점심을 먹다.
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Eat lunch.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
This is the standard way to say 'to have lunch' in Korean, combining the noun for lunch and the verb to eat.
- Means: To eat the midday meal (lunch).
- Used in: Daily routines, making plans with friends, or checking if someone is okay.
- Don't confuse: With '점심시간' which specifically refers to the lunch hour/time itself.
Explanation at your level:
Meaning
To have the midday meal.
Cultural Background
The 'Lunch Team' (점심 팀) culture is strong. It's common for an entire department to move as one unit to a restaurant. The youngest member often sets the table with spoons and napkins. Asking 'Have you eaten?' is a way to say 'Hello' or 'I care about you.' If you answer 'No,' the other person might feel obligated to buy you food or express concern. School lunches (급식) are a major part of student life. They are usually healthy, balanced, and provided to all students. Students often check the 'meal plan' (식단표) first thing in the morning. With the rise of delivery apps like Baedal Minjok, '점심을 시켜 먹다' (ordering lunch to eat) has become a standard office and home routine.
Drop the '을'
In casual speech, just say '점심 먹었어?' It sounds much more natural and fluid.
Honorifics Matter
Never use '먹다' with your boss or grandparents. Always use '드시다'.
Meaning
To have the midday meal.
Drop the '을'
In casual speech, just say '점심 먹었어?' It sounds much more natural and fluid.
Honorifics Matter
Never use '먹다' with your boss or grandparents. Always use '드시다'.
The 'Lunch Greeting'
If someone asks '점심 먹었어요?' at 2 PM, they are just being polite. You don't need to give a detailed menu!
Sharing is Caring
If you eat lunch with Koreans, be prepared to share side dishes. It's the heart of the meal.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct object marker.
저는 친구와 점심___ 먹어요.
점심 ends in a consonant (ㅁ), so the object marker '을' is used.
Choose the most appropriate honorific form for your boss.
부장님, 점심 ______?
'드시다' is the honorific form of '먹다', appropriate for a superior.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 배고파요. 같이 점심 먹으러 갈까요? B: ________.
A positive response to a suggestion to go eat lunch.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Which phrase would you use to text a close friend at 12 PM?
'맛점해' is a friendly, casual slang for 'Have a delicious lunch.'
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Formality Levels
Frequently Asked Questions
14 questionsIt's better to say '점심을 먹어요' or '식사를 해요'. '점심을 하다' is rarely used.
It's a slang abbreviation for '맛있는 점심' (delicious lunch). Use it with friends!
No, it refers to any midday meal, whether it's sandwiches, noodles, or salad.
You can say '오늘 점심 메뉴가 뭐예요?' or casually '오늘 점심 뭐야?'
It's still '점심,' but you might call it '늦은 점심' (late lunch).
No, in spoken Korean, '점심 먹다' is very common and natural.
'점심' is specifically lunch; '식사' is a general word for any meal.
Yes, you can say '약 먹다,' but don't say '점심 약을 먹다' as a replacement for the meal.
Usually dinner is the biggest, but lunch is the most social meal for workers and students.
Say '배불러요' (Bae-bul-leo-yo).
It means 'eating alone.' It's a growing trend in Korea.
No, never use honorifics for yourself. Use '먹다'.
It's the Korean word for 'brunch' (Breakfast + Lunch).
Say '시간 되시면 같이 점심 식사 하실래요?'
Related Phrases
아침을 먹다
similarTo eat breakfast
저녁을 먹다
similarTo eat dinner
식사하다
specialized formTo have a meal
맛점하다
specialized formTo have a delicious lunch
혼밥하다
builds onTo eat alone
아점을 먹다
similarTo eat brunch
Where to Use It
At the Office
Colleague A: 김 대리님, 점심 먹으러 갈까요?
Colleague B: 네, 좋아요. 오늘 뭐 먹을까요?
Texting a Friend
Friend 1: 점심 먹었어?
Friend 2: 아니, 아직. 같이 먹을래?
At a Restaurant
Server: 주문하시겠어요?
Customer: 네, 점심 특선 두 개 주세요.
Talking to Parents
Mother: 우리 딸, 점심 먹었니?
Daughter: 응, 친구랑 먹었어. 걱정 마.
Job Interview
Interviewer: 면접 후에 점심 식사 맛있게 하세요.
Candidate: 네, 감사합니다!
School Cafeteria
Student A: 오늘 점심 뭐야?
Student B: 돈가스래! 빨리 먹으러 가자.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Jeom-sim' as 'Jump-Soon'—you want to jump to the restaurant soon because it's lunch time!
Visual Association
Imagine a bright sun (midday) and a heart with a small dot on it (the Hanja origin). Next to it, a bowl of steaming rice and a spoon.
Rhyme
At noon, under the sun, 점심(Jeomsim) is fun!
Story
A monk was meditating and felt a tiny bit hungry. He didn't want a big meal, just a 'dot' on his heart. He ate a small snack at noon. Now, we all 'dot our hearts' every day at 12 PM.
Word Web
Challenge
Try to ask three different people '점심 먹었어요?' today at different times.
In Other Languages
Almorzar
Korean uses a Noun+Verb structure; Spanish uses a single verb.
Déjeuner
French 'déjeuner' can also mean breakfast in some dialects (like Belgian/Swiss), while '점심' is strictly midday.
Zu Mittag essen
German requires the preposition 'zu,' while Korean uses the object marker '을'.
昼ご飯を食べる (Hirugohan o taberu)
Japanese often uses 'gohan' (rice/meal), while Korean uses the specific Hanja-based 'jeomsim'.
يتناول الغداء (Yatanawal al-ghada')
Arabic uses 'take' more formally than Korean 'eat'.
吃午饭 (Chī wǔfàn)
In modern Chinese, 'diǎnxīn' means snacks/dim sum, while in Korean it means the full lunch meal.
Almoçar
Portuguese doesn't use the 'Did you eat?' greeting as a standard phatic expression like Korean does.
To have lunch / To eat lunch
English 'have' is more common than 'eat' for meals, but Korean '먹다' is the primary choice.
Easily Confused
Learners don't know when to use 'rice/meal' (밥) vs 'lunch' (점심).
'밥을 먹다' is generic and can be used for any meal. '점심을 먹다' is specific to the time of day.
Confusing the act of eating with the time period.
'점심시간' is the noun for the 'lunch hour.' You don't 'eat' the lunch hour; you 'have' it or 'use' it.
FAQ (14)
It's better to say '점심을 먹어요' or '식사를 해요'. '점심을 하다' is rarely used.
It's a slang abbreviation for '맛있는 점심' (delicious lunch). Use it with friends!
No, it refers to any midday meal, whether it's sandwiches, noodles, or salad.
You can say '오늘 점심 메뉴가 뭐예요?' or casually '오늘 점심 뭐야?'
It's still '점심,' but you might call it '늦은 점심' (late lunch).
No, in spoken Korean, '점심 먹다' is very common and natural.
'점심' is specifically lunch; '식사' is a general word for any meal.
Yes, you can say '약 먹다,' but don't say '점심 약을 먹다' as a replacement for the meal.
Usually dinner is the biggest, but lunch is the most social meal for workers and students.
Say '배불러요' (Bae-bul-leo-yo).
It means 'eating alone.' It's a growing trend in Korea.
No, never use honorifics for yourself. Use '먹다'.
It's the Korean word for 'brunch' (Breakfast + Lunch).
Say '시간 되시면 같이 점심 식사 하실래요?'
