How to Say "I'm Hungry" and "I'm Thirsty" in Korean
Learn to express hunger and thirst in Korean with the patterns 배고파요 and 목말라요, ask others about their states, and tell these statements apart from ordering food.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In Korean, saying you are hungry or thirsty is not the same as ordering food. Statements like 배고파요 (baegopayo) and 목말라요 (mokmallayo) describe your internal state, while ordering uses different verbs and nouns, such as 주세요 (juseyo, "please give me"). This lesson teaches the two core expressions, how to ask others whether they are hungry or thirsty, and how to avoid accidentally sounding like you are placing an order. Everything is taught in polite informal speech (해요체, haeyoche), the style you will use most often with strangers, acquaintances, and people older than you in everyday situations.
By the end, you can…
- say "I am hungry" and "I am thirsty" in polite Korean.
- ask another person whether they are hungry or thirsty.
- distinguish these state statements from food or drink orders.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
배고파요.
I am hungry.
bae-go-pa-yo
The standard polite way to state your own hunger. It comes from 배 (stomach) and 고프다 (to be hungry), but use it as one fixed expression.
목말라요.
I am thirsty.
mok-mal-la-yo
The standard polite way to state your own thirst. It describes the feeling of thirst, not a request for a drink.
배고파요?
Are you hungry?
bae-go-pa-yo
Same words as the statement, but with rising intonation it becomes a yes/no question. Context and intonation do the work.
목말라요?
Are you thirsty?
mok-mal-la-yo
Rising intonation turns the thirst statement into a question. Use it when checking on a friend, guest, or family member.
저는 안 배고파요.
I am not hungry.
jeo-neun an bae-go-pa-yo
Put 안 (an) before the verb phrase to make it negative. 저는 (jeoneun) means "as for me" and is the polite way to refer to yourself.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Both expressions end in -요 (-yo), which makes them polite without being formal. To make a negative, place 안 (an) directly before the verb part: 저는 안 배고파요 (jeoneun an baegopayo, "I am not hungry") and 저는 안 목말라요 (jeoneun an mokmallayo, "I am not thirsty"). To ask about someone else, keep the same words and raise your intonation at the end: 배고파요? (baegopayo?) and 목말라요? (mokmallayo?). Korean does not require a separate word for "you" here; the question form is understood from context. If you want to name the person, you can say 민수 씨는 배고파요? (Minsu ssineun baegopayo?, "Minsu, are you hungry?").
When to use it
Use 배고파요 and 목말라요 to talk about how you feel, not to request a specific dish or drink. If you want food or water, add a request: 물 주세요 (mul juseyo, "please give me water") or 밥 주세요 (bap juseyo, "please give me a meal"). A natural sequence is to state the feeling first, then make a request: 배고파요. 밥 주세요. (baegopayo. bap juseyo., "I'm hungry. Please give me a meal.") Among close friends, you can drop -요 and say 배고파 (baegopa) or 목말라 (mokmalla), but with strangers, coworkers, or anyone older, keep the polite -요 form.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
배고파요.
I am hungry.bae-go-pa-yo저도 배고파요. 목말라요?
I am hungry too. Are you thirsty?jeo-do bae-go-pa-yo. mok-mal-la-yo?네, 목말라요. 물 주세요.
Yes, I am thirsty. Please give me water.ne, mok-mal-la-yo. mul ju-se-yo.여기 물이에요.
Here is water.yeo-gi mu-ri-e-yo.A little context goes a long way
Korean has several speech levels, and the -요 ending used here is polite informal speech. It is safe in most everyday situations, including with strangers and people older than you. With close friends of the same age, dropping -요 is common, but using it with a boss or an elderly stranger can sound too casual. When in doubt, keep -요.
One thing to watch for
Using 배고파요 or 목말라요 as if they were orders, for example saying only 목말라요 to a server and expecting a drink.
Try this instead: These expressions state a feeling, not a request. Add an explicit request with 주세요 (juseyo): 목말라요. 물 주세요. (mokmallayo. mul juseyo., "I am thirsty. Please give me water.") The feeling sentence and the request sentence work together.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "I am thirsty" politely in Korean?
Show a sample answer
목말라요. (mokmallayo.)
목말라요 is the standard polite statement of thirst. 배고파요 would mean "I am hungry," so it does not fit here.
2How do you ask a friend "Are you hungry?" in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
배고파요? (baegopayo?)
The same words as the statement become a question with rising intonation. Some speakers may add a name or pronoun for clarity, but it is not required.
3What is the difference between 목말라요 and 물 주세요?
Show a sample answer
목말라요 states "I am thirsty"; 물 주세요 means "Please give me water."
목말라요 describes an internal state, while 물 주세요 is an explicit request. You can use them together: 목말라요. 물 주세요.
Use 배고파요 and 목말라요 to describe how you feel, and add 주세요 when you actually want food or a drink.
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