Korean word

먹다

Pronunciation

Romanizationmeoktta

Meaning

  • verbeat

Example

아이들이 과자를 먹고 있어요.a i deu ri kwa ja reul meok kko i sseo yo

The children are eating snacks.

Illustration for 먹다 (eat)

More examples

운동 후에 단백질을 먹어요.un dong hu e tan baek jji reul meo geo yo

I eat protein after exercising.

Core concept

A person takes food inside by chewing and swallowing, and the same word can also describe something bad hurting or damaging that person.

Common phrases

  • 밥을 먹다pa beul meok tta

    eat rice

  • 간식을 먹다kan si geul meok tta

    eat a snack

  • 저녁을 먹다cheo nyeo geul meok tta

    eat dinner

Similar words

식사하다sikssahada: To eat as part of a meal, using a polite or neutral expression.
드시다teusida: To say respectfully that an older person, guest, or customer eats or drinks.
마시다masida: To drink a liquid by swallowing it through the mouth.
먹이다meogida: To feed a person or animal by giving food or medicine.

Definition in Korean

무엇인가를 씹어 삼켜 몸에 흡수하는 본래 의미를 바탕으로, 더 넓게는 어떤 일을 당하거나 피해를 받는 뜻까지 확장되어 다양한 관용표현을 가진 동사이다.mu eo sin ga reul ssi beo sam kyeo mo me heup ssu ha neun pol lae ui mi reul pa tang eu ro teo neol kke neun eo tteon i reul tang ha geo na pi hae reul pan neun tteut kka ji hwak jjang doe eo ta yang han kwa nyong pyo hyeo neul ka jin tong sa i da

Word origin

먹다 (meoktta, "to eat") is a native Korean verb whose basic eating sense has extended through idioms to experiences such as suffering harm.

Usage tips

  • Many Korean expressions use this everyday verb beyond meals, so the surrounding words help show whether it refers to food or an unwanted experience.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word