배고파요?
baegopayo?
In Korean, "are you hungry?" is translated as 배고파요? (baegopayo?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone wants food because they feel a need to eat.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on the social context. Use the informal version 배고파? when speaking to friends or people younger than you. For very professional or highly respectful settings, you may use the highly formal 배고프십니까? Another formal way to ask if someone is hungry is to use the expression 밥 드셨습니까?, which translates to 'Have you eaten rice?'
How do you pronounce it?
baegopayo?
When do people say it?
If someone asks you this, a standard polite response to say you are hungry is 네, 배고파요. If you are not hungry, you can say 아니요, 안 배고파요.
Did you know?
- The word 배 in 배고파요? is a homonym that also means 'pear' and 'boat'.
- In traditional Korean culture, questioning if someone has eaten was a vital way to check on their survival during periods of famine and poverty.
- The concept of eating 밥 ('rice') is so central to Korean culture that the word is used as a synonym for any kind of meal, whether it contains rice or not.
Examples in context
- 지금 배고파요?jigeum baegopayo?Are you hungry now?
- 혹시 배고파요?hoksi baegopayo?Are you hungry by any chance?
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji are sitting in a cafe.
- 민준 Min-jun민지 씨, 배고파요?Minji ssi, baegopayo?Minji, are you hungry?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 조금 배고파요.ne, jogeum baegopayo.Yes, I am a little hungry.
- 민준 Min-jun우리 밥 먹으러 갈까요?uri bap meogeureo galkkayo?Shall we go eat some food?
- 민지 Min-ji좋아요, 민준 씨.joayo, Minjun ssi.Sounds good, Minjun.
