다 먹다
da meokda
The Korean phrase for 'eat up' is 다 먹다 (da meokda).
This phrase is used to express the idea of consuming something completely or finishing a meal.
Meaning: consume completely (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 다 means 'all' or 'completely', which provides the 'up' aspect of the English expression 'eat up'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In practice, the base form 다 먹다 is conjugated into different versions: 다 먹어 is the informal version, 다 드세요 is the polite version and 다 먹어라 is the imperative command form.
How do you pronounce it?
da meokda
Did you know?
- The verb 먹다 is used in many idioms that have nothing to do with food, such as 나이를 먹다, which literally means 'to eat age' but translates to 'getting older'.
- While 다 먹다 means to eat everything, Koreans also use the word 먹다 to describe 'taking' a bribe or 'suffering' a loss.
- In Korean culture, finishing every grain of rice is often seen as a sign of respect to the cook and the effort put into the meal.
Examples in context
- 사과를 다 먹다.sagwa-reul da meokda.To eat up the apple.
