싱겁다
singgeopda[ɕʰiŋɡʌ̹p̚t͈a̠]
The English phrase "bland" is translated into Korean as 싱겁다 (singgeopda).
싱겁다 is used to describe food that is bland, specifically referring to a lack of salt or being under-seasoned.
Meaning: lacking in taste or flavor (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 싱겁다 indicates that food lacks salt, the word 짜다 is used to express the opposite, meaning that food is salty.
How does it change in a sentence?
In polite conversation, you can use the present tense form 싱거워요 to say "it is bland" or the past tense form 싱거웠어요 to say "it was bland".
How do you pronounce it?
singgeopda
Did you know?
- The root of the word, '심' (sim), is directly related to the adjective 심심하다 (simsimhada). While both relate to a lack of salt or intensity, 심심하다 is frequently used by Koreans to express that one is feeling bored.
- Beyond food, 싱겁다 is used to describe a person who is naive, lacks conviction or is not taken seriously by others.
- If a story or a movie ending is anticlimactic, a Korean speaker might say the conclusion was 싱겁다.
Examples in context
- 싱거운 음식Bland food
- 맛없는 식사Tasteless meal
- 국이 너무 싱겁다.gugi neomu singgeopda.The soup is too bland.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bland” translations and entries 싱겁다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
