Meaning
States that food does not taste good.
Cultural Background
Koreans often use 'indirect' criticism. Instead of saying food is '맛없다', they might say it's '건강한 맛' (a healthy taste), which is a polite way of saying it's bland or lacks flavor. If you are eating with an elder and the food is bad, you should wait for them to comment first. If they ask your opinion, it's safer to say 'It's okay' (괜찮아요) than 'It's not tasty.' The term '맛없없' (맛없을 수가 없는 - can't not be tasty) is a popular slang used to describe food that looks so good it's impossible for it to be bad. In some provinces, people might be more blunt about food. However, the Seoul standard remains cautious and polite regarding food criticism.
Social Suicide
Never say '맛없어요' to a Korean person who just cooked for you. It's better to lie and say it's 'unique'!
The 'Byeollo' Buffer
If you must criticize, use '별로예요' (It's not really...) instead. It sounds much more sophisticated and less aggressive.
Meaning
States that food does not taste good.
Social Suicide
Never say '맛없어요' to a Korean person who just cooked for you. It's better to lie and say it's 'unique'!
The 'Byeollo' Buffer
If you must criticize, use '별로예요' (It's not really...) instead. It sounds much more sophisticated and less aggressive.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank to say 'The coffee is not tasty' in polite Korean.
커피가 {味|맛}이 _______.
'없어요' is the correct polite form of '없다' (to not exist).
Which of the following is the most natural way to say 'It's really not tasty'?
진짜 _______.
'맛없어요' is the standard contracted form used in daily life.
Complete the dialogue between two friends.
A: 이 떡볶이 어때? B: 미안한데, 너무 _______.
Since they are friends (using '어때'), the informal '맛없어' is the most appropriate.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are writing a review for a bad restaurant on an app.
Reviews usually use the polite '-요' style.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Ways to say food is bad
Direct
- • 맛없어요
- • 맛이 없어요
Polite/Soft
- • 별로예요
- • 제 스타일이 아니에요
Specific
- • 짜요
- • 싱거워요
- • 느끼해요
Practice Bank
4 exercises커피가 {味|맛}이 _______.
'없어요' is the correct polite form of '없다' (to not exist).
진짜 _______.
'맛없어요' is the standard contracted form used in daily life.
A: 이 떡볶이 어때? B: 미안한데, 너무 _______.
Since they are friends (using '어때'), the informal '맛없어' is the most appropriate.
You are writing a review for a bad restaurant on an app.
Reviews usually use the polite '-요' style.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsIn modern Korean, it is written as one word (맛없다) because it is a common compound, but you can also write '맛이 없다' with the subject marker.
Yes, it applies to anything you consume, including water, coffee, and alcohol.
You can say '좀 맛없어요' or '약간 맛이 없네요.'
Only if they ask for your honest opinion. Otherwise, it's better to just leave the food and not return.
Related Phrases
맛있다
contrastDelicious (Taste exists)
별로예요
similarNot really good / So-so
싱겁다
specialized formBland / Under-seasoned
맛이 가다
idiomTo go bad / To spoil
