Korean Dictionary
How to say "Taste" in Korean
“Taste” in Korean is 맛보다 (pronounced "matboda").
맛보다
matboda
Usage & Context
Sampling food to evaluate flavor. Essential for adjusting seasoning. Requires clean spoon for hygiene.
Example Sentence
음식을 맛봐요.
I taste the food.
How to use 맛보다 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Taste” is 맛보다, romanized as matboda.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 맛보다.
Pronunciation Guide
For "맛보다" (matboda), say "mat" like "maht" (rhymes with "hot"), with an unreleased 't' sound. Then, "bo" like "bow" in "bow and arrow", and "da" like "dah" in "dad".
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
맛봐요
matbwayo
The standard polite form. The 'ㅂ' in '보다' changes to 'ㅂ와' when conjugated with '아/어요'.
Casual (반말)
맛봐
matbwa
Used with close friends or family.
More Example Sentences
Asking for a second opinion on seasoning while cooking.
이 김치찌개 좀 맛봐 줄래요? 간이 맞는지 모르겠어요.
Could you taste this kimchi stew for me? I'm not sure if the seasoning is right.
Offering a new food item to a friend.
새로 나온 아이스크림인데 한번 맛봐봐.
It's a new ice cream that just came out, try a taste.
Talking about favorite travel experiences.
여행 가서 현지 음식을 맛보는 게 제일 즐거워요.
When traveling, tasting local food is the most enjoyable thing.
Cultural Context
"맛보다" is essential in Korean cooking and dining. It's common for cooks to ask others to "맛봐 달라" (please taste it for me) to get feedback on seasoning, especially for communal dishes like stews (찌개) or soups (국). It also extends to trying new experiences, like "세상을 맛보다" (to taste the world/experience life). In K-dramas, you'll often see characters tasting food and reacting to its flavor, a common way to show character interaction and plot development.
Editorial note
We review entries like 맛보다 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
간을 맛보다
to taste the seasoning
음식을 맛보다
to taste food
새로운 맛을 맛보다
to taste a new flavor
Related Expressions
먹다
meokda
to eat
음미하다
eummihada
to savor, to appreciate the taste (more refined)
시식하다
sisikhada
to sample food (often at a store)
맛있다
masitda
to be delicious (related adjective)
More Cooking Words
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