Food Words in Korean
Updated July 5, 2026
The core food words in Korean are 밥 (bap, cooked rice), 물 (mul, water), 고기 (gogi, meat), and 김치 (gimchi, kimchi). 밥 is so central that it doubles as the general word for a meal.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 밥 | cooked ricebap |
| 물 | watermul |
| 고기 | meatgogi |
| 김치 | kimchigimchi |
| 국 | soupguk |
| 국수 | noodlesguksu |
| 계란 | egggyeran |
| 채소 | vegetablechaeso |
| 과일 | fruitgwail |
| 먹다 | to eatmeokda |
| 맛있다 | deliciousmasitda |
Want these to stick? Hear them in real context: LingoBinge surfaces words like these while you watch Korean shows on Netflix, and saves them for spaced review.
Hear them in: Crash Landing on You, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you say food in Korean?
- A common word for food is 음식 (eumsik). 밥 (bap) literally means cooked rice but is also used to mean a meal, which is why 밥 먹었어요? (have you eaten?) works as a friendly greeting.
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