잘 먹어
jal meogeo
The English phrase "eatwell" translates to Korean as 잘 먹어 (jal meogeo).
The phrase is used as a friendly wish told to someone else before they start eating a meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb 잘 (well) and the verb 먹어 (eat).
Which one should you use?
잘 먹어 is a wish directed at someone else, whereas 잘 먹겠습니다 is a declaration of your own intention to eat heartily, often used to express gratitude for the meal when you are the one about to start eating.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 잘 먹어 is used in an informal or casual register with friends or people younger than you. For a polite version, you should use 잘 드세요, which uses the honorific verb 드시다 instead of 먹다. In highly respectful contexts, an even more formal version is 식사를 잘 하십시오.
How do you pronounce it?
jal meogeo
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, it is often considered impolite to start eating before the eldest person at the table has taken their first bite, regardless of who said 잘 먹어.
- The adverb 잘 is an abbreviation of the word 자루.
- The word 잘 is used in many common Korean idioms to mean 'correctly' or 'properly' rather than just 'well' in terms of quality.
Examples in context
- 잘 먹어.jal meogeo.Eat well.
- 가서 잘 먹어.gaseo jal meogeo.Go and eat well.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo is seeing Jieun off as she goes to a restaurant.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은아, 잘 먹어.Jieun-a, jal meogeo.Jieun, eat well.
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 고마워 현우야.Eung, gomawo Hyunwoo-ya.Yeah, thanks Hyunwoo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo맛있는 거 많이 먹어.Masinneun geo mani meogeo.Eat lots of delicious food.
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 나중에 봐!Eung, najunge bwa!Okay, see you later!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 잘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
