How to Say "Did You Eat?" in Korean: 밥 먹었어요? as a Meal Question and a Caring Greeting
Learn to ask and answer 밥 먹었어요? in Korean. Use it as a real question about lunch or dinner, or as a warm check-in with close friends and family. Includes polite replies and an invitation to eat together.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
밥 먹었어요? is one of the most common Korean sentences you will hear. It can be a real question about whether someone has eaten a meal, and it can also work as a caring greeting with people you know well. This lesson teaches the phrase in Hangul and Revised Romanization, shows how to answer yes or not yet, and gives you a natural way to invite someone to eat. You will also learn how politeness and relationship affect when this question sounds like a greeting rather than a request for information.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone whether they have eaten a meal using 밥 먹었어요?
- answer with a simple yes or a not-yet reply and invite someone to eat together.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
밥 먹었어요?
Have you eaten? / Did you eat?
bap meogeosseoyo?
The standard polite question. Use it to ask about a meal, or as a caring check-in with someone you know. It does not automatically replace 안녕하세요 in every situation.
네, 먹었어요.
Yes, I ate.
ne, meogeosseoyo.
A simple polite yes. You can add a meal name: 아침 먹었어요 (I ate breakfast), 점심 먹었어요 (I ate lunch), 저녁 먹었어요 (I ate dinner).
아직 안 먹었어요.
I haven't eaten yet.
ajik an meogeosseoyo.
Use this when you have not had the meal yet. 아직 means 'yet' and makes the answer sound natural.
같이 먹을래요?
Do you want to eat together? / Shall we eat together?
gachi meogeullaeyo?
A friendly invitation to share a meal. It is polite and common with friends, coworkers, and people you are getting to know.
뭐 먹었어요?
What did you eat?
mwo meogeosseoyo?
A natural follow-up after 밥 먹었어요? Use it when you want to keep the conversation going and learn what meal the person had.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is a meal word plus 먹었어요? (meogeosseoyo?), which asks whether someone ate. 밥 (bap) literally means cooked rice, but in this phrase it stands for a meal in general. You can swap in a specific meal: 아침 (achim, breakfast), 점심 (jeomsim, lunch), or 저녁 (jeonyeok, dinner). For example, 점심 먹었어요? means 'Have you eaten lunch?' and 저녁 먹었어요? means 'Have you eaten dinner?' The polite past form 먹었어요 is made from 먹다 (meokda, to eat). A plain yes is 네, 먹었어요 (ne, meogeosseoyo), and a not-yet answer is 아직 안 먹었어요 (ajik an meogeosseoyo). To invite someone, use 같이 먹을래요? (gachi meogeullaeyo?), which means 'Do you want to eat together?'
When to use it
With close friends, family, or people you see often, 밥 먹었어요? can function as a warm greeting that shows you care about the person's well-being. With strangers, casual acquaintances, or in very formal settings, it is more likely to be heard as a real question about whether the person has eaten. It is not a universal replacement for 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo, hello). If you are unsure, you can start with 안녕하세요 and then ask 밥 먹었어요? as a follow-up. Also notice who you are speaking to: the -요 ending keeps the question polite, while dropping it to 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?) is casual and better saved for close friends or people younger than you.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
밥 먹었어요?
Have you eaten?bap meogeosseoyo?아직 안 먹었어요.
I haven't eaten yet.ajik an meogeosseoyo.그럼 같이 먹을래요?
Then do you want to eat together?geureom gachi meogeullaeyo?네, 좋아요. 뭐 먹을까요?
Yes, sounds good. What shall we eat?ne, joayo. mwo meogeulkkayo?A little context goes a long way
In Korean, asking about a meal can express care, especially with family and close friends. The polite -요 ending is a safe default in many everyday situations. If someone asks you 밥 먹었어요? and you have already eaten, a simple 네, 먹었어요 is enough. If you have not eaten, 아직 안 먹었어요 naturally opens the door to an invitation. Pay attention to the relationship and setting; the same words can be a real question or a friendly greeting.
One thing to watch for
Answering 'Yes, I eat' with 네, 먹어요 when someone asks 밥 먹었어요?
Try this instead: The question is in the past tense, so the natural yes answer is 네, 먹었어요 (ne, meogeosseoyo), meaning 'Yes, I ate.' Use the present 먹어요 (meogeoyo) for habits or future meals, as in 저는 매일 아침을 먹어요 (I eat breakfast every day).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1A friend asks you 밥 먹었어요? You have not eaten yet. What is a natural polite reply?
Show a sample answer
아직 안 먹었어요.
This directly answers that you have not eaten yet. You could also say 아직이요 (ajikiyo), meaning 'Not yet,' which is shorter but still natural in casual polite conversation.
2You want to ask a coworker whether they have eaten lunch. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
점심 먹었어요?
점심 means lunch, and 먹었어요? asks 'did you eat?' This is a polite and specific way to ask about the midday meal. You could also ask 점심 드셨어요? (jeomsim deusyeosseoyo?) to use a more honorific verb with someone you want to show extra respect to.
3Someone says 아직 안 먹었어요. How can you invite them to eat together?
Show a sample answer
같이 먹을래요?
This means 'Do you want to eat together?' and fits naturally after hearing that the person has not eaten. Another common invitation is 같이 먹어요 (gachi meogeoyo), which can sound like 'Let's eat together.'
밥 먹었어요? is a flexible Korean sentence: it can be a real question about a meal or a caring greeting with people you know well. Use the polite -요 ending by default, answer with 네, 먹었어요 or 아직 안 먹었어요, and invite someone with 같이 먹을래요?.
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