal settings.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> JMT is often written in English letters in chats and comments.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-4\">\n        <h2>4) \uafc0\ub9db (kkulmat) \u2013 \u201ctastes like honey\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> So delicious it feels as sweet as honey. It can also describe something especially satisfying.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc6b4\ub3d9 \ub05d\ub098\uace0 \ub9c8\uc2dc\ub294 \ubb3c\uc740 \uafc0\ub9db\uc774\uc57c.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Undong kkeutnago masineun mureun kkulmasiya.)<\/em><br \/>Water after a workout tastes amazing.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc624\ub298 \uce58\ud0a8 \uafc0\ub9db\uc774\ub2e4.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Oneul chikin kkulmasida.)<\/em><br \/>The chicken today is so good.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Casual speech and online. Friendly and positive.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> \uafc0 (honey) in Korean slang often signals something really good or satisfying.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-5\">\n        <h2>5) \ub2e8\uc9e0 (dan-jjan) \u2013 \u201csweet and salty\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> A combination of sweet (\ub2e8) and salty (\uc9e0). It describes addictive flavor pairings.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc774 \uacfc\uc790 \ub2e8\uc9e0\uc774\ub77c\uc11c \uacc4\uc18d \uba39\uac8c \ub3fc.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(I gwaja dan-jjaniraseo gyesok meokge dwae.)<\/em><br \/>This snack is sweet and salty, so I can\u2019t stop eating.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ub2e8\uc9e0 \uba54\ub274 \ucd94\ucc9c\ud574 \uc918.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Dan-jjan menyu chucheonhae jwo.)<\/em><br \/>Recommend something sweet and salty.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Very common in everyday conversation and food marketing.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> Many Korean snacks and sauces aim for the perfect \ub2e8\uc9e0 balance.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-6\">\n        <h2>6) \ub9f5\ucc14\uc774 (maepjjiri) \u2013 \u201cbad with spicy food\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Someone who can\u2019t handle spicy food.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ub098\ub294 \ub9f5\ucc14\uc774\ub77c\uc11c \ubd88\ub2ed \ubabb \uba39\uc5b4.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Naneun maepjjiriraseo buldak mot meogeo.)<\/em><br \/>I\u2019m bad with spicy food, so I can\u2019t eat fire chicken.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ub9f5\ucc14\uc774\ub3c4 \uba39\uc744 \uc218 \uc788\uc5b4?<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Maepjjirido meogeul su isseo?)<\/em><br \/>Can someone who\u2019s bad with spicy food eat this?<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Casual and playful. Often used jokingly.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> Spicy dishes like tteokbokki and buldak are hugely popular in Korea. Calling yourself \ub9f5\ucc14\uc774 is a playful way to tease yourself.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-7\">\n        <h2>7) \uc18c\ud655\ud589 (sohwakhaeng) \u2013 \u201csmall but certain happiness\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Small daily joys \u2014 often related to food or drinks.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ud1f4\uadfc \ud6c4 \ub9e5\uc8fc \ud55c \uce94\uc740 \uc18c\ud655\ud589\uc774\uc9c0.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Toegeun hu maekju han kaeneun sohwakhaengiji.)<\/em><br \/>A can of beer after work is a small but certain happiness.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ub514\uc800\ud2b8 \uba39\ub294 \uac8c \ub098\ud55c\ud14c\ub294 \uc18c\ud655\ud589\uc774\uc57c.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Dijeoteu meokneun ge nahanteneun sohwakhaengiya.)<\/em><br \/>Eating dessert is my little happiness.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Casual; common in blogs and social media.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> The term became widely popular in the late 2010s as people began focusing more on small, everyday pleasures rather than big achievements.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-8\">\n        <h2>8) \ud63c\ubc25 (honbap) \u2013 \u201ceating alone\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Eating by yourself.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc624\ub298\uc740 \uadf8\ub0e5 \ud63c\ubc25\ud560\ub798.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Oneureun geunyang honbaphallae.)<\/em><br \/>I\u2019ll just eat alone today.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ud63c\ubc25\ud558\uae30 \uc88b\uc740 \uc2dd\ub2f9\uc774\uc57c.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Honbaphagi joeun sikdangiya.)<\/em><br \/>It\u2019s a good restaurant for eating alone.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Very common in everyday conversation.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> Eating alone used to feel lonely to some people, but now it\u2019s completely normal \u2014 especially among young people and office workers.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-9\">\n        <h2>9) \uc220\uace0\ub798 (sulgorae) \u2013 \u201cbooze whale\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Someone who drinks a lot.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uac54\ub294 \uc9c4\uc9dc \uc220\uace0\ub798\uc57c.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Gyaeneun jinjja sulgoraeya.)<\/em><br \/>He\u2019s a real heavy drinker.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc220\uace0\ub798\ub77c\uc11c \uc18c\uc8fc \ub450 \ubcd1\ub3c4 \uad1c\ucc2e\ub300.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Sulgoraeraseo soju du byeongdo gwaenchantdae.)<\/em><br \/>He\u2019s such a heavy drinker that two bottles of soju are fine.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Casual. Often teasing, but not necessarily insulting.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> Korea has a strong drinking culture, especially in work settings and company gatherings.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-10\">\n        <h2>10) \ub0ae\uc220 (natsul) \u2013 \u201cday drinking\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Drinking alcohol during the day.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc8fc\ub9d0\uc774\ub77c\uc11c \ub0ae\uc220\ud588\uc5b4.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Jumalliraseo natsulhaesseo.)<\/em><br \/>I drank during the day because it\u2019s the weekend.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ub0ae\uc220\uc740 \ube68\ub9ac \ucde8\ud574.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Natsureun ppalli chwihae.)<\/em><br \/>Day drinking gets you drunk quickly.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Casual conversation; sometimes joking.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> \ub0ae\uc220 can feel playful or slightly rebellious, especially on weekends or holidays.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"term-11\">\n        <h2>11) \uce74\uacf5 (kagong) \u2013 \u201cstudying at a cafe\u201d<\/h2>\n\n        <p><strong>Meaning:<\/strong> Studying or working at a cafe.<\/p>\n\n        <h3>Examples<\/h3>\n        <ul>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\ub098 \uc624\ub298 \uce74\uacf5\ud560 \uac70\uc57c.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Na oneul kagonghal geoya.)<\/em><br \/>I\u2019m going to study at a cafe today.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc5ec\uae30 \uce74\uacf5\ud558\uae30 \uc88b\uc544.<\/p>\n            <p><em>(Yeogi kagonghagi joa.)<\/em><br \/>This place is good for studying here.<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n        <p><strong>When to use it:<\/strong> Very common among students and young professionals.<\/p>\n\n        <p><strong>Cultural note:<\/strong> Korea\u2019s cafe culture is huge. Many cafes are designed with studying and working in mind.<\/p>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <hr \/>\n\n      <section id=\"quiz\">\n        <h2>Quick Practice Quiz<\/h2>\n\n        <p>Try these:<\/p>\n\n        <ol>\n          <li>\n            <p><strong>What would you call someone who can\u2019t eat spicy food?<\/strong><\/p>\n            <p>a) \uc220\uace0\ub798<br \/>b) \ub9f5\ucc14\uc774<br \/>c) \ub0ae\uc220<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p><strong>Fill in the blank:<\/strong><\/p>\n            <p lang=\"ko\">\uc774 \uacfc\uc790 \ub108\ubb34 _______\uc774\ub77c\uc11c \uacc4\uc18d \uba39\uac8c \ub3fc.<\/p>\n            <p>(This snack is sweet and salty, so I keep eating it.)<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p><strong>Translate into Korean slang:<\/strong><\/p>\n            <p>\u201cThis place is seriously a famous restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n          <li>\n            <p><strong>Which slang term would you most likely see on YouTube?<\/strong><\/p>\n            <p>a) \uba39\ubc29<br \/>b) \ub2e8\uc9e0<br \/>c) \ud63c\ubc25<\/p>\n          <\/li>\n        <\/ol>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <section id=\"answers\">\n        <h2>Answers<\/h2>\n        <ol>\n          <li>b) \ub9f5\ucc14\uc774<\/li>\n          <li>\ub2e8\uc9e0<\/li>\n          <li>\uc5ec\uae30 \uc9c4\uc9dc \ub9db\uc9d1\uc774\uc57c.<\/li>\n          <li>a) \uba39\ubc29<\/li>\n        <\/ol>\n      <\/section>\n\n      <footer>\n        <p>\n          If you want to sound more natural in Korean, learning slang like this makes a huge difference.\n          Try using one or two of these words in casual chats or online comments.\n        <\/p>\n\n        <p>\n          Next time you bite into something amazing, you\u2019ll know exactly what to say:\n        <\/p>\n\n        <p lang=\"ko\"><strong>\uc774\uac70 \uc874\ub9db\uc774\uc57c. \ud83d\ude04<\/strong><\/p>\n      <\/footer>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve been studying Korean for a while, you probably already know the basic words for food and drinks. But when you watch Korean YouTube videos, scroll through Instagram, or chat with Korean friends online, you\u2019ll notice something interesting \u2014 people often use totally different words. That\u2019s because real-life Korean is full of slang. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-korean"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1469"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1471,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1469\/revisions\/1471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}