Daily Busan
[Every day Korean] 밥 먹었어?
During an interview, Sakura Miyawaki, a Japanese member of the K-pop group Le Sserafim, expressed how she had trouble adapting to the nuance of Korean greetings. The popular singer said she didn't understand why Koreans kept asking her whether she had eaten.
Her dilemma is common for people learning a new language. Like any language, Korean expressions have underlying meanings that non-native speakers may be unable to grasp.
Typically, when Koreans ask, "Did you eat?" they are not specifically asking if you are hungry; rather, they are asking about you generally.
So, the next time someone asks you if you've had a meal, consider it as if they had asked, "How are you?" In reply, you could say, "I did, how about you?" ("네, 먹었어요. 당신은요?") and that would be enough.
<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>
express: 표현하다 adapt: 적응하다 nuance: 뉘앙스 greeting: 인사 common: 공통적인 expression: 표현 underlying: 내재된 unable: ~할수 없는 grasp: 파악 typically: 전형적으로 specifically: 특별히 generally: 일반적으로 meal: 식사 consider as: ~로 여기다 enough: 충분한
Editor: Song Soomi
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