매운 음식
maeun eumsik
The English phrase "spicy food" is 매운 음식 (maeun eumsik) in Korean.
매운 음식 refers to food that has a strong, burning taste from spices or chili peppers.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective 매운 (spicy) and the noun 음식 (food).
Which one should you use?
While 매운 음식 specifically means "spicy food", the forms 매운 것 and 매운 거 are used to mean "spicy thing" or "spicy stuff".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective 맵다 (to be spicy) takes the modifier form 매운 when it precedes a noun like 음식 (food).
How do you pronounce it?
maeun eumsik
Did you know?
- Koreans may use the word 맵다 to describe the biting sensation of extreme cold wind on the skin.
- The word 음식 (food) literally combines the characters for 'drinking' and 'eating'. This reflects a traditional cultural view that dining is a holistic process of consuming both liquids and solids.
- The Korean word 맵다 can be used to describe a person's personality as 'sharp' or 'piercing' rather than just the taste of food.
Examples in context
- 저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요.I like spicy food.
- 나는 매운 거 좋아해.I like spicy stuff.
- 이 음식은 정말 맵다.This food is really spicy.
- 매운 거 엄청 좋아해!I love extremely spicy stuff!
- 이 음식은 너무 맵다!This food is too spicy!
- 저는 매운 음식을 아주 좋아해요.jeoneun maeun eomsigeul aju joahaeyo.I really like spicy food.
- 이 식당은 매운 음식이 유명해요.i sikdangeun maeun eumsigi yumyeonghaeyo.This restaurant is famous for its spicy food.
- 매운 음식은 너무 부담스러워요.maeun eumsigeun neomu budamseureowoyo.Spicy food is too overwhelming for me.
Example conversation
Two friends are choosing a restaurant for dinner.
- 민지 Min-ji지훈 씨, 매운 음식 먹을래요?Jihoon ssi, maeun eumsik meogeullaeyo?Jihoon, do you want to eat spicy food?
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니요, 저는 매운 음식을 못 먹어요.Aniyo, jeoneun maeun eumsigeul mot meogeoyo.No, I cannot eat spicy food.
- 민지 Min-ji그럼 안 매운 요리로 할까요?Geureom an maeun yoriro halkkayo?Then shall we have a non-spicy dish?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 좋아요.Ne, joayo.Yes, that sounds good.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 음식, CC BY-SA 4.0.
