점심을 먹으러 가다
jeomsimeul meogeureo gada
Go for lunch.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A fundamental phrase for suggesting or announcing a midday meal break with others.
- Means: To head out specifically to eat lunch.
- Used in: Office settings, school breaks, and meeting friends.
- Don't confuse: Just 'eating' (먹다) with the act of 'going to eat' (먹으러 가다).
Explanation at your level:
Significado
To go out to eat the midday meal.
Contexto cultural
The 'Lunch Menu Dilemma' (메뉴 결정 장애) is a real social phenomenon. Groups often spend several minutes discussing where to go after saying '점심 먹으러 가자'. The 'Maknae' (youngest person) is often expected to scout for a place to go eat lunch or run ahead to grab a table for the group. After going to lunch, it is almost mandatory to go for a 'Sik-hu Coffee' (post-meal coffee). The phrase '점심 먹으러 가다' often implies this entire 1-hour ritual. On apps like Baemin (food delivery), the phrase is adapted to '점심 시켜 먹다' (ordering lunch to eat), reflecting the rise of delivery culture.
Drop the '을'
In casual conversation, Koreans almost always drop the object marker. Just say '점심 먹으러 가자'.
Watch the Hierarchy
If you are the youngest, wait for the senior person to say '점심 먹으러 갑시다' before you stand up.
Significado
To go out to eat the midday meal.
Drop the '을'
In casual conversation, Koreans almost always drop the object marker. Just say '점심 먹으러 가자'.
Watch the Hierarchy
If you are the youngest, wait for the senior person to say '점심 먹으러 갑시다' before you stand up.
The 'Menu' Follow-up
Always have a menu suggestion ready. After saying this phrase, the next question is always 'What are we eating?'
Implicit Invitation
If someone says this while looking at you, they are inviting you. Don't just say 'Okay, bye!'
Teste-se
Fill in the correct particle for 'purpose'.
친구와 같이 점심을 먹___ 가요.
The particle '-(으)러' is used with '가다' or '오다' to express the purpose of the movement.
Which sentence is the most appropriate for inviting a boss to lunch?
부장님, 같이 ______?
'식사' is more formal than '점심/밥', and '-(으)실까요' is a polite honorific suggestion.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 배고프다! 우리 이제 뭐 할까? B: ________________.
Since A is hungry and asking 'what shall we do?', a suggestion like '-자' (let's) is the most natural response.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
Situation: You are leaving your office desk at 12:00 PM and telling your coworker.
This announces your current action of leaving for lunch.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasNo, you must change '점심' to '아침' (breakfast) or '저녁' (dinner). The structure '-(으)러 가다' remains the same.
It's better to use '식사하러 가시다' to be safe, but '점심 먹으러 가요' is acceptable in a friendly teacher-student relationship.
'가다' is used when you are moving away to eat. '오다' is used if you are already at the restaurant and someone is joining you there.
'Bap' (rice) is a more general and warm term for a meal. It's very common among close friends.
It's a bit too casual for a formal email. Use '식사 일정' (meal schedule) or '점심 식사' instead.
Not necessarily. In Korea, usually the senior person pays, or the bill is split (N-bbang).
You can say '혼자 점심 먹으러 가요'.
In texting, people often just write '점심 고?' (Lunch, go?).
You still use '점심 먹으러 가요', but you might add the destination: '집에 점심 먹으러 가요'.
Yes! '커피 마시러 가다' (go to drink coffee) or '치킨 먹으러 가다' (go to eat chicken).
Frases relacionadas
밥 먹었니?
similarHave you eaten?
식사하러 가다
specialized formTo go for a meal (formal)
저녁 먹으러 가다
similarTo go for dinner
해장하러 가다
specialized formTo go eat a hangover cure meal
혼밥하다
contrastTo eat alone
Onde usar
Office Lunch Break
Team Leader: 자, 다들 점심 먹으러 갑시다!
Employee: 네, 팀장님. 오늘 뭐 먹을까요?
Texting a Friend
Minho: 야, 점심 먹으러 가자. 나 학교 앞이야.
Jisoo: 오케이! 5분만 기다려.
Asking a Professor
Student: 교수님, 지금 식사하러 가세요?
Professor: 네, 이제 막 나가려던 참이에요.
At a Library
Study Buddy A: 우리 너무 오래 공부했다. 점심 먹으러 가자.
Study Buddy B: 그래, 머리 좀 식히자.
Meeting a Date
Person A: 예약한 식당에 점심 먹으러 갈까요?
Person B: 네, 좋아요. 기대돼요!
Solo Dining
Self: 오늘은 혼자 점심 먹으러 가야겠다.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Jeomsim' as 'Jump-soon'—you want to jump out of your chair soon to go eat lunch!
Visual Association
Imagine a glowing red dot (the Hanja for 'dot') placed right over a heart. This 'dot' is the energy you get from a quick lunch break to keep your heart beating through the workday.
Rhyme
Jeomsim-eul meok-eureo, let's go out the door-eo!
Story
You are working in a tall building in Seoul. At 12:00, a bell rings. Everyone stands up in unison. You ask your desk neighbor, 'Jeomsim-eul meok-eureo galkkayo?' You walk together to a spicy stew shop. The 'going' is the bridge between stress and satisfaction.
Word Web
Desafio
Tomorrow at noon, regardless of where you are, say '점심 먹으러 가자!' (Jeomsim meok-eureo gaja!) out loud to yourself or a friend.
In Other Languages
Ir a almorzar
Spanish 'almorzar' is a verb itself, while Korean uses 'lunch (noun) + eat (verb)'.
Aller déjeuner
French doesn't require a purpose particle like Korean's '-(으)러'.
Mittagessen gehen
German often omits the 'to eat' verb, as 'Mittagessen' implies the meal.
昼ご飯を食べに行く
The particles are different (ni vs eureo), but the logic is the same.
الذهاب لتناول الغداء
Arabic usage is often more formal than the casual Korean 'meok-eureo gada'.
去吃午饭
Chinese lacks the '-(으)러' purpose marker, simply placing the verbs in sequence.
점심 묵으러 가다
Vowel shift from 'eo' to 'u'.
Ir almoçar
Like other Romance languages, 'almoçar' is a single verb.
Easily Confused
Learners use them interchangeably.
Use '먹다' for the act of eating, and '먹으러 가다' for the act of leaving to go eat.
Using '하다' instead of '먹다'.
'하다' is only used with '식사' (식사하러 가다), never with '점심' or '밥'.
Perguntas frequentes (10)
No, you must change '점심' to '아침' (breakfast) or '저녁' (dinner). The structure '-(으)러 가다' remains the same.
It's better to use '식사하러 가시다' to be safe, but '점심 먹으러 가요' is acceptable in a friendly teacher-student relationship.
'가다' is used when you are moving away to eat. '오다' is used if you are already at the restaurant and someone is joining you there.
'Bap' (rice) is a more general and warm term for a meal. It's very common among close friends.
It's a bit too casual for a formal email. Use '식사 일정' (meal schedule) or '점심 식사' instead.
Not necessarily. In Korea, usually the senior person pays, or the bill is split (N-bbang).
You can say '혼자 점심 먹으러 가요'.
In texting, people often just write '점심 고?' (Lunch, go?).
You still use '점심 먹으러 가요', but you might add the destination: '집에 점심 먹으러 가요'.
Yes! '커피 마시러 가다' (go to drink coffee) or '치킨 먹으러 가다' (go to eat chicken).
