How do you say "spicy" in Korean?

맵다

maepda

Adjective Hangul

In Korean, "spicy" is 맵다 (maepda).

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Pronunciation

Maep-dah, just two syllables, the 'maep' ending on a crisp closed p, like biting off the word short.

Writing and usage

맵다 is written using hangul. It's a adjective, 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

이 카레는 매우 매워요.

i kareneun maeu maewoyo.

This curry is very spicy.

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How to remember 맵다

Say 'map!' quickly and picture your tongue needing a map to escape the heat.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 맵다

How do you pronounce 맵다?

Maep-dah, just two syllables, the 'maep' ending on a crisp closed p, like biting off the word short.

Is 맵다 formal or casual?

맵다 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 맵다 written in Korean?

맵다 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as maepda.

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.

"Spicy" 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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