이거 매워요?
1029
Is this spicy?
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A survival phrase for anyone dining in Korea to check if a dish will burn their tongue.
- Means: 'Is this spicy?' used to gauge the heat level of food.
- Used in: Restaurants, street food stalls, and when being offered home-cooked meals.
- Don't confuse: With '맛있어요?' (Is it delicious?), though they often go together!
Explanation at your level:
Signification
Asking if a particular food item has a spicy flavor.
Contexte culturel
Spiciness is often used as a metric for 'stress relief'. Many Koreans head to 'Maeun-tang' or 'Dakbal' restaurants after a hard day at work. The 'Fire Noodle Challenge' on YouTube made '매워요' a globally recognized Korean word among foodies. In traditional Korean medicine (Sasang typology), spicy food is thought to increase 'heat' in the body and is sometimes recommended for certain body types to improve circulation. If you ask '이거 매워요?' and find it too hot, it is polite to keep eating other side dishes rather than making a big scene about the heat.
The Benchmark
Ask '신라면보다 매워요?' (Is it spicier than Shin Ramyun?) to get a clear comparison.
The 'Not Spicy' Trap
If a Korean says it's 'not spicy,' take a small bite first. Their tolerance is usually higher.
Signification
Asking if a particular food item has a spicy flavor.
The Benchmark
Ask '신라면보다 매워요?' (Is it spicier than Shin Ramyun?) to get a clear comparison.
The 'Not Spicy' Trap
If a Korean says it's 'not spicy,' take a small bite first. Their tolerance is usually higher.
Customizing
You can ask for '신라면 맵기' (Shin Ramyun level of spice) at many casual restaurants.
Maep-bu-sim
If you can eat spicy food, tell them '저 매운 거 잘 먹어요' to earn instant respect!
Teste-toi
Choose the correct polite form of '맵다' to ask a question.
사장님, 이 김치찌개 ______?
The polite question form requires the ㅂ-irregular conjugation '매워요'.
Fill in the blank to say 'It is not spicy'.
아니요, 이거 별로 ____ 매워요.
'안' is the standard short negation for adjectives/verbs.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 이거 매워요? B: 네, 조금 매워요. A: 그럼, ______ 해주세요.
'덜 맵게' means 'less spicy', which is a logical request if the food is spicy.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are at a very formal dinner with a CEO.
The '-습니까' ending is the most appropriate for highly formal business situations.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot at all! It's a very practical question and chefs would rather you enjoy the meal than suffer through it.
'매워요' is a standard polite question. '맵나요' is slightly softer and more inquisitive, often used in casual conversation.
You can say '진짜 매워요' (really spicy) or '너무 매워요' (too spicy). Slang: '개매워요' (very spicy - use with caution).
It's the ㅂ-irregular rule. The 'ㅂ' changes to '우' when followed by a vowel suffix like '-어요'.
Yes, metaphorically for a 'tough' situation or 'harsh' words, but it's 95% used for food.
Just say '매워요?' or '많이 매워요?'
Yes: '저는 매운 음식을 잘 못 먹습니다.'
It means 'pleasantly spicy' or 'sweet and spicy', like the sauce on Korean fried chicken.
No, that is informal (banmal). Always use '이거 매워요?' with service staff.
Milk or a peach drink like Coolpis is better than water for capsaicin.
Expressions liées
덜 맵게 해주세요
builds onPlease make it less spicy.
매콤하다
specialized formTo be pleasantly spicy/sweet-spicy.
얼큰하다
specialized formTo be spicy and refreshing.
칼칼하다
specialized formTo be sharp/crisp spicy.
입에서 불이 나요
similarMy mouth is on fire.
Où l'utiliser
Ordering Tteokbokki
Learner: 사장님, 이거 매워요?
Owner: 조금 매운데, 맛있어요!
At a Friend's House
Friend: 이 김치 좀 먹어봐.
Learner: 이거 매워? 나 매운 거 잘 못 먹어.
Fine Dining
Learner: 죄송하지만, 이거 많이 맵습니까?
Server: 아니요, 손님. 아주 담백한 맛입니다.
Food Delivery App
User: (Request box): 이거 매워요? 안 맵게 해주세요.
App: 요청 사항이 전달되었습니다.
Supermarket Tasting
Staff: 한번 드셔보세요!
Learner: 이거 매워요? 아이가 먹을 수 있을까요?
Office Lunch
Colleague: 오늘 점심은 낙지볶음 어때요?
Learner: 거기 이거 많이 매워요? 제가 매운 걸 잘 못해서요.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Map' (맵) that leads to a 'War' (워) in your mouth. 맵 + 워 = 매워요!
Visual Association
Imagine a tiny fire-breathing dragon sitting on a plate of red noodles, holding a sign that says '이거 매워요?'
Rhyme
Don't be a hero, if it's not zero, ask '이거 매워요?'
Story
You walk into a restaurant in Seoul. Everything is red. You point at a bubbling pot and ask the waiter, '이거 매워요?' He smiles and says 'No,' but his forehead is sweating. You take a bite and realize his 'no' is your 'fire'!
Word Web
Défi
Go to a Korean restaurant (or look at a menu online) and identify 3 dishes that look red. Practice saying '이거 매워요?' for each one.
In Other Languages
¿Esto pica?
Spanish focuses on the 'stinging' action, while Korean uses a dedicated adjective for the flavor.
Est-ce que c'est épicé ?
French 'épicé' is broader and can include non-hot spices like cinnamon.
Ist das scharf?
The word 'scharf' is also used for knives and high-resolution images.
これ、辛いですか？
In some Japanese dialects, 'karai' can also mean 'salty', whereas in Korean '맵다' is strictly for heat.
هل هذا حار؟
Context is required to distinguish between temperature and spice.
这个辣吗？
Chinese often distinguishes between 'là' (hot) and 'málà' (numbing-hot).
이거 매워요?
N/A
Isso é picante?
It is a formal adjective rather than a verb like in Spanish.
Easily Confused
Learners often use 'hot' (temperature) when they mean 'spicy'.
Remember: 맵다 = Spice, 뜨겁다 = Temperature.
Sometimes red food is salty rather than spicy.
짜다 (jjada) means salty. Red doesn't always mean spicy!
FAQ (10)
Not at all! It's a very practical question and chefs would rather you enjoy the meal than suffer through it.
'매워요' is a standard polite question. '맵나요' is slightly softer and more inquisitive, often used in casual conversation.
You can say '진짜 매워요' (really spicy) or '너무 매워요' (too spicy). Slang: '개매워요' (very spicy - use with caution).
It's the ㅂ-irregular rule. The 'ㅂ' changes to '우' when followed by a vowel suffix like '-어요'.
Yes, metaphorically for a 'tough' situation or 'harsh' words, but it's 95% used for food.
Just say '매워요?' or '많이 매워요?'
Yes: '저는 매운 음식을 잘 못 먹습니다.'
It means 'pleasantly spicy' or 'sweet and spicy', like the sauce on Korean fried chicken.
No, that is informal (banmal). Always use '이거 매워요?' with service staff.
Milk or a peach drink like Coolpis is better than water for capsaicin.
