먼저 드세요.
1049
Please eat first.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A polite way to tell someone to start eating before you, essential for showing respect in Korean dining culture.
- Means: 'Please eat first' or 'Go ahead and start eating.'
- Used in: Business lunches, family dinners, or when you are delayed starting your meal.
- Don't confuse: Avoid using the plain form '먹어' with superiors or elders.
Explanation at your level:
Significado
A polite offer to let someone start eating before you.
Contexto cultural
The 'Spoon Rule' (수저 예절) dictates that the eldest person at the table must lift their spoon first. Saying '먼저 드세요' is a way to explicitly follow or politely bypass this rule. In business, the host or the person of lower rank often says this to the client or boss to show they are prioritizing the other's needs. On a first date, a man or woman might say this if the other person's food arrives first to show they are considerate and well-mannered. Korean hosts often stay in the kitchen to bring out more food. They will repeatedly tell guests '먼저 드세요' to ensure the guests don't wait and let the food get cold.
The 'Two-Time' Rule
In Korea, someone might decline your '먼저 드세요' once out of politeness. It's good to offer it twice to show you really mean it.
Add '식기 전에'
Adding '식기 전에' (Before it gets cold) makes your offer sound more caring and less like a formal rule.
Significado
A polite offer to let someone start eating before you.
The 'Two-Time' Rule
In Korea, someone might decline your '먼저 드세요' once out of politeness. It's good to offer it twice to show you really mean it.
Add '식기 전에'
Adding '식기 전에' (Before it gets cold) makes your offer sound more caring and less like a formal rule.
Watch the Hierarchy
If you are the youngest, wait for the oldest to say '먼저 들어요' or '먹자' before you start, even if you said '먼저 드세요'.
Ponte a prueba
Which phrase is most appropriate to say to your boss when your food is late?
부장님, 제 음식이 늦네요. _______.
'먼저 드세요' is the correct polite/honorific form for a superior.
Complete the dialogue between two friends (informal).
A: 나 화장실 좀 다녀올게. B: 알았어. 배고픈데 나 _______?
In an informal setting, '먼저 먹어도 돼?' (Can I eat first?) is natural.
Match the phrase to the person you are speaking to.
1. Grandmother 2. Younger Brother 3. Client
Grandmother gets the highest honorific, brother gets informal, and client gets standard polite.
Fill in the blank with the correct word for 'first'.
음식이 식기 전에 ____ 드세요.
'먼저' means 'ahead/first' in terms of order.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Who to say '먼저 드세요' to
Polite (드세요)
- • Boss
- • Teacher
- • In-laws
- • Strangers
Casual (먹어)
- • Best friend
- • Younger sibling
- • Child
Preguntas frecuentes
14 preguntasYes! '드시다' is the honorific for both eating and drinking. You can say it when someone's coffee arrives first.
It's not grammatically 'wrong', but it's rarely used. '드세요' is the standard polite way to talk about others eating.
You should say '먼저 먹어' or '먼저 먹으렴' (very fatherly/motherly).
Absolutely. It's very common in group chats when you are running late for a meal.
'먼저 잡수십시오' is the highest level, but it's mostly used for very elderly people or in historical dramas.
Usually, yes. It's polite to wait until they take at least one bite.
Yes, it works for any kind of food or refreshment.
It means 'first' in terms of sequence or 'ahead' in space.
Yes, for example, if you are sharing a table at a crowded cafeteria.
You can say '감사합니다, 그럼 먼저 먹을게요' (Thank you, then I will eat first).
Young people might say '먼저 ㄱㄱ' (Meonjeo go-go) in texts.
Korean uses 'suppletive' honorifics where a completely different word is used to show respect.
Yes, if you are just watching them eat or waiting for someone else.
With the right soft intonation, it sounds like a kind suggestion, not a command.
Frases relacionadas
맛있게 드세요
similarEnjoy your meal
잘 먹겠습니다
builds onI will eat well
천천히 드세요
similarEat slowly / Take your time
많이 드세요
similarPlease eat a lot
먼저 가세요
similarPlease go first
Dónde usarla
Office Lunch
Colleague: 지민 씨, 안 먹어요?
Me: 이것만 끝내고 먹을게요. 먼저 드세요.
Restaurant Delay
Friend: 내 음식만 먼저 나왔네... 어떡하지?
Me: 괜찮아, 식기 전에 먼저 드세요.
Family Gathering
Grandmother: 다들 어서 먹자.
Me: 할머니, 먼저 드세요. 잘 먹겠습니다.
Late Arrival
Me (on phone): 차가 막혀서 10분 늦어요. 먼저 드세요!
Friend: 알았어, 천천히 와.
Buffet Line
Stranger: 아, 죄송합니다. 지나가세요.
Me: 아니에요, 먼저 드세요.
Business Dinner
Client: 음식이 아주 맛있어 보이네요.
Me: 네, 식기 전에 먼저 드세요. 여기 유명한 곳입니다.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Meonjeo' as 'Me on the journey' (I'm still coming) and 'Deuseyo' as 'Do say yes' to the food.
Visual Association
Imagine a steaming bowl of bibimbap and a hand politely gesturing toward it, like a traffic cop waving a car through an intersection.
Rhyme
Before you go, say 'Meonjeo', let the elders eat their 'Deuseyo'.
Story
You are at a big Korean feast. You see your favorite fried chicken, but your boss is still talking on the phone. To be a star employee, you point to the chicken and say '먼저 드세요' when he hangs up, showing you waited for him.
Word Web
Desafío
Next time you are at a meal with others, wait until everyone is served and then say '먼저 드세요' to the oldest person there.
In Other Languages
お先にどうぞ (Osaki ni douzo)
The Japanese version is more general-purpose than the food-specific '드세요'.
您先吃 (Nín xiān chī)
Chinese lacks the complex verb-honorific system (like 드시다) found in Korean.
Usted primero / Que aproveche
Spanish prioritizes the 'wish' for a good meal over the 'order' of starting.
Après vous / Bon appétit
French etiquette often demands everyone starts simultaneously.
Fangen Sie ruhig schon an
German usage is more practical/functional than hierarchical.
تفضل (Tafaddal)
Tafaddal is a single-word 'Swiss Army knife' for all polite invitations.
Pode começar / Fique à vontade
Focuses on the guest's comfort rather than social rank.
Please, go ahead / After you
English uses auxiliary verbs and tone rather than specific honorific vocabulary.
Easily Confused
Learners might use '하세요' (do) instead of '드세요' (eat).
While '하세요' is okay, '드세요' is much more specific and polite for food.
Confusing '처음' (the first time) with '먼저' (order/ahead).
'처음' is for 'the very first time in your life'. '먼저' is for 'before me'.
Preguntas frecuentes (14)
Yes! '드시다' is the honorific for both eating and drinking. You can say it when someone's coffee arrives first.
It's not grammatically 'wrong', but it's rarely used. '드세요' is the standard polite way to talk about others eating.
You should say '먼저 먹어' or '먼저 먹으렴' (very fatherly/motherly).
Absolutely. It's very common in group chats when you are running late for a meal.
'먼저 잡수십시오' is the highest level, but it's mostly used for very elderly people or in historical dramas.
Usually, yes. It's polite to wait until they take at least one bite.
Yes, it works for any kind of food or refreshment.
It means 'first' in terms of sequence or 'ahead' in space.
Yes, for example, if you are sharing a table at a crowded cafeteria.
You can say '감사합니다, 그럼 먼저 먹을게요' (Thank you, then I will eat first).
Young people might say '먼저 ㄱㄱ' (Meonjeo go-go) in texts.
Korean uses 'suppletive' honorifics where a completely different word is used to show respect.
Yes, if you are just watching them eat or waiting for someone else.
With the right soft intonation, it sounds like a kind suggestion, not a command.
