How do you say "eat" in Korean?

먹다

meokda

Verb Hangul

In Korean, "eat" is 먹다 (meokda).

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Pronunciation

Meokda is two syllables, meok with a firm k stop and da said short and flat.

Writing and usage

먹다 is written using hangul. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

우리는 7시에 저녁을 먹어요.

urineun 7sie jeonyeogeul meogeoyo.

We eat dinner at seven.

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How to remember 먹다

Meok sounds like 'muck', but forget the mud, picture instead a big muck of rice you happily eat.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 먹다

How do you pronounce 먹다?

Meokda is two syllables, meok with a firm k stop and da said short and flat.

Is 먹다 formal or casual?

먹다 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 먹다 written in Korean?

먹다 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as meokda.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Eat" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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