When you're talking about how spicy food is in Korean, you'll often hear or use the word 맵게. It's an adverb that directly translates to "spicily" or "hotly." You'd use it to describe an action, like eating something in a spicy manner.
For example, if you say "맵게 먹다," it means "to eat something spicily." This adverb comes from the descriptive verb 맵다 (maepda), meaning "to be spicy." So, when you want to express that something is done in a spicy way, 맵게 is the word you're looking for.
§ Using 맵게 (maepge) Instead of 매운 (maeun)
One of the most frequent mistakes English speakers make with 맵게 (maepge) is confusing it with the adjective form 매운 (maeun). Remember, 맵게 (maepge) is an adverb, meaning 'spicily' or 'hotly,' and it modifies verbs or other adverbs. 매운 (maeun), on the other hand, is an adjective, meaning 'spicy' or 'hot,' and it modifies nouns.
- DEFINITION
- 맵게 (maepge) describes *how* something is done (spicily).
- DEFINITION
- 매운 (maeun) describes *what kind* of thing it is (spicy food).
Let's look at some examples to clarify this common pitfall:
Incorrect: 저는 맵게 음식을 좋아해요. (Jeoneun maepge eumshigeul joahaeyo.)
Correct: 저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요. (Jeoneun maeun eumshigeul joahaeyo.)
The correct sentence uses 매운 (maeun) because it is describing the noun 음식 (eumshik, food). You like 'spicy food,' not 'spicily food.'
이 닭발은 정말 맵게 만들었어요. (I dakbal-eun jeongmal maepge mandeureosseoyo.)
This sentence is correct because 맵게 (maepge) modifies the verb 만들었어요 (mandeureosseoyo, made). It describes *how* the chicken feet were made – spicily.
§ Overusing 맵게 (maepge) When Describing One's Own Preference
While you can say 'I eat spicily,' it's more natural in Korean to express your preference for spicy food using the adjective form or a different verb structure. Many learners, when trying to say 'I like to eat spicy food,' might incorrectly use 맵게 (maepge).
Awkward/Less Natural: 저는 맵게 먹는 것을 좋아해요. (Jeoneun maepge meongneun geot-eul joahaeyo.)
More Natural: 저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요. (Jeoneun maeun eumshigeul joahaeyo.) (I like spicy food.)
Also Natural: 저는 음식을 맵게 먹는 편이에요. (Jeoneun eumshik-eul maepge meongneun pyeon-ieyo.) (I tend to eat food spicily.)
The third example, using ~는 편이에요 (~neun pyeon-ieyo, 'tend to do'), is a good way to express a general habit of eating spicily, making the adverb use more appropriate. However, for a simple statement of preference, '매운 음식을 좋아해요' is the most common and natural choice.
§ Misplacing 맵게 (maepge) in a Sentence
Korean word order can be flexible, but adverbs generally precede the verb or adjective they modify. Placing 맵게 (maepge) incorrectly can make your sentence sound unnatural or even confusing.
Incorrect: 저는 먹었어요 맵게 김치를. (Jeoneun meogeosseoyo maepge gimchireul.)
Correct: 저는 김치를 맵게 먹었어요. (Jeoneun gimchireul maepge meogeosseoyo.)
In the correct sentence, 맵게 (maepge) is placed directly before the verb 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo, ate), clearly indicating *how* the kimchi was eaten.
§ Not Understanding the Nuance of Degree
While 맵게 (maepge) means 'spicily,' the degree of spiciness often needs to be clarified with other adverbs if you want to express 'very spicily' or 'a little spicily.'
To say 'very spicily': 아주 맵게 (aju maepge) or 너무 맵게 (neomu maepge)
To say 'a little spicily': 조금 맵게 (jogeum maepge)
이 라면을 아주 맵게 끓여 주세요. (I ramyeon-eul aju maepge kkeuryeo juseyo.)
This ensures you convey the precise level of spiciness you intend, rather than leaving it ambiguous.
By being mindful of these common mistakes, you'll use 맵게 (maepge) more accurately and naturally, sounding more like a native Korean speaker and avoiding misunderstandings in your conversations.
How Formal Is It?
"이 음식은 맵게 조리되었습니다. (This food was prepared spicily.)"
"저는 음식을 맵게 먹는 것을 좋아해요. (I like to eat food spicily.)"
"이거 너무 맵게 만들었어! (You made this too spicy!)"
"고추는 맵게 생겼어. (Chili peppers look spicy.)"
"오늘 밤 맵게 놀자! (Let's party hard tonight! (lit. let's play spicily))"
Fun Fact
The root '맵-' (maep-) means 'to be spicy'. The suffix '-게' (-ge) turns adjectives into adverbs, indicating 'in a ... way'.
Examples by Level
이 음식은 맵게 해 주세요.
Please make this food spicy.
저는 맵게 먹는 것을 좋아해요.
I like to eat spicy food.
라면을 너무 맵게 끓였어요.
I cooked the ramen too spicy.
한국 사람들은 음식을 맵게 먹는 경향이 있어요.
Koreans tend to eat food spicy.
이 소스는 꽤 맵게 느껴져요.
This sauce feels quite spicy.
매운 음식을 잘 못 먹어서 맵게 먹는 사람들을 보면 신기해요.
I can't eat spicy food well, so it's amazing to see people who eat spicy food.
그녀는 매운 음식을 맵게 잘 먹어요.
She eats spicy food well and spicy.
어제 먹은 떡볶이가 너무 맵게 느껴져서 물을 많이 마셨어요.
The tteokbokki I ate yesterday felt so spicy that I drank a lot of water.
한국 음식은 보통 맵게 요리돼요.
Korean food is usually cooked spicily.
저는 떡볶이를 아주 맵게 먹는 것을 좋아해요.
I like eating tteokbokki very spicy.
이 음식은 생각보다 맵게 느껴져요.
This food feels spicier than I thought.
라면을 맵게 끓여서 스트레스를 풀었어요.
I cooked ramen spicily to relieve stress.
그녀는 매운 음식을 맵게 잘 먹어요.
She eats spicy food well, spicily.
이 소스는 음식을 맵게 만들 때 사용해요.
This sauce is used when making food spicy.
너무 맵게 만들지 마세요. 아이들이 못 먹어요.
Don't make it too spicy. The children can't eat it.
이 고추는 정말 맵게 생겼네요.
This chili pepper looks really spicy.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
이 음식은 맵게 해 주세요.
Please make this food spicy.
저는 맵게 먹는 것을 좋아해요.
I like eating spicy food.
너무 맵게 만들지 마세요.
Don't make it too spicy.
조금 맵게 요리해 봤어요.
I tried cooking it a little spicy.
이 김치는 정말 맵게 느껴져요.
This kimchi feels really spicy.
그는 늘 맵게 말해요.
He always speaks harshly.
이 떡볶이는 맵게 해 주세요.
Please make this tteokbokki spicy.
어떻게 하면 맵게 할 수 있어요?
How can I make it spicy?
그녀는 맵게 생긴 음식을 잘 먹어요.
She eats food that looks spicy well.
저는 맵게 양념한 갈비를 좋아해요.
I like spicy seasoned short ribs.
Word Origin
Native Korean
Original meaning: To be spicy
KoreanicCultural Context
Korean cuisine is famous for its spicy flavors. Many traditional dishes, like kimchi and tteokbokki, are often described as '맵게' (maepge) prepared. This word is essential for describing food and is a common topic of conversation when discussing Korean meals.
Test Yourself 72 questions
This food is very spicy.
I can't eat spicy food well.
Kimchi is made spicy.
Read this aloud:
저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요.
Focus: 매운 (maeun)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
이것은 맵게 드세요.
Focus: 맵게 (maepge)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
불고기는 맵지 않아요.
Focus: 맵지 (maepji)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'This food is deliciously spicy.' The adverb '맵게' (spicily) modifies the verb '맛있어요' (is delicious).
This sentence means 'I like eating food spicily.' '맵게' describes how the food is eaten.
This sentence means 'She made the gochujang spicy.' '맵게' describes how the gochujang was made.
Which of these dishes is often described using '맵게'?
'김치찌개' is a very popular spicy Korean stew, so it's often eaten '맵게'.
How would you tell a chef you want your food 'spicily'?
'맵게 주세요' is the direct way to ask for something to be made spicy.
Which sentence correctly uses '맵게'?
'맵게' describes how the food tastes, so '음식이 맵게 맛있어요' means 'The food is spicily delicious' or 'The food is delicious because it's spicy'.
You can use '맵게' to describe how someone speaks angrily.
'맵게' is used for taste (spicy/hot) and not typically for describing someone's tone of voice.
If you don't like spicy food, you should say '맵게 먹고 싶어요.'
'맵게 먹고 싶어요' means 'I want to eat it spicily.' If you don't like spicy food, you would say something like '안 맵게 해주세요' (Please don't make it spicy).
The word '맵게' comes from the adjective '맵다' (to be spicy).
'맵다' is the adjective 'spicy', and adding '-게' turns it into the adverb '맵게' (spicily).
The speaker is recommending how to eat this food.
The sentence talks about Korean eating preferences.
Someone is giving an instruction about preparing food.
Read this aloud:
저는 음식을 맵게 먹는 것을 좋아합니다.
Focus: 맵게 (maep-ge)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
이것은 맵게 요리되었어요.
Focus: 요리되었어요 (yo-ri-dwoe-eo-sseo-yo)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
조금 맵게 해주세요.
Focus: 조금 (jo-geum), 해주세요 (hae-ju-se-yo)
You said:
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The correct order is Subject (저는) + Object (이 음식을) + Adverb (맵게) + Verb (먹어요).
The adverb '맵게' comes before the verb '만들었어요' to describe how the soup was made.
The adverb '맵게' describes '좋아해요' (like), indicating a preference for spicy tteokbokki.
저는 음식을 ___ 먹는 것을 좋아해요. (I like to eat food ___, meaning I like spicy food.)
The sentence indicates a preference for spicy food, so '맵게' (spicily/hotly) is the correct adverb.
이 고추는 아주 ___ 매워요. (This chili pepper is very ___ spicy.)
'맵게' describes the manner of being spicy, indicating it's intensely spicy. Other options don't fit the context.
라면을 좀 더 ___ 끓여 주세요. (Please boil the ramen a bit more ___.)
If someone wants ramen 'a bit more' in a certain way, '맵게' (spicily) is a common request for ramen, implying adding more spice.
저는 스트레스 받을 때 ___ 음식을 찾아요. (When I'm stressed, I look for ___ food.)
Many people find comfort or release stress by eating spicy food. So, '맵게' (spicily) fits the context of 'spicy food'.
한국 사람들은 김치를 보통 ___ 먹어요. (Koreans usually eat kimchi ___.)
Kimchi is famously spicy, so '맵게' (spicily) accurately describes how Koreans typically eat it.
그 식당은 음식을 항상 ___ 만들어요. (That restaurant always makes food ___.)
If a restaurant is known for its spicy dishes, then '맵게' (spicily) would describe how they consistently prepare their food.
저는 매운 음식을 좋아해서 김치를 항상 ___ 먹어요.
The speaker likes spicy food, so '맵게' (spicily) fits best with eating kimchi.
이 고추는 아주 ___ 요리에 넣으면 확 매워질 거예요.
The context implies the chili is very spicy, so '맵게' (hotly/spicily) describes its nature when added to a dish.
저는 스트레스 받을 때 ___ 음식을 먹으면 기분이 풀려요.
Eating spicy food ('맵게') is a common way for some people to relieve stress.
이 식당은 음식을 항상 ___ 만들어서 매운 맛을 좋아하는 사람들이 많이 찾아요.
If people who like spicy food frequent the restaurant, it means the restaurant makes its food '맵게' (spicily).
셰프가 고추를 더 넣어서 떡볶이를 더 ___ 만들었어요.
Adding more chili peppers will make the tteokbokki '맵게' (spicily/hotly).
그는 매운 음식을 잘 먹지 못해서 김치찌개도 아주 ___ 먹어요.
The sentence states he doesn't eat spicy food well, implying he still eats kimchi stew but '맵게' (spicily) doesn't fit the context of him not handling spice well. The correct answer would be something like '덜 맵게' (less spicy) or '순하게' (mildly). Given the options and the word being tested, this question highlights how '맵게' is used. However, as it's a fill-in-the-blank for '맵게', let's adjust the question to make '맵게' the correct answer while maintaining B2 difficulty. Revised question: "그는 매운 음식을 아주 좋아해서 김치찌개도 항상 ___ 먹어요."
그는 자신의 요리가 너무 ___ 맛이 나지 않도록 고추를 조금만 넣었다.
문맥상 '요리가 너무 매운 맛이 나지 않도록'이라는 의미이므로 '맵게'가 적절합니다.
매운 음식을 잘 못 먹는 친구를 위해 그는 고추장을 아주 조금만 넣어 ___ 만들었다.
친구를 위해 '맵게' 만들지 않도록 고추장을 조금 넣었다는 의미이므로 '맵게'가 맞습니다.
이 식당은 음식을 항상 ___ 하지만, 고객의 요청에 따라 조절해준다.
식당이 음식을 '맵게' 하는 경향이 있지만, 요청에 따라 조절해준다는 문맥이 자연스럽습니다.
한국 사람들은 스트레스를 풀기 위해 종종 ___ 음식을 찾는다.
스트레스를 풀기 위해 '매운' 음식을 찾는다는 의미이므로 '맵게'가 맞습니다.
그는 매운 음식을 워낙 좋아해서 모든 음식에 고추를 ___ 넣어 먹는다.
매운 음식을 좋아해서 고추를 '맵게' 넣어 먹는다는 의미이므로 '맵게'가 적절합니다.
이 요리사는 음식을 ___ 만들지 않고도 깊은 맛을 낼 줄 안다.
'맵게' 만들지 않고도 깊은 맛을 낸다는 문맥이 자연스럽습니다.
그는 고추장을 너무 많이 넣어서 음식이 너무 ___ 되었다고 불평했다.
문맥상 고추장을 많이 넣어 음식이 '매워졌다'는 의미가 자연스럽습니다.
이번 요리는 특별히 당신을 위해 더 ___ 만들었습니다. (This dish was made especially ___ for you.)
문맥상 '더 매운' 맛을 강조하는 것이 적절합니다.
제 친구는 매운 음식을 정말 좋아해서 어떤 음식이든 항상 ___ 먹어요.
매운 음식을 좋아하는 사람의 습관을 설명하는 데 '맵게'가 가장 적절합니다.
김치는 숙성될수록 맛이 더 ___ 변한다. (As kimchi ferments, its flavor changes to be more ___.)
김치는 숙성될수록 매운맛이 강해지는 경향이 있습니다.
저는 보통 라면에 청양고추를 넣어 더 ___ 먹는 것을 즐깁니다.
청양고추는 매운맛을 더하기 때문에 '더 맵게' 먹는 것이 자연스럽습니다.
이 음식은 생각보다 훨씬 ___ 제 입맛에는 너무 강하네요.
'입맛에는 너무 강하다'는 표현은 보통 매운맛과 관련이 깊습니다.
Choose the most natural way to express that someone eats spicy food very often.
맵게 (adverb) modifies the verb 먹다 (to eat), indicating how the food is eaten. 매운 is an adjective, 매움 is a noun, and 맵은 is grammatically incorrect in this context.
Which sentence correctly uses '맵게' to describe a dish being cooked in a spicy manner?
맵게 (adverb) modifies the verb 만들어졌어요 (was made), describing the manner of cooking. 매운 is an adjective and cannot directly modify the verb in this way. 매워요 is an adjective in conjugated form, and 매운 것이 is a noun phrase.
Select the sentence where '맵게' is used to describe the taste experience.
맵게 (adverb) modifies the verb 먹다 (to eat), indicating how the kimchi is eaten. 매운 is an adjective, and the other options are grammatically incorrect or change the meaning.
'이 음식은 맵게 맛있어요' is a grammatically correct and natural sentence.
While '맵게' is an adverb, it typically modifies verbs. When describing the taste of something being 'spicy and delicious', it's more natural to say '이 음식은 맵고 맛있어요' (This food is spicy and delicious) or '이 음식은 매운데 맛있어요' (This food is spicy, but delicious). Using '맵게' directly with '맛있어요' is awkward.
You can use '맵게' to describe someone's personality as being 'spicy' or 'fiery'.
'맵게' refers to the sensation of spiciness in taste. To describe a personality as 'fiery' or 'feisty', other expressions like '성격이 불같다' (personality is like fire) or '화끈하다' (fiery, passionate) would be used.
The sentence '요리사가 고추를 맵게 넣었어요' means the chef added chili peppers in a spicy way.
'맵게' modifies the verb '넣었어요' (put in/added), indicating that the action of adding chili peppers resulted in a spicy dish or was done with the intention of making it spicy.
This sentence talks about how Korean food is usually cooked.
This sentence describes someone's preference for spicy food.
This sentence mentions a food craving due to the weather.
Read this aloud:
이 음식은 생각보다 맵게 느껴지네요. 혹시 덜 맵게 해줄 수 있나요?
Focus: 맵게
You said:
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Read this aloud:
저는 매운 음식을 즐겨 먹어서, 이 정도 맵기는 전혀 문제되지 않아요.
Focus: 맵게
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
아무래도 한국에 왔으니, 현지인처럼 맵게 요리된 음식을 한번 시도해 봐야겠죠?
Focus: 맵게
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence translates to 'I cooked the food very spicily.' The order follows the typical Korean sentence structure of Subject-Adverb-Object-Verb.
This means 'She made the stew spicy by adding chili peppers.' The action '넣어' (by adding) precedes the consequence of making it spicy.
This translates to 'This restaurant is famous for serving all its dishes spicily.' '내는 것으로' (for serving as) acts as a connector here.
/ 72 correct
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Example
음식을 맵게 만들어 주세요.
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
Related Grammar Rules
Related Phrases
More food words
몇 개
A2How many items?
~정도
A1Suffix meaning "about" or "approximately."
추가
A2Addition, extra (e.g., extra order).
~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
