TOPIK I Core Vocabulary · Food & Ordering ④

Tastes & finishing a meal — 고기, 채소, 맵다, 달다, 배부르다

These words describe food, taste, and how you feel after eating. Several of them have irregular forms. These do not follow the usual pattern. Learn them one by one.

01고기gogi

meat · food from animals, such as beef, pork, or chicken.

Note Put an animal name in front of 고기 to name one kind of meat: 소고기 (beef), 돼지고기 (pork), 닭고기 (chicken).

Examples 고기를 먹다 (to eat meat) · 고기를 굽다 (to grill meat)

친구들과 고기를 구워 먹었어요. My friends and I grilled and ate some meat.  |  굽다 = to grill  |  In many restaurants you grill the meat yourself at the table

02채소chaeso

vegetables · plants that people grow and eat.

Note 야채 has the same meaning. People often use it in speech.

Examples 채소를 먹다 (to eat vegetables) · 배추 (cabbage) · 무 (radish) · 양파 (onion)

건강을 위해 채소를 많이 먹어요. I eat a lot of vegetables for my health.  |  -을 위해 = for

03맵다maepdaㅂ irregular

to be spicy · to taste hot and burning.

Forms 매워요 (the ㅂ turns into 우) · 맵습니다 · 매웠어요

Before a noun 매운 음식. Do not say 맵은.

Examples 음식이 맵다 (the food is spicy) · 매운 음식 (spicy food)

이 찌개는 좀 매워요. This stew is a bit spicy.  |  찌개 = stew  |  To ask for a milder taste, say 안 맵게 해 주세요

04달다daldaㄹ drop

to be sweet · like sugar or honey.

Forms 달아요 · 답니다 (the ㄹ drops out) · 달았어요

Before a noun 단 음식. The ㄹ drops out again.

Examples 과일이 달다 (the fruit is sweet) · 단 음식 (sweet food)

이 과일은 정말 달아요. This fruit is really sweet.  |  Other taste words: 짜다 (salty), 시다 (sour), 쓰다 (bitter)

05배부르다baebureuda르 irregular

to be full · to eat enough and stop feeling hungry. The opposite is 배고프다.

Forms 배불러요 (an extra ㄹ appears) · 배부릅니다 · 배불렀어요

Examples 너무 배부르다 (to be very full) · 배불러서 못 먹다 (too full to eat more)

많이 먹어서 너무 배불러요. I ate a lot, so I'm really full.  |  You can say this to refuse more food politely

Quick check3 questions

Put each word into the polite form.

1. 이 찌개는 좀 __________. (맵다)
2. 이 과일은 정말 __________. (달다)
3. 많이 먹어서 너무 __________. (배부르다)

Show answers

1. 매워요   2. 달아요   3. 배불러요

Three words, three different patterns

Study tip Taste adjectives change their form before a noun: 매운 음식, 단 과일, 짠 국. The forms 맵은 and 달은 are wrong. Practice each adjective with a noun.