What does 맛없어요 mean?

Real-world examples

• ⭕

  이 김치는 정말 맛없어요.

  i gim-chi-neun jeong-mal mas-eop-eo-yo., i gim chi neun jeong mal mas eop eo yo.

  ‘맛없어요’ correctly expresses that the food tastes bad.

• ⭕

  이 음식은 맛없어요.

  i eum-sik-eun mas-eop-eo-yo., i eum sik eun mas eop eo yo.

  Including the subject ‘this food’ is natural.

• ❌

  그 영화는 맛없어요.

  geu yeong-hwa-neun mas-eop-eo-yo., geu yeong hwa neun mas eop eo yo.

  ‘맛없어요’ is only for food, not movies.

• ⭕

  이 커피는 맛없어요.

  i keo-pi-neun mas-eop-eo-yo., i keo pi neun mas eop eo yo.

  ‘맛없어요’ can be used to evaluate coffee taste.

• ❌

  맛없어요, 더 주세요.

  mas-eop-eo-yo, deo ju-se-yo., mas eop eo yo, deo ju se yo.

  ‘맛없어요’ and ‘give me more’ contradict each other.

• ⭕

  이 음식은 맛없어요, 미안해요.

  i eum-sik-eun mas-eop-eo-yo, mi-an-hae-yo., i eum sik eun mas eop eo yo, mi an hae yo.

  Polite apology softens direct negative comment.

1. In which situation is ‘맛없어요’ mainly used?

   ‘맛없어요’는 어떤 상황에서 주로 쓰이나요?(‘mas-eop-eo-yo’neuneo-tteonsang-hwang-e-seoju-rosseu-i-na-yo?, ‘maseopeoyo’neuneotteonsanghwangeseojurosseuinayo?)
   • 음식 맛 평가할 때(eum-sikmaspyeong-ga-halttae, eumsikmaspyeonggahalttae)
   • 날씨 이야기할 때(nal-ssii-ya-gi-halttae, nalssiiyagihalttae)
   • 영화 감상할 때(yeong-hwagam-sang-halttae, yeonghwagamsanghalttae)

2. Is ‘맛없어요’ a polite form?

   ‘맛없어요’의 존댓말 형태인가요?(‘mas-eop-eo-yo’uijon-daes-malhyeong-tae-in-ga-yo?, ‘maseopeoyo’uijondaesmalhyeongtaeingayo?)
   • 네, 존댓말이에요(ne,jon-daes-mal-i-e-yo, ne,jondaesmalieyo)
   • 아니요, 반말이에요(a-ni-yo,ban-mal-i-e-yo, aniyo,banmalieyo)
   • 중립적인 표현이에요(jung-rip-jeok-inpyo-hyeon-i-e-yo, jungripjeokinpyohyeonieyo)

3. Which sentence correctly uses ‘맛없어요’?

   다음 중 ‘맛없어요’가 올바르게 사용된 문장은?(da-eumjung‘mas-eop-eo-yo’gaol-ba-reu-gesa-yong-doenmun-jang-eun?, daeumjung‘maseopeoyo’gaolbareugesayongdoenmunjangeun?)
   • 이 영화는 맛없어요.(iyeong-hwa-neunmas-eop-eo-yo., iyeonghwaneunmaseopeoyo.)
   • 이 커피는 맛없어요.(ikeo-pi-neunmas-eop-eo-yo., ikeopineunmaseopeoyo.)
   • 오늘 날씨는 맛없어요.(o-neulnal-ssi-neunmas-eop-eo-yo., oneulnalssineunmaseopeoyo.)