How to say “Spicy” in Korean
- 매워요maewoyo
It's spicy
"Spicy" in Korean is 매워요 (maewoyo), "it's spicy", from the verb 맵다 (maepda). With friends say 매워 (maewo). Before a spicy food trip, it also helps to know how to ask for a milder version.
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 매워요 maewoyo | Polite | "It's spicy." The polite everyday form. |
| 매워 maewo | Casual | With friends, often with a gasp. 너무 매워! means "too spicy!" |
| 맵다 maepda | Any | The dictionary form. People also blurt it out as an exclamation after a spicy bite. |
| 매운 maeun | Any | "Spicy" before a noun, as in 매운 음식 (maeun eumsik, spicy food). |
| 많이 매워요 mani maewoyo | Polite | "Is it very spicy?" when asked with a rising tone. A smart question before ordering. |
| 안 맵게 해 주세요 an maepge hae juseyo | Polite | "Please make it not spicy." Not every dish can be changed, but it's worth asking. |
Examples
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Asking a server before ordering
Ordering tteokbokki
Your first bite of buldak noodles
Tips
맵다 changes shape when you add endings: the ㅂ turns into a 우 sound, so you get 매워요, 매워 and 매운, never 맵어요. 덥다 (hot weather) works the same way: 더워요.
Spicy and hot are different words. 매워요 is spicy, while 뜨거워요 (tteugeowoyo) is hot to the touch.
Many menus list spice levels: 순한맛 (sunhanmat) is mild, and 매운맛 (maeunmat) is the spicy version. If spice is hard for you, ask 안 매운 거 있어요? (an maeun geo isseoyo?, "do you have anything that's not spicy?").
More on 매워 in our Korean phrase guides.
Questions learners ask
How do you say "not spicy" in Korean?
Say 안 매워요 (an maewoyo), "it's not spicy". To ask for food without spice, say 안 맵게 해 주세요 (an maepge hae juseyo).
Is 매워요 the same as hot?
Only for spice. For temperature, use 뜨거워요 (tteugeowoyo) for food or drinks and 더워요 (deowoyo) for weather.