편지을 먹다

You will mostly hear this in very casual settings. It’s perfect for complaining about your friends who are terrible at texting. You use the object marker 를 after 편지. So it becomes 편지를 먹다. In the past tense, you’d say 편지를 먹었어. If you want to sound slightly more modern, you might swap 편지 for 메시지 or 답장. However, the classic 편지를 먹다 still holds a nostalgic, idiomatic charm. Just remember to conjugate it based on who you are talking to. With close friends, stick to 먹었어. If you are talking to a sibling, you can be even blunter. Never use this with your boss unless you want to be the next person 'swallowed' by the HR department! It’s a punchy, short expression that gets straight to the point of your frustration. Just don't say it with your mouth full of actual food.

Speaker A: 민수한테 답장 왔어? (Did you get a reply from Minsu?)

Speaker B: 아니, 내 메시지 또 먹었어. (No, he ate my message again.)

Speaker A: 어제 보낸 편지 왜 먹었어? (Why did you eat the letter I sent yesterday?)

Speaker B: 미안, 너무 바빠서 깜빡했어! (Sorry, I was so busy I forgot!)

Speaker A: 그 친구는 항상 내 연락을 먹더라. (That friend always seems to eat my calls/texts.)

Speaker B: 진짜 예의 없다. 그만 연락해. (That's so rude. Stop contacting them.)

Use this when you are feeling ghosted by a friend. It’s great for venting about a group chat where everyone reads your plan but no one replies. You can use it when someone ignores a DM on Instagram or a comment on a TikTok video. It’s also applicable if you sent a physical letter (how retro!) and never heard back. It fits perfectly in scenarios where the silence is intentional or lazy. If your brother ignores your request to buy milk on his way home, he definitely 편지를 먹었다. It’s a colorful way to add emotion to a boring complaint about technology. It works best when there is a clear expectation of a reply. When the silence feels like a choice, this is your go-to phrase. Just be prepared for the recipient to make an excuse about their phone being on 'Do Not Disturb' mode.

Avoid this phrase in professional emails or job interviews. If a recruiter hasn't emailed you back, don't tell your mom they 편지를 먹었다 if you are trying to sound professional. Definitely don't use it toward elders or teachers. It’s too informal and can sound accusatory. If someone legitimately didn't receive the message due to a technical error, this phrase might be too harsh. Also, don't use it if you are actually talking about eating. If you accidentally swallowed a piece of paper, just say 종이를 삼켰어요. Using 편지를 먹다 in a literal sense will make people think you have a very strange diet. It’s an idiom, so keep it in the realm of communication. If the '1' on KakaoTalk is still there, they haven't 'eaten' it yet—they just haven't seen it!

✗ 답장을 씹었어요 → (Wait, this is actually a correct and more common slang! But don't mix them up if you're trying to use the 'eat' version.)

Many learners forget that this is slang and try to use it with teachers. That’s a one-way ticket to an awkward silence. Another mistake is using the wrong object marker. Since 편지 ends in a vowel, use 를. If you use 을, it sounds like your grammar is being 'eaten' too! Stay focused on the person who is ignoring you as the subject.

The most popular modern version is 씹다 (to chew). It’s even more common among Gen Z. You’ll hear 읽씹 (read and chew/ignore) and 안읽씹 (not read and chew/ignore). 무시하다 is the standard, non-slang way to say 'ignore'. 답장을 안 하다 is the literal, polite way to say 'not replying'. 입을 씻다 (to wash one's mouth) is a related idiom meaning to act like nothing happened after taking something. While 씹다 is more aggressive, 먹다 feels slightly more 'final'—like the message is gone forever. If you want to sound really hip, use 읽씹, but 먹다 is great for variety. It’s like choosing between a classic burger and a trendy taco.

You can swap out 편지 for almost any communication medium. 메시지를 먹다 is very common for texts. 연락을 먹다 covers all forms of contact, including calls. 답장을 먹다 specifically means 'eating the reply'. Some people might say 공지를 먹다 if someone ignores an official announcement in a group chat. You might also hear 말을 먹다 which means someone started to say something but stopped, or they ignored what you said. In a gaming context, if someone ignores your 'ping' or request for backup, you could jokingly say they 'ate' your signal. The flexibility of 먹다 makes it a powerful tool in your slang arsenal. It's the Swiss Army knife of being ignored.

Is this phrase polite? No, it is very informal and should only be used with friends or family. Can I use it for phone calls? Usually, 연락을 먹다 is better for calls, but people will understand if you use 편지. Why 'eat'? In Korean, 먹다 is used for many abstract things like age, bribes, and insults; it represents 'taking something in' without a return. Is it still used today? Yes, though 씹다 is more common in digital slang, 먹다 is still widely understood and used. Does it mean the message was deleted? No, it just means the person didn't respond after seeing it. Is there a formal version? No, the concept itself is informal; use 답변이 없습니다 (there is no answer) in formal settings. Can I use it on Instagram? Absolutely, it's perfect for when someone ignores your DMs!