मतलब
To decide firmly on a course of action.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The phrase is often used in the context of 'Sa-hae-da-jim' (New Year's resolutions). Koreans often visit the East Sea to watch the sunrise while 'eating their mind' for the new year. In corporate culture, '마음을 먹다' is used to show loyalty or commitment to a project. A manager might ask if a team has 'eaten their mind' to finish a task on time. Students preparing for the CSAT (Suneung) are often told to '마음 단단히 먹어라' (steel your mind) to handle the immense pressure of the exam. Protagonists in revenge dramas often use this phrase when they finally decide to take action against their enemies, usually accompanied by a dramatic haircut or change in style.
Use with ~기로
Always pair it with the verb ending ~기로 to say 'decided TO [action].'
Not for Food
Never use this when you are actually hungry and want to eat!
मतलब
To decide firmly on a course of action.
Use with ~기로
Always pair it with the verb ending ~기로 to say 'decided TO [action].'
Not for Food
Never use this when you are actually hungry and want to eat!
Add Adverbs
Use '단단히' (firmly) to sound like a native who is very serious about their goal.
Encouragement
Say '마음만 먹으면 할 수 있어!' to a friend who is doubting themselves. It's very supportive.
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '마음을 먹다'.
건강을 위해서 매일 운동하기로 ( ).
In most contexts of stating a decision, the past tense '마음먹었어요' is used to show the decision is already made.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Select the natural Korean sentence.
The idiom '마음을 먹다' is only for decisions, not for eating food.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 이번 시험 공부 많이 했어? 나: 아니, 하지만 지금부터라도 ( ) 공부할 거야.
'단단히 마음먹고' (steeled/firmly decided) is the most natural way to express strong intent in this context.
Match the situation to the correct expression.
You have finally decided to quit your job after months of thinking.
'마음을 먹다' is for making a decision. '마음이 아프다' is for sadness, '마음에 들다' is for liking something, and '마음을 쓰다' is for worrying.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Deciding in Korean
अभ्यास बैंक
4 अभ्यास건강을 위해서 매일 운동하기로 ( ).
In most contexts of stating a decision, the past tense '마음먹었어요' is used to show the decision is already made.
Select the natural Korean sentence.
The idiom '마음을 먹다' is only for decisions, not for eating food.
가: 이번 시험 공부 많이 했어? 나: 아니, 하지만 지금부터라도 ( ) 공부할 거야.
'단단히 마음먹고' (steeled/firmly decided) is the most natural way to express strong intent in this context.
You have finally decided to quit your job after months of thinking.
'마음을 먹다' is for making a decision. '마음이 아프다' is for sadness, '마음에 들다' is for liking something, and '마음을 쓰다' is for worrying.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
12 सवालYes, it is neutral. You can make it polite by saying '마음을 먹었어요' or '마음을 먹었습니다'.
It sounds a bit dramatic for small things. Use '결정하다' or '고르다' for choosing food.
'결심하다' is more formal/academic. '마음을 먹다' is more idiomatic and common in speech.
No, only '먹다' (eat) is used in this idiom.
You can say '아직 마음을 못 먹었어요' or '아직 결정 못 했어요'.
It's better to use '마음을 먹다' or '결심하다' in formal writing. '맘먹다' is for texting.
In Korean, 'eating' often means internalizing an experience or emotion.
Yes, '마음먹을 거예요' (I will decide), but it's less common than the past tense.
Usually, but you can '마음을 독하게 먹다' to do something difficult or even mean.
Young people might say '맘먹음' in a checklist or status update.
Yes, '그가 마음을 먹었어요' (He decided).
Yes, it is a standard Korean idiom used across the peninsula.
संबंधित मुहावरे
결심하다
synonymTo decide/resolve
마음을 굳히다
builds onTo harden one's mind
작정하다
similarTo intend/plan
뜻을 세우다
specialized formTo establish one's will
마음을 돌리다
contrastTo change one's mind
각오하다
similarTo be prepared/braced
