What does 점심 mean?

점심 (jeom-sim, jeomsim)

점심 (jeomsim) means the meal eaten around noon. It's common in daily life and business.

Korean word 점심 meaning lunch

Definition & nuance

Core meaning and shades learners miss.

점심(jeom-sim, jeomsim)

점심 refers to the meal typically eaten between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., i.e., lunch.

Nuances

  • 점심 specifically refers to the midday meal around noon.
  • In business, lunch meetings (점심 약속) are key communication moments.
  • It clearly distinguishes the midday meal from breakfast and dinner.

When to use

daily conversation, business meeting, restaurant ordering

In context

점심 is a noun used in expressions like 'eat lunch (점심 먹다)', 'lunch time (점심 시간)', or 'lunch appointment (점심 약속)'. It's natural in both formal and informal contexts.

Real-world examples

  • 오늘 점심 뭐 먹을래?

    o-neul jeom-sim mwo meok-eul-rae?, o neul jeom sim mwo meok eul rae?

    ‘점심’ is correctly used as a noun related to meal time.

  • 점심에 회의가 있어요.

    jeom-sim-e hoe-ui-ga iss-eo-yo., jeom sim e hoe ui ga iss eo yo.

    ‘점심에’ functions naturally as a time adverbial phrase.

  • 점심을 먹었어요?

    jeom-sim-eul meok-eoss-eo-yo?, jeom sim eul meok eoss eo yo?

    ‘점심을 먹다’ is a correct verb-noun collocation.

  • 저녁 점심은 몇 시에 먹어요?

    jeo-nyeok jeom-sim-eun myeoch si-e meok-eo-yo?, jeo nyeok jeom sim eun myeoch si e meok eo yo?

    ‘저녁 점심’ is a redundant phrase and grammatically incorrect.

  • 점심시간에 같이 산책할래요?

    jeom-sim-si-gan-e gat-i san-chaek-hal-rae-yo?, jeom sim si gan e gat i san chaek hal rae yo?

    ‘점심시간’ correctly denotes the lunch time period.

  • 점심 약속을 잡았어요.

    jeom-sim yak-sok-eul jap-ass-eo-yo., jeom sim yak sok eul jap ass eo yo.

    ‘점심 약속’ means an appointment during lunch time.

Quick quiz

  1. What does 점심 mean?

    점심이란 무엇인가요?(jeom-sim-i-ranmu-eos-in-ga-yo?, jeomsimiranmueosingayo?)
  2. Which sentence uses ‘점심에’ correctly?

    ‘점심에’가 올바르게 쓰인 문장은?(‘jeom-sim-e’gaol-ba-reu-gesseu-inmun-jang-eun?, ‘jeomsime’gaolbareugesseuinmunjangeun?)
  3. Which sentence is incorrect?

    다음 중 틀린 문장은?(da-eumjungteul-rinmun-jang-eun?, daeumjungteulrinmunjangeun?)

More meaning guides

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