How to say "It’s delicious" in Korean — 맛있어요 (Polite & Casual)

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맛있어요 / 맛있어

[ma-shi-sseo-yo] / [ma-shi-sseo]

It’s delicious (polite / casual)

Word & Grammar Breakdown:

맛 (mat) — “taste”
있다 (it-da) — “to exist / to have” → combined = “to have taste” → “to be delicious”
어요 (eo-yo) — polite ending marker

✅ Combined: 맛있어요 = “It’s delicious.” (polite)
맛있어 = casual “It’s delicious.” (to close friends or family)

Examples

👩 A: 이 김치찌개 맛있어요? i gimchi jji gae mas-iss-eo yo
Is this kimchi stew delicious?
👨 B: 네, 정말 맛있어요! ne, jeong mal mas-iss-eo yo
Yes, it’s really delicious!

👧 A: 이거 어때? 맛있어? igeo eottae? mas-iss-eo
How’s this? Is it good?
👦 B: 응, 완전 맛있어! eung, wanjeon mas-iss-eo
Yeah, it’s super delicious!

Quick Quiz — Which is polite?

Try speaking — say “맛있어요”

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● Idle

Tip: Try to say 맛있어요 clearly — if recognition finds “맛있어” or “요,” it will count as a match.

🇰🇷 Cultural Insight — Understanding "맛있어요"

Saying “맛있어요 mas-iss-eoyo” is one of the most common compliments in Korean culture. Koreans often say this after eating to show appreciation for the food and the cook. In K-dramas, you’ll often hear “맛있어! mas-iss-eo” said excitedly while eating — it’s an honest, joyful way to express pleasure. Adding expressions like “정말 jeong mal” (really) or “완전 wan jeon ” (totally) makes it even more natural.