How to say “Enjoy your meal” in Korean
- 맛있게 드세요masitge deuseyo
Enjoy your meal
"Enjoy your meal" in Korean is 맛있게 드세요 (masitge deuseyo), literally "please eat deliciously." Hosts and grandparents also love to say 많이 드세요 (mani deuseyo), "eat a lot."
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 맛있게 드세요 masitge deuseyo | Polite | The standard phrase. Servers, hosts, and friends' parents all say it. 드세요 is the respectful "please eat." |
| 맛있게 먹어 masitge meogeo | Casual | To a friend, a partner, or a younger sibling. |
| 많이 드세요 mani deuseyo | Polite | "Eat a lot." A warm, hospitable way to say enjoy, very common from hosts. |
| 많이 먹어 mani meogeo | Casual | What parents and grandparents say to kids, and friends say to each other. |
| 맛있게 드십시오 masitge deusipsio | Formal | Formal. You may hear it in hotels or at formal events. |
Examples
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A server sets down your food
Grandma fills your bowl again
Serving food to a guest's grandmother
Tips
Use 드세요, not 먹어요, when telling someone older or a guest to eat. 드시다 is the respectful verb for eating.
The usual exchange goes like this: the host says 맛있게 드세요, and the guest answers 잘 먹겠습니다 (thank you for the food).
맛있게 sounds like "ma-sit-ge" with a tense g, close to "ma-shit-kke" in fast speech.
Questions learners ask
How do you reply to 맛있게 드세요?
Say 잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgetseumnida) or simply 감사합니다 (thank you).
Is there a Korean word for bon appetit?
There is no single word. 맛있게 드세요 (enjoy your meal) and 많이 드세요 (eat a lot) do the same job.