Korean word

담백하다

Pronunciation

Romanizationtambaekada

Meaning

  • adjectivelight

Example

이 국은 담백해요.i ku geun tam bae kae yo

This soup is light.

Illustration for 담백하다 (light)

More examples

저는 담백한 음식을 좋아해요.cheo neun tam bae kan eum si geul cho a hae yo

I like light food.

Core concept

Food tastes fresh and clear because rich oils and heavy seasonings do not cover the natural ingredients.

Common phrases

  • 담백한 소스tam bae kan so seu

    light sauce

  • 담백한 반찬tam bae kan pan chan

    light side dish

Similar words

싱겁다singgeoptta: A dish tastes weak because it does not contain enough salt.
깔끔하다kkalkkeumhada: A clean, clear taste leaves no distracting or unpleasant aftertaste.
순하다sunhada: A mild taste has little sharpness from spice, sourness, or other strong flavors.

Definition in Korean

기름기가 적고 과한 양념이나 자극이 없어 재료 본연의 맛이 드러나는 맛이다.ki reum gi ga cheok kko kwa han yang nyeo mi na cha geu gi eop sseo chae ryo po nyeo nui ma si teu reo na neun ma si da

Word origin

담백하다 (dambaekada, "to be light and mild") comes from the Sino-Korean term 담백 (dambae, "light and plain") with 하다 (kada, "to have a quality"), describing a restrained rather than rich flavor.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may hear a negative sense in plain, but this Korean word usually gives simple food a positive sense of freshness and natural flavor.

Opposites

Related words

  • 담백함tambaekamlightnessnoun

Word lists with this word