What does 배고파 (baegopa) mean?
- 배고파baegopa
I'm hungry
Casual: friends and people younger than you
배고파 (baegopa) means "I'm hungry" in Korean. It is casual, and you will hear it all the time from friends, kids and drama characters raiding the fridge. To ask "Are you hungry?", say it with a rising tone: 배고파?
Where it comes from
It comes from 배고프다 (baegopeuda), "to be hungry," made of 배 (stomach) and 고프다 (to be empty or hungry).
How to use 배고파
Like many Korean sentences, it needs no "I." The same word is a statement or a question, depending on your tone.
With older people, add 요: 배고파요. In a family, kids often say 엄마 배고파 to ask for food.
The opposite is 배불러 (baebulleo), "I'm full."
Examples
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A kid coming home from school
Texting a friend late at night
Asking a guest after a long trip
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 배고파요 | I'm hungry (polite) | Polite form. |
| 배고프다 | I'm hungry | Plain form; often said to yourself. |
| 배고파 죽겠어 | I'm starving | Literally "so hungry I could die." |
| 배 안 고파 | I'm not hungry | Negative form. |
| 배불러 | I'm full | The opposite feeling. |
Hear it in songs
Real lines from songs broken down on Hanbok. Open a song to see every line explained.
Questions learners ask
How do I say I'm full in Korean?
Say 배불러 (baebulleo), or politely 배불러요 (baebulleoyo).
Is it baegopa or baegoppa?
The spelling is 배고파 with a single ㅍ, so "baegopa." "Baegoppa" is a common learner spelling.