Explanation at your level:
You use 저녁밥 to talk about your evening meal. If someone asks you if you are hungry, you can say 'I am eating 저녁밥 now.' It is a very basic and useful word for your daily life in Korea.
At this level, you can use the word to describe your routine. For example, 'I usually eat 저녁밥 at 7 PM with my family.' It is a common noun you will hear every day.
You can start using 저녁밥 in various social contexts. It is more informal than '저녁 식사'. Use it when talking to friends or family to sound more natural and comfortable with the language.
Understanding the nuance between 저녁밥 and 저녁 식사 is key at this level. 저녁밥 implies a homey, intimate atmosphere, whereas 저녁 식사 is neutral or slightly formal.
Advanced learners recognize that 저녁밥 carries cultural weight. It represents the '밥' culture of Korea, where the act of sharing a meal is a fundamental way to build and maintain social relationships.
At the mastery level, you appreciate the linguistic evolution of 저녁밥. It encapsulates the transition of Korean society from a rice-centric agricultural base to a modern urban culture where the word still retains its warmth.
Word in 30 Seconds
- 저녁밥 is the Korean word for dinner.
- It is used in casual and daily contexts.
- It combines 'evening' and 'meal/rice'.
- It is a warm, family-oriented word.
The word 저녁밥 is a compound noun formed by 저녁 (evening) and 밥 (cooked rice/meal). In Korean culture, 밥 is more than just rice; it represents the concept of a 'meal' itself.
When you say 저녁밥, you are specifically referring to the evening meal. It is a very common, everyday word used in almost every household across Korea to signal that it is time to eat.
The term has deep roots in the agrarian history of Korea. Since rice was the staple crop, the word for 'rice' (밥) naturally evolved to mean 'meal' in general.
Historically, the evening meal was the most important time for families to reconnect. The evolution of this word reflects the shift from simple sustenance to a social ritual that defines the end of the workday.
You use 저녁밥 in casual and semi-formal settings. It is perfectly appropriate to ask a friend, 'Did you eat your 저녁밥?'
While 저녁 식사 is the more formal, 'dinner' equivalent used in professional settings, 저녁밥 carries a warmer, more personal feeling associated with home-cooked meals.
1. 저녁밥을 먹다: To eat dinner. 2. 저녁밥을 차리다: To prepare/set the table for dinner. 3. 저녁밥이 늦다: Dinner is late. 4. 저녁밥을 거르다: To skip dinner. 5. 저녁밥을 사다: To treat someone to dinner.
The word is a standard noun. It does not have plural forms in Korean. In terms of pronunciation, the 'ㄱ' in 저녁 followed by 'ㅂ' in 밥 creates a tense sound: jeo-nyeok-ppap.
It functions as the subject or object of a sentence. It is often used with the verb 먹다 (to eat) or 준비하다 (to prepare).
Fun Fact
Rice is so central to Korean identity that 'Did you eat?' is a common greeting.
Pronunciation Guide
Sounds like 'jeon-yeok-bap'
Sounds like 'jeon-yeok-bap'
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing the final 'p'
- Ignoring the tense sound
- Incorrect vowel length
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy
Easy
Easy
Easy
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Object Marker
저녁밥을
Verb Conjugation
먹다 -> 먹었어요
Time Particles
7시에
Examples by Level
저녁밥을 먹어요.
Dinner (obj) eat.
Basic verb structure
저녁밥이 맛있어요.
Dinner is delicious.
Subject marker
저녁밥을 준비해요.
Prepare dinner.
Active verb
저녁밥 먹었어요?
Did you eat dinner?
Past tense question
저녁밥은 비빔밥이에요.
Dinner is bibimbap.
Topic marker
저녁밥을 안 먹었어요.
I did not eat dinner.
Negation
오늘 저녁밥은 뭐예요?
What is dinner today?
Question word
저녁밥 같이 먹어요.
Let's eat dinner together.
Suggestion
저녁밥을 일찍 먹어요.
저녁밥 메뉴가 고민돼요.
엄마가 저녁밥을 만드세요.
저녁밥을 먹고 공부해요.
저녁밥 약속이 있어요.
저녁밥을 간단히 먹었어요.
저녁밥을 사 먹을까요?
저녁밥을 기다려요.
가족과 함께 저녁밥을 먹는 시간이 좋아요.
저녁밥을 거르면 배가 고파요.
친구에게 저녁밥을 대접했어요.
저녁밥을 먹으면서 이야기를 나눴어요.
바빠서 저녁밥을 대충 먹었어요.
저녁밥을 차리기 귀찮아요.
오늘 저녁밥은 외식할 거예요.
저녁밥을 든든하게 먹었어요.
저녁밥을 준비하느라 정신이 없었어요.
오랜만에 집에서 저녁밥을 먹네요.
저녁밥을 먹으며 하루를 마무리합니다.
저녁밥을 먹고 나니 졸려요.
저녁밥을 거하게 차려주셨어요.
저녁밥을 먹을 시간이 마땅치 않아요.
저녁밥을 먹으러 식당에 갔어요.
저녁밥을 먹는 것은 일상의 즐거움입니다.
저녁밥을 나누는 행위는 한국인에게 각별한 의미가 있습니다.
바쁜 현대인들에게 저녁밥은 소중한 휴식입니다.
저녁밥을 짓는 냄새가 집안에 가득합니다.
저녁밥을 먹으며 정을 쌓습니다.
저녁밥을 거르는 것이 일상이 되었습니다.
저녁밥을 먹는 모습에서 행복이 느껴집니다.
저녁밥을 함께 먹는 것은 친밀함의 표시입니다.
저녁밥을 먹기 전 손을 씻어야 합니다.
저녁밥은 단순한 식사를 넘어선 정서적 교감의 장입니다.
저녁밥을 준비하는 어머니의 뒷모습이 떠오릅니다.
저녁밥을 먹는 풍경은 한국 가정의 전형적인 모습입니다.
저녁밥을 함께하는 것은 관계의 시작입니다.
저녁밥을 먹는 시간은 하루의 고단함을 씻어내는 시간입니다.
저녁밥을 먹으며 나누는 대화는 깊이가 다릅니다.
저녁밥을 먹고 난 뒤의 여유가 좋습니다.
저녁밥을 차리는 정성이 맛을 결정합니다.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"저녁밥을 먹이다"
To provide dinner for someone
아이들에게 저녁밥을 먹였어요.
neutral"저녁밥을 굶다"
To skip dinner completely
바빠서 저녁밥을 굶었어요.
casual"저녁밥을 같이 하다"
To have dinner together
오늘 저녁밥 같이 해요.
neutral"저녁밥을 해결하다"
To sort out/eat dinner
밖에서 저녁밥을 해결했어요.
neutral"저녁밥 냄새"
The smell of cooking dinner
집에서 저녁밥 냄새가 나요.
neutralEasily Confused
Refers to the time.
Time vs Meal.
저녁에 만나요 vs 저녁밥 먹었어요.
Both mean dinner.
Formality.
석식 제공 vs 저녁밥 먹자.
Both mean dinner.
Formality.
저녁 식사 하셨나요? vs 저녁밥 먹었어?
Late night snack.
Time of day.
야식은 치킨입니다.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + Object(저녁밥) + Verb
나는 저녁밥을 먹었다.
Time + Object(저녁밥) + Verb
7시에 저녁밥을 먹어요.
Object(저녁밥) + Adverb + Verb
저녁밥을 맛있게 먹었어요.
Object(저녁밥) + Verb + Suggestion
저녁밥을 먹으러 갑시다.
Object(저녁밥) + Verb + Reason
저녁밥을 준비하느라 바빠요.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Related
How to Use It
10
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
You eat meals, not drink them.
Use '차리다' for setting/preparing.
석식 is too formal for friends.
Usually we prepare meals, not 'cook' the meal as a whole.
This is correct, but ensure context is right.
Tips
Memory Palace
Imagine your kitchen at sunset.
Native Usage
Use it with friends.
Cultural Insight
It implies home.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use with 먹다.
Say It Right
Tense the 'p' sound.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't use in business.
Did You Know?
It's the most common meal word.
Study Smart
Practice with food photos.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Jeo-nyeok (evening) + Bap (rice)
Visual Association
A warm bowl of steaming rice at sunset.
Word Web
Challenge
Say '저녁밥 먹었어요?' to a friend today.
Word Origin
Korean
Original meaning: Evening rice
Cultural Context
None, universally understood.
Directly correlates to 'dinner' or 'supper'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At home
- 저녁밥 다 됐어?
- 저녁밥 먹자!
- 저녁밥 차려주세요.
With friends
- 저녁밥 뭐 먹을까?
- 저녁밥 사줄게.
- 저녁밥 먹으러 가자.
At school
- 저녁밥 시간이다.
- 오늘 저녁밥 메뉴 뭐야?
Planning
- 저녁밥 약속 있어?
- 저녁밥 먹고 갈게.
Conversation Starters
"오늘 저녁밥으로 무엇을 드셨나요?"
"저녁밥을 주로 누구와 함께 드시나요?"
"가장 좋아하는 저녁밥 메뉴는 무엇인가요?"
"저녁밥을 밖에서 사 먹는 편인가요?"
"저녁밥을 먹으면서 주로 무엇을 하시나요?"
Journal Prompts
오늘 먹은 저녁밥에 대해 묘사해보세요.
가장 기억에 남는 저녁밥은 무엇인가요?
저녁밥을 함께 먹고 싶은 사람은 누구인가요?
저녁밥을 준비하는 과정에서 느끼는 감정을 적어보세요.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsNo, it refers to the meal regardless of what is served.
It is better to use 저녁 식사.
Yes, it is very natural.
석식 is formal/written.
No, that is incorrect.
Yes, it is synonymous.
Yes, it is common in lyrics.
저녁밥 먹자.
Test Yourself
오늘 ___을 먹었어요.
It refers to the evening meal.
Which of these is the most casual?
저녁밥 is for home/casual use.
저녁밥 is used in formal business meetings.
석식 is preferred in formal settings.
Word
Meaning
Matches meal times.
Standard Korean word order.
Score: /5
Summary
저녁밥 is the heart of the Korean evening, representing both a meal and a time for connection.
- 저녁밥 is the Korean word for dinner.
- It is used in casual and daily contexts.
- It combines 'evening' and 'meal/rice'.
- It is a warm, family-oriented word.
Memory Palace
Imagine your kitchen at sunset.
Native Usage
Use it with friends.
Cultural Insight
It implies home.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use with 먹다.
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
Related Grammar Rules
More food words
~정도
A1Suffix meaning "about" or "approximately."
추가
A2Addition, extra (e.g., extra order).
몇 개
A2How many items?
~은/는 후에
A2After ~ing; indicates an action that occurs subsequent to another.
중에서
A2Among, out of (selection).
식욕
A2Appetite.
에피타이저
A2An appetizer.
전채
A2Appetizer.
먹음직스럽다
B2To look appetizing, delicious.
사과
A1apple
