뭐 먹고 싶어요?
Mwo meokgo sipeoyo?
The English phrase "what do you want to eat?" is translated into Korean as 뭐 먹고 싶어요? (Mwo meokgo sipeoyo?)
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their food preference or what they desire for a meal. In this context, 뭐 is a common way to say "what", while the more formal term for "what" is 무엇을.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 뭐 먹고 싶어요? is composed of 뭐 (what), 먹고 (the verb "eat" combined with a connective particle) and 싶어요 (want to).
Which one should you use?
While 뭐 먹고 싶어요? focuses on the person's internal desire, the phrase 뭐 먹을래요? is often used when you want to suggest making a decision together, such as "What would you like to eat?" or "What shall we eat?" Additionally, among friends, the phrase 뭐 먹을까? is a very common way to suggest deciding on a menu together, translating to "What should we eat?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question more respectful and polite, you can add -으세요 to the verb stem to form 뭐 먹고 싶으세요?
How do you pronounce it?
Mwo meokgo sipeoyo?
Did you know?
- While 먹고 싶어요 literally means 'want to eat', Koreans often use the verb 당기다 ('to pull/crave') to express a strong, sudden desire for a specific food.
- If someone asks 뭐 먹고 싶어요? and you are truly undecided, you might say 결정 장애가 있어요, which literally translates to 'I have decision disorder'.
- While 먹다 means 'eat', Koreans often use the word 식사 meaning 'meal' to ask more formally if someone has eaten, as it functions as a common greeting similar to 'how are you'.
Examples in context
- 오늘 저녁에 무엇을 드시고 싶으세요?What do you want to eat this evening?
- 뭐 먹고 싶어요?mwo meokgo sipeoyo?What do you want to eat?
- 오늘 점심에 뭐 먹고 싶어요?oneul jeomsime mwo meokgo sipeoyo?What do you want to eat for lunch today?
- 지금 뭐 먹고 싶어요?jigeum mwo meokgo sipeoyo?What do you want to eat right now?
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding on a menu for dinner.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 뭐 먹고 싶어요?Jihoon ssi, mwo meokgo sipeoyo?Jihoon, what do you want to eat?
- 지훈 Ji-hun저는 비빔밥이 먹고 싶어요.Jeoneun bibimbabi meokgo sipeoyo.I want to eat bibimbap.
- 수빈 Su-bin좋아요. 그럼 비빔밥 먹으러 가요.Joayo. Geureom bibimbap meogeureo gayo.Great. Then let's go eat bibimbap.
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 수빈 씨.Ne, Subin ssi.Yes, Subin.
