Describing taste

Say 맛있어요 (masisseoyo), the most common way to praise food. For extra emphasis, add 정말 (jeongmal) or 너무 (neomu): 정말 맛있어요. When the owner says 맛있게 드세요 (masitge deuseyo, "Enjoy your meal"), reply 감사합니다, and after eating, telling them 맛있었어요 (masisseosseoyo, "It was delicious") will make their day.

맛없어요 (madeopseoyo) means "It doesn't taste good," but saying it directly in a restaurant can sound rude. If something isn't to your taste, try the softer 제 입맛에는 좀 안 맞아요 (je immaseneun jom an majayo, "It doesn't quite suit my taste"). If there's a specific problem, describe it, such as 좀 짜요 (jom jjayo, "It's a bit salty").

매워요 (maewoyo) means "It's spicy." Say 너무 매워요 (neomu maewoyo) for "too spicy" and 조금 매워요 (jogeum maewoyo) for "a little spicy." Before ordering, ask 이거 매워요? (igeo maewoyo, "Is this spicy?"). If you can't handle heat, let them know: 저 매운 거 잘 못 먹어요 (jeo maeun geo jal mot meogeoyo, "I can't eat spicy food well").

The basic taste words are 달아요 (darayo, sweet), 짜요 (jjayo, salty), 셔요 (syeoyo, sour) and 써요 (sseoyo, bitter). A lemon is 셔요, and black coffee is 써요. Add 좀 (jom, a bit) or 너무 (neomu, too) to show degree, as in 좀 짜요 (jom jjayo, "a bit salty").

싱거워요 (singgeowoyo) means the food is bland or not salty enough. You might say 좀 싱거워요 (jom singgeowoyo) about a soup or stew that tastes flat. If there's salt or sauce on the table, add it yourself; otherwise ask 소금 좀 주세요 (sogeum jom juseyo, "Some salt, please").

고소해요 (gosohaeyo) describes a pleasant, roasted, nutty flavor, like sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, nuts or roasted grains. There's no exact English word, so it's often translated as "nutty" or "toasty." You'll hear it about things like scorched rice (nurungji), dishes with perilla oil and peanut snacks.

담백해요 (dambaekaeyo) describes a clean, light taste that isn't greasy or overpowering. It's often used for clear soups, white fish and tofu dishes, and it's meant as a compliment. In English, "light" or "clean-tasting" comes close. It is a handy word for praising simple, well-made home cooking.

느끼해요 (neukkihaeyo) means food feels too greasy or rich. After lots of cream pasta or fried food, you might say 좀 느끼해요 (jom neukkihaeyo) and reach for kimchi or pickles to cut through it. Interestingly, the word is also used to describe someone's overly cheesy or greasy manner of speaking.

Koreans often say 시원해요 (siwonhaeyo) after eating hot soup. Here, 시원하다 doesn't mean cold; it describes a refreshing, soothing feeling, as if the broth clears you out. You'll hear it a lot with hangover soups (haejangguk) and clear broths. It's a uniquely Korean way of describing taste and comfort.

쫄깃해요 (jjolgitaeyo) describes a springy, chewy texture, like rice cakes (tteok) or cold buckwheat noodles. In Korea, this texture is considered a good thing, so it's often used as praise. A similar word is 쫀득해요 (jjondeukaeyo), which suggests a stickier, more dense chewiness.

바삭해요 (basakaeyo) means "crispy," used for fried food, savory pancakes (jeon) or crackers. Praising fried chicken with 정말 바삭해요 (jeongmal basakaeyo, "It's so crispy") sounds natural. The opposite, when something has gone soggy, is 눅눅해요 (nungnukaeyo). Both words are common in food reviews.

부드러워요 (budeureowoyo) means "soft" or "tender," used for tender meat or silky foods like steamed egg (gyeranjjim) and tofu. 고기가 정말 부드러워요 (gogiga jeongmal budeureowoyo, "The meat is so tender") is a common compliment. If meat is tough, say 질겨요 (jilgyeoyo).

얼큰해요 (eolkeunhaeyo) is used mainly for soups and stews that are spicy in a hearty, satisfying way. While 매워요 (maewoyo) simply means spicy, 얼큰해요 praises a rich, warming heat that feels good. You'll hear it with dishes like spicy beef soup (yukgaejang), jjamppong and spicy fish stew (maeuntang).

감칠맛 (gamchilmat) is a deep, savory flavor that makes you want to keep eating, close to the idea of umami. You can taste it in broths made with anchovies or kelp, soy sauce and fermented seafood (jeotgal). People say 감칠맛이 나요 (gamchilmasi nayo) as a compliment.

새콤달콤 (saekomdalkom) means sweet and sour together, a bright, tangy-sweet flavor. It's used for spicy cold noodles (bibim naengmyeon), fruit desserts and some seasoned vegetable dishes. Korean loves rhythmic taste pairs like this, so you'll also hear 매콤달콤 (maekomdalkom, spicy-sweet) and 달콤짭짤 (dalkomjjapjjal, sweet-salty).

단짠 (danjjan) is short for 달고 짠 (dalgo jjan), "sweet and salty," and describes food with both flavors, like sweet-glazed chicken or soy-butter rice. Because it's a shortened slang term, it's mostly used among friends and on social media, and its popularity may change over time.

짜요 (jjayo) means "salty," often in a negative sense, as in too salty. 짭짤해요 (jjapjjalhaeyo) means pleasantly salty and well seasoned, so it's usually a compliment. For example, you might say potato chips are 짭짤해서 맛있어요 (jjapjjalhaeseo masisseoyo, "nicely salty and tasty").

배고파요 (baegopayo) means "I'm hungry," and 배불러요 (baebulleoyo) means "I'm full." If someone offers you more food, 배불러요, 감사합니다 (baebulleoyo, gamsahamnida, "I'm full, thank you") is a polite way to decline. When you're stuffed, say 너무 배불러요 (neomu baebulleoyo), "I'm so full."

Ask 맛이 어때요? (masi eottaeyo, "How does it taste?"). Before trying something, you can ask 이거 무슨 맛이에요? (igeo museun masieyo, "What does this taste like?"). If someone cooked for you, they may ask 입에 맞으세요? (ibe majeuseyo, "Does it suit your taste?"), and 네, 맛있어요 (ne, masisseoyo) is a kind reply.

Put words like 정말 (jeongmal, really), 진짜 (jinjja, really), 너무 (neomu, so) or 완전 (wanjeon, totally) in front. For example, 진짜 맛있어요 (jinjja masisseoyo, "It's really delicious") or 완전 매워요 (wanjeon maewoyo, "It's super spicy"). 완전 is casual and popular among younger people, so it fits friends better than formal settings.