Meaning
Used to describe food or drink that does not taste good.
Cultural Background
Koreans often use 'Noon-chi' to decide whether to say '맛없어요'. If the cook is present, they will almost always use a euphemism like 'I'm full' or 'It's unique'. On the internet, Koreans are very direct. The term '노맛' (No-mat) is used extensively in hashtags to warn others about bad restaurants. In a corporate setting, criticizing food provided by a client or boss is seen as a sign of poor character. You should always find one thing to praise. Children are often scolded for saying '맛없어' to their parents' cooking, as it shows a lack of gratitude for the effort ({誠|성}{意|의} - seong-ui).
Soften the blow
Add '좀' (a little) or '별로' (not really) to make '맛없어요' sound less harsh: '좀 맛없어요' or '별로 맛없어요'.
The 'An' Trap
Avoid saying '안 맛있어요'. While logically 'not delicious', it marks you as a beginner. Stick to '맛없어요'.
Meaning
Used to describe food or drink that does not taste good.
Soften the blow
Add '좀' (a little) or '별로' (not really) to make '맛없어요' sound less harsh: '좀 맛없어요' or '별로 맛없어요'.
The 'An' Trap
Avoid saying '안 맛있어요'. While logically 'not delicious', it marks you as a beginner. Stick to '맛없어요'.
The Silent Critique
In Korea, if someone asks 'How is it?' and you just say 'It's okay' (괜찮아요), they often interpret that as 'It's actually 맛없어요 but I'm being polite'.
Test Yourself
Choose the most natural way to say 'The pizza tastes bad' in a polite way.
피자가 ________.
'맛없어요' is the standard polite negative form. '안 맛있어요' is unnatural, '맛없어' is informal, and '맛있어요' means the opposite.
Fill in the blank to make the sentence past tense: 'The coffee was bad.'
커피가 맛________.
The past tense of '없다' is '없었다', so '맛없었어요' is the correct polite past form.
Match the phrase to the correct social situation.
Which phrase would you use with a very close friend while eating a terrible snack?
'핵노맛이야' is slang used between close friends to emphasize how bad something is.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 식당 음식이 어때요? B: 가격은 비싼데 ________.
The word '비싼데' (it's expensive but...) implies a negative contrast, so '맛없어요' fits best.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Taste Existence Scale
Ways to say 'Bad Taste'
Standard
- • 맛없어요
Slang
- • 노맛
- • 핵노맛
Polite/Specific
- • 싱거워요
- • 입에 안 맞아요
Practice Bank
4 exercises피자가 ________.
'맛없어요' is the standard polite negative form. '안 맛있어요' is unnatural, '맛없어' is informal, and '맛있어요' means the opposite.
커피가 맛________.
The past tense of '없다' is '없었다', so '맛없었어요' is the correct polite past form.
Which phrase would you use with a very close friend while eating a terrible snack?
'핵노맛이야' is slang used between close friends to emphasize how bad something is.
A: 식당 음식이 어때요? B: 가격은 비싼데 ________.
The word '비싼데' (it's expensive but...) implies a negative contrast, so '맛없어요' fits best.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIt can be blunt. It's better to say '제 입맛에는 좀 안 맞아요' (It doesn't suit my taste) or mention a specific problem like 'too salty'.
The most common slang is '노맛' (No-mat) or '핵노맛' (Haek-no-mat) for something truly terrible.
In this phrase, it sounds like a 'ㄷ'. So it's 'ma-deop-seo-yo', not 'ma-seop-seo-yo'.
Yes, it is used for both food and drinks (coffee, juice, etc.).
Yes, '맛이 없습니다' or '맛이 좋지 않습니다' for very formal situations.
In Korean, '나쁘다' is for moral badness or bad weather. For food, we specifically use '맛없다'.
Only metaphorically to mean they are 'bland' or 'boring', but it's quite rare and a bit insulting.
Use '그저 그래요' (It's just so-so) or '괜찮아요' (It's okay).
In modern Korean, it is considered one single word (adjective).
It can mean both, but usually implies the flavor is unpleasant.
Related Phrases
맛있다
contrastTo be delicious
싱겁다
similarTo be bland
별로다
similarTo be not that good
입에 안 맞다
similarTo not fit one's mouth/palate
맛대가리 없다
specialized formTo be completely tasteless (vulgar)
노맛
specialized formNo taste (slang)
