Signification
Expresses that the food is not good in taste.
Contexte culturel
Koreans often use 'Je-ip-mat-e-neun' (To my taste) before saying food isn't good. This shifts the 'fault' from the chef to the speaker's own palate, preserving harmony. Leaving food used to be considered rude, but in modern restaurants, leaving food and saying '별로 맛이 없어요' is a clear signal to the staff that the quality needs improvement. The concept of 'Sonnim-i Wang' (The customer is king) has made younger generations more vocal about food quality, leading to the rise of 'Nomat' (No taste) tags on social media. In traditional settings, if food is bad, people often focus on the 'Side dishes' (Banchan) instead of the main dish to avoid having to say the main dish is bad.
The 'Subjective' Shield
Add '제 입맛에는' (To my taste) to the start. It makes you sound like a refined critic rather than a complainer.
Host Etiquette
Never say this to a host. Even if the food is terrible, find one thing to praise (like the healthiness or the effort).
Signification
Expresses that the food is not good in taste.
The 'Subjective' Shield
Add '제 입맛에는' (To my taste) to the start. It makes you sound like a refined critic rather than a complainer.
Host Etiquette
Never say this to a host. Even if the food is terrible, find one thing to praise (like the healthiness or the effort).
The 'Nomat' Slang
If you are texting a friend about a bad meal, just type '노맛'. It's faster and very natural.
Softening with '-네'
Using '별로 맛이 없네요' instead of '없어요' adds a touch of 'I just realized this' or 'I'm surprised,' which sounds softer.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence to say 'The coffee is not very tasty' politely.
커피가 (____) 맛이 없어요.
'별로' is the correct adverb to use with a negative ending to mean 'not particularly'.
Which sentence is grammatically CORRECT?
Choose the correct sentence:
'별로' must be followed by a negative like '없어요'.
Fill in the response for a polite but honest opinion.
가: 어제 간 식당 어땠어? 나: 분위기는 좋았는데, 음식은 (________________).
The speaker uses 'but' (는데), implying a negative follow-up to the positive atmosphere.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
When should you say '별로 맛이 없어요'?
It is a standard way to give honest, non-aggressive feedback in public or neutral settings.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Directness Scale
Banque d exercices
4 exercices커피가 (____) 맛이 없어요.
'별로' is the correct adverb to use with a negative ending to mean 'not particularly'.
Choose the correct sentence:
'별로' must be followed by a negative like '없어요'.
가: 어제 간 식당 어땠어? 나: 분위기는 좋았는데, 음식은 (________________).
The speaker uses 'but' (는데), implying a negative follow-up to the positive atmosphere.
When should you say '별로 맛이 없어요'?
It is a standard way to give honest, non-aggressive feedback in public or neutral settings.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIn a restaurant, it's fine. To a friend who cooked, it's very rude. Context is everything in Korean.
No. You must say '별로 안 좋아요'. '별로' always needs a negative.
'맛없다' is 'It tastes bad.' '별로 맛없다' is 'It's not particularly good.' The latter is much softer.
You can say '진짜 맛없어요' or the slang '핵노맛이에요'.
Because '없다' is an adjective in Korean, it takes the subject marker '이/가', not the object marker '을/를'.
Yes, it works for anything you consume—coffee, tea, alcohol, etc.
Yes: '별로 맛이 없습니다.' Use this in very formal reports or settings.
Use '싱거워요' (It's bland) instead. It's more specific and less of a 'critique' of the flavor itself.
Yes, it's a very common shorthand for 'It's not that great.'
It is pronounced 'ma-shi'. The 's' sound carries over to the 'i'.
Expressions liées
맛없다
similarTo be untasty/bad
별로예요
similarIt's not that good / I don't really like it
싱겁다
specialized formTo be bland
노맛
slangNo taste
입에 안 맞다
similarTo not fit one's mouth/taste
