What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 저녁, which means evening or dinner and 먹었어?, which is the informal past tense of the verb 먹다 (to eat), meaning "did (you) eat?"
Which one should you use?
Depending on who you are speaking to, you may use different forms. The informal 저녁 먹었어? is for friends or people younger than you. For a polite tone, you can use 저녁 먹었어요? (by adding 요 to the end) or 저녁을 드셨나요? If you want to be highly respectful to an elder or someone of much higher status, use 진지 잡수셨어요?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality varies significantly. 저녁 먹었어? is the informal version used with friends or people younger than you. 저녁 먹었어요? and 저녁을 드셨나요? are polite forms. 저녁을 드셨습니까? is a formal way to ask the question, and 진지 잡수셨어요? is a highly respectful honorific way to ask an elder if they have eaten.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the subject 'you' is typically omitted because it is understood from the context.
How do you pronounce it?
jeonyeok meogeosseo?
When do people say it?
In Korea, asking if someone has eaten is often used as a friendly greeting or a way to show care, rather than just a literal inquiry about food.
Did you know?
- The component 녘 in 저녁 is a linguistic fossil that still appears in words for directions, like 'east side' or 'west side'.
- If someone asks 저녁 먹었어? and you answer 'no', they may feel a social obligation to invite you to a meal immediately.
- If you use the highly respectful 진지 잡수셨어요?, you are using a completely different set of vocabulary than the standard 'eat' to show extreme deference.
Examples in context
- 혹시 저녁을 드셨습니까?Have you had your dinner by any chance?
- 정말 바쁘셨으니 저녁을 드셨나요?Since you were really busy, have you had your dinner?
- 어머니, 저녁을 먹었어요?Mother, have you had your dinner?
- 오빠, 저녁 먹었어?Brother, have you had your dinner?
- 저녁 먹었어?jeonyeok meogeosseo?Have you had your dinner?
- 친구야, 저녁 먹었어?chinguya, jeonyeok meogeosseo?Hey friend, have you had your dinner?
Example conversation
Subin calls Dohyun on the phone in the evening.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현아, 저녁 먹었어?Dohyeon-a, jeonyeok meogeosseo?Dohyun, have you had your dinner?
- 도현 Do-hyeon아니, 아직 안 먹었어.ani, ajik an meogeosseo.No, I haven't eaten yet.
- 수빈 Su-bin그럼 같이 먹을까?geureom gatchi meogulkka?Then shall we eat together?
- 도현 Do-hyeon좋아, 지금 갈게.joa, jigeum galge.Sounds good, I'll come now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 저녁, CC BY-SA 4.0.
