A2 adjective 2 min read

달아요

It means something tastes like sugar or honey.

darayo
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

You use 달아요 to talk about food. If you eat a cookie, you say '달아요'. It means 'It is sweet'. You can say '사탕이 달아요' (The candy is sweet). It is a very useful word for beginners!

At this level, you can use 달아요 to describe more complex tastes. You might say '이 커피는 너무 달아요' (This coffee is too sweet). It is a polite way to give feedback on food or drinks in a cafe.

You can use 달아요 to describe metaphorical sweetness. For example, you might describe a '달콤한 꿈' (sweet dream) or a '달콤한 휴식' (sweet rest). It shows you understand how the word moves beyond just physical taste.

At the B2 level, you start using 달아요 in nuanced contexts. You might describe a '달콤한 유혹' (sweet temptation). You can distinguish between '달다' (sweet) and other taste adjectives like '쓰다' (bitter) or '시다' (sour) to create descriptive, sophisticated sentences.

In advanced contexts, 달아요 is used to describe the tone of a situation or a person's demeanor. You might describe someone's '달콤한 말솜씨' (sweet way of speaking) to imply they are persuasive or perhaps manipulative. It is about understanding the connotation of sweetness in social dynamics.

At the mastery level, you explore the etymological and literary weight of 달아요. You can use it in creative writing to evoke sensory memories. You might contrast the '달콤함' (sweetness) of a memory with the '씁쓸함' (bitterness) of reality, showing a deep command of emotional vocabulary.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Means 'it is sweet'.
  • Polite form of 달다.
  • Used for food and drinks.
  • Common in daily conversation.

When you say 달아요, you are telling someone that something is sweet. It comes from the root verb 달다, which is the base form for 'to be sweet'.

Think of the last time you had a delicious piece of chocolate cake. In Korean, you would simply say '이 케이크가 달아요' (This cake is sweet). It is a very common, everyday word that you will use constantly when talking about food or drinks.

The word 달아요 has deep roots in Middle Korean. It evolved from the ancient form '달다', which has been used for centuries to describe the taste of honey and fruits.

Interestingly, in older Korean literature, this word was often associated with 'sweetness of life' or 'pleasantness'. It is a native Korean word, meaning it does not come from Chinese characters (Hanja), which makes it a core part of the language's vocabulary.

You use 달아요 in casual and polite daily conversations. It is perfect for restaurants, cafes, or when you are sharing a snack with a friend.

Commonly, you pair it with nouns like '커피' (coffee), '과일' (fruit), or '사탕' (candy). Because it is in the -아요 ending, it sounds friendly and polite, making it safe to use with people you don't know extremely well.

1. 달콤한 말: Sweet talk. Used when someone is being overly flattering. Example: '그의 달콤한 말에 속지 마세요.' (Don't fall for his sweet talk.)

2. 단맛을 보다: To taste the sweetness (of success). Example: '드디어 사업의 단맛을 봤어요.' (I finally tasted the sweetness of success.)

3. 달고 짜다: Sweet and salty. Used for food combinations. Example: '이 과자는 달고 짜요.' (This snack is sweet and salty.)

4. 달다 쓰다: Sweet and bitter. Used metaphorically for life experiences. Example: '인생은 달고 써요.' (Life is sweet and bitter.)

5. 꿀맛이다: To taste like honey (very sweet/good). Example: '이 사과 정말 꿀맛이에요!' (This apple is honey-sweet!)

The word 달아요 follows the standard Korean conjugation for adjectives ending in 'ㄹ'. When you add the '아요' ending, the 'ㄹ' remains, and it becomes '달아요'.

Pronunciation is straightforward: [da-ra-yo]. Ensure the 'r' sound is a soft flap, similar to the 'tt' in the American pronunciation of 'butter'. It rhymes with words like '살아요' (to live) or '팔아요' (to sell).

Fun Fact

It is a native Korean word, not a Sino-Korean one.

Pronunciation Guide

UK dɑːrɑːjoʊ

Sounds like 'da-ra-yo'

US dɑːrɑːjoʊ

Sounds like 'da-ra-yo'

Common Errors

  • Pronouncing 'r' as a hard English 'r'
  • Stressing the wrong syllable
  • Dropping the final 'yo'

Rhymes With

살아요 팔아요 알아요 말아요 갈아요

Difficulty Rating

Reading 1/5

Very easy

Writing 1/5

Very easy

Speaking 1/5

Very easy

Listening 1/5

Very easy

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

맛 음식

Learn Next

쓰다 짜다 시다

Advanced

감미롭다

Grammar to Know

Adjective conjugation

달다 -> 달아요

Particle usage

이/가

Polite endings

-아요

Examples by Level

1

사탕이 달아요.

Candy is sweet.

Subject + particle + adjective.

2

이것은 달아요.

This is sweet.

Demonstrative pronoun.

3

초콜릿이 달아요.

Chocolate is sweet.

Noun + particle.

4

아이스크림이 달아요.

Ice cream is sweet.

Noun + particle.

5

딸기가 달아요.

The strawberry is sweet.

Noun + particle.

6

케이크가 달아요.

The cake is sweet.

Noun + particle.

7

주스가 달아요.

The juice is sweet.

Noun + particle.

8

꿀이 달아요.

Honey is sweet.

Noun + particle.

1

커피가 너무 달아요.

2

이 과일은 정말 달아요.

3

사과가 아주 달아요.

4

쿠키가 달아요.

5

시럽이 달아요.

6

디저트가 달아요.

7

사탕이 덜 달아요.

8

차는 안 달아요.

1

그의 말은 정말 달아요.

2

달콤한 휴식이 필요해요.

3

이 와인은 달아요.

4

달콤한 향기가 나요.

5

추억은 달아요.

6

달콤한 노래를 불러요.

7

그녀는 달아요.

8

달콤한 사랑을 해요.

1

달콤한 유혹에 빠졌어요.

2

성공의 맛은 달아요.

3

달콤한 말로 속이지 마세요.

4

인생은 달고 써요.

5

달콤한 계획을 세워요.

6

그 소식은 정말 달아요.

7

달콤한 분위기예요.

8

달콤한 복수를 꿈꿔요.

1

그의 달콤한 언변에 넘어갔어요.

2

달콤한 승리의 순간이에요.

3

달콤한 환상에서 깨어나세요.

4

달콤한 위로가 필요해요.

5

달콤한 미소를 지어요.

6

달콤한 기억을 떠올려요.

7

달콤한 미래를 그려요.

8

달콤한 향수에 젖어요.

1

달콤한 고통을 즐기는 사람이에요.

2

달콤한 비극이 시작되었어요.

3

그의 달콤한 기만은 완벽했어요.

4

달콤한 절망을 맛보았어요.

5

달콤한 침묵이 흘렀어요.

6

달콤한 운명을 받아들여요.

7

달콤한 철학을 논해요.

8

달콤한 고독을 느껴요.

Common Collocations

너무 달아요
덜 달아요
아주 달아요
안 달아요
달콤한 맛
달콤한 향
달콤한 꿈
달콤한 말
달콤한 휴식
달콤한 사랑

Idioms & Expressions

"달콤한 말"

Flattery

달콤한 말에 속지 마.

casual

"단맛을 보다"

To enjoy success

드디어 단맛을 봤어.

neutral

"꿀맛이다"

Tastes like honey

이거 진짜 꿀맛이다!

casual

"달고 짜다"

Sweet and salty

단짠단짠이 최고야.

casual

"달콤한 인생"

Sweet life

달콤한 인생을 꿈꿔요.

literary

"달콤한 유혹"

Sweet temptation

달콤한 유혹을 참아요.

neutral

Easily Confused

달아요 vs 달라요

Sounds similar

달라요 means 'it is different'

맛이 달라요 (The taste is different).

달아요 vs 달아요

Sounds similar

달아요 means 'it is sweet'

맛이 달아요 (The taste is sweet).

Sentence Patterns

A1

[Noun] + 이/가 + 달아요

케이크가 달아요.

A2

너무 + 달아요

너무 달아요.

A2

아주 + 달아요

아주 달아요.

B1

덜 + 달아요

덜 달아요.

B1

하나도 안 + 달아요

하나도 안 달아요.

Word Family

Nouns

단맛 sweetness

Verbs

달다 to be sweet (base)

Adjectives

달콤하다 to be sweet

Related

설탕 sugar

How to Use It

frequency

10

Formality Scale

달아요 (polite) 달아 (casual) 달습니다 (formal)

Common Mistakes

달아요요 → 달아요
Double polite ending is incorrect.
달다요 → 달아요
Incorrect conjugation.
달아해요 → 달아요
Adjectives don't take -해요.
달음 → 달아요
Wrong sentence ending.
달아요가 → 달아요
No particle needed after adjective.

Tips

💡

Memory Palace

Imagine a sugar cube on your tongue.

💡

Native usage

Use it when you love a dessert.

🌍

Cultural Insight

Koreans love '단짠' (sweet and salty).

💡

Grammar Shortcut

Just add -아요.

💡

Say It Right

Keep the 'r' soft.

💡

Don't Make This Mistake

Don't use it for spicy food.

💡

Did You Know?

It is a native word.

💡

Study Smart

Use flashcards with food pictures.

💡

Context

Use in cafes.

💡

Conjugation

It follows regular rules.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Da-ra-yo sounds like 'Data-yo' (imagine data is sweet).

Visual Association

A honey pot.

Word Web

sugar honey dessert candy

Challenge

Say '달아요' every time you eat something sweet today.

Word Origin

Korean

Original meaning: To be sweet

Cultural Context

None

Directly maps to the concept of 'sweet'.

Many K-pop songs use '달콤한' in lyrics.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

At a cafe

  • 이거 달아요?
  • 너무 달아요.
  • 덜 달게 해주세요.

Eating fruit

  • 이 사과 진짜 달아요.
  • 딸기가 달아요.
  • 수박이 달아요.

Baking

  • 설탕을 넣어서 달아요.
  • 너무 달아요.

Describing life

  • 달콤한 인생.
  • 달콤한 기억.

Conversation Starters

"이 케이크 달아요?"

"오늘 먹은 것 중에 뭐가 제일 달아요?"

"단 음식을 좋아해요?"

"너무 단 건 싫어요."

"이 커피는 안 달아요."

Journal Prompts

Describe a sweet food you ate today.

Write about a sweet memory.

Why do people like sweet food?

Compare sweet and salty snacks.

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

It is polite, good for everyday use.

Only metaphorically.

달다.

아주 달아요.

No, that is 짜요.

No, that is 시요.

Yes.

No, it is an adjective.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

사탕이 ___.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 달아요

Candy is sweet.

multiple choice A2

What does 달아요 mean?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: It is sweet

Direct translation.

true false B1

달아요 is used for bitter things.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

It is for sweet things.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

Taste opposites.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Subject + adverb + adjective.

Score: /5

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