밥 먹었어?
bap meogeosseo?
In Korean, "did you eat?" is said as 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?)
While it can be a literal question about food, this phrase is most often used as a friendly greeting to show care for someone's well-being, much like asking how a person is doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Did you eat rice?", where 밥 (bap) means cooked rice or a meal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You should only use this version with friends, siblings or people younger than you. For a polite version, you would use 식사하셨어요? instead.
How do you pronounce it?
bap meogeosseo?
When do people say it?
In Korean culture, asking if someone has eaten is a common way to express concern and affection rather than a literal inquiry into their hunger. If someone asks you this casually, you might respond with 응, 먹었어 (Yes, I ate) or 아니, 아직 (No, not yet).
Did you know?
- The practice of asking about meals stems from Korea's history of hardship and famine, where ensuring someone had eaten was a genuine matter of survival and deep care.
- Because 밥 is so central to care, the phrase 밥 먹었어? is often used as a way to apologize or reconcile after a fight without explicitly saying 'I am sorry'.
- The cultural emphasis on eating is so strong that 밥 is used in various expressions of affection, such as calling someone a 'rice thief' (밥도둑) to describe a dish so delicious it makes you eat too much rice.
Examples in context
- 밥 먹었어? / 응, 방금 막 먹었어.Informal: Speaker 1 – "Did you eat?" Speaker 2 – "Yeah, I just ate."
- 밥 먹었어?bap meogeosseo?Did you eat?
- 친구야, 밥 먹었어?chinguya, bap meogeosseo?Hey friend, did you eat?
Example conversation
Jihoon meets Subin on the street during lunchtime.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈아, 밥 먹었어?Subina, bap meogeosseo?Subin, did you eat?
- 수빈 Su-bin아니, 아직 안 먹었어.ani, ajik an meogeosseo.No, I haven't eaten yet.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그럼 같이 먹으러 갈까?geureom gachi meogeureo galkka?Then shall we go eat together?
- 수빈 Su-bin좋아, 가자!joa, gaja!Good, let's go!
