밥 먹었어요?
- Romanization
- bap meogeosseoyo?
- Literally
- “Did you eat rice?”
- Really means
- “How are you doing?”
밥bap · rice, a meal
먹었meogeot · ate (먹다 + past)
어요?eoyo · polite question
Why Koreans ask about your lunch
When a Korean friend or coworker asks 밥 먹었어요?, they usually aren’t planning a meal with you. It’s a caring check-in — closer to “Have you been doing okay?” than to an invitation.
The greeting is common around meal times, and it’s a natural way to start a conversation with someone you already know.
Same meaning, 4 levels of politeness
Tap a level to see who you’d say it to.
밥 먹었어?bap meogeosseo?
Say it toClose friends, younger siblings, people younger than you who you know well.
밥 먹었어요?bap meogeosseoyo?
Say it toMost people: coworkers, classmates, acquaintances. The safe default.
식사하셨어요?siksahasyeosseoyo?
Say it toYour boss, teachers, customers, and older people you respect.
진지 드셨어요?jinji deusyeosseoyo?
Say it toGrandparents and much older relatives.
In a real conversation
A:민지 씨, 점심 먹었어요?Minji, did you have lunch?
B:네, 먹었어요. 준호 씨는요?Yes, I did. How about you, Junho?
A:아직이요. 이따 먹으려고요.Not yet. I'm going to eat in a bit.