Key Facts
- Hangul: 배부르다 (baebureuda)
- Meaning: full
- Part of speech: adjective (형용사)
- Level: A1
- Stem: 배부르
- Class: 르-irregular
What Does 배부르다 Mean?
배부르다 is the feeling of a full stomach, the natural answer to 배고프다. 배불러요 is what you say after a meal, and it is also a polite way to turn down more food: 배불러서 못 먹겠어요. In 배부르면 남겨도 돼요 it frees a guest from finishing the plate. The word is built from 배 (stomach) and 부르다, here in its separate sense of swollen or filled, which is unrelated to 부르다 meaning to call or sing.
How Do You Pronounce 배부르다?
In the dictionary form the pronunciation matches the spelling. The change is the doubled ㄹ in front of 어: 배불러요 has two ㄹ sounds, one closing 불 and one opening 러. The past 배불렀어요 is spoken as [배불러써요], the formal 배부릅니다 as [배부름니다] and the long negative 배부르지 않아요 as [배부르지 아나요].
How Do You Use 배부르다 in a Sentence?
많이 먹어서 배불러요.
I ate a lot, so I'm full.
많이 먹어서 배불러요 gives the reason 많이 먹어서 ('because I ate a lot') and then the feeling.
배부르면 남겨도 돼요.
If you are full, you can leave some.
배부르면 남겨도 돼요 uses the conditional, then 남겨도 돼요, 'it is fine to leave some'.
저는 배부른 것이 싫어요.
I don't like feeling full.
저는 배부른 것이 싫어요 turns the adjective into a modifier with 배부른 and nominalises it with 것이, so the thing disliked is the feeling of fullness.
How Does Baebureuda Conjugation Work?
배부르다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 배불러요 | ||
| Polite past | 배불렀어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 배부를 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 배부르겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 배부릅니다 | ||
| Formal past | 배불렀습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 배부를 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 배불러 | ||
| Casual past | 배불렀어 | ||
| Casual future | 배부를 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 배불러서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 배부르면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 배부른 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 배불렀던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 배부를 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 배불러요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 배부르지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 배불러요 | — |
| Polite past | 배불렀어요 | [배불러써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 배부를 거예요 | [배부를꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 배부르겠어요 | [배부르게써요] |
| Formal present | 배부릅니다 | [배부름니다] |
| Formal past | 배불렀습니다 | [배불럳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 배부를 것입니다 | [배부를꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 배불러 | — |
| Casual past | 배불렀어 | [배불러써] |
| Casual future | 배부를 거야 | [배부를꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 배불러서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 배부르면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 배부른 | — |
| Modifier, past | 배불렀던 | [배불럳떤] |
| Modifier, future | 배부를 | — |
| Short negative | 안 배불러요 | — |
| Long negative | 배부르지 않아요 | [배부르지 아나요] |
Is 배부르다 Regular or Irregular?
배부르다 belongs to the 르 group. Before 아/어 the ㅡ of 르 drops, and an extra ㄹ is added to the syllable in front: 배부르 + 어요 becomes 배불러요. The vowel before 르 here is ㅜ, so the ending is 어 and the result is 러. Before consonant endings the stem is untouched. The 르-irregular lesson lays this out for the whole group.
Common Mistake with 배부르다
Wrong: ✗ 배부러요
Correct: ✓ 배불러요
Why: The 르 pattern doubles the ㄹ and drops the ㅡ. Writing 배부러요 ignores the extra ㄹ and does not exist in standard Korean.
배부르다 Versus 배고프다 and 부르다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 배고프다 | 배고프다 is the opposite, hungry. |
| 부르다 | 부르다 on its own means to call or sing. In 배부르다 it carries the sense of swollen, so do not parse it as 'call the stomach'. |
Turning down Another Helping
A host offers more food after dinner. The guest explains that they are full, and the host makes it clear that leaving food is fine. Present, reason and conditional forms appear.
Host
밥 더 드릴까요?
Bap deo deurilkkayo?
Would you like some more rice?
Guest
아니요, 감사합니다. 배불러요.
Aniyo, gamsahamnida. Baebulleoyo.
No, thank you. I am full.
Host
배부르면 남겨도 돼요.
Baebureumyeon namgyeodo dwaeyo.
If you are full, you can leave some.
Guest
네. 배불러서 더 못 먹겠어요.
Ne. Baebulleoseo deo mot meokgesseoyo.
Yes. I am full, so I do not think I can eat any more.
The guest gives a reason for declining, rather than criticizing the food. 감사합니다 adds thanks to the refusal. The host’s conditional 배부르면 keeps 르, while the guest’s 배불러서 uses the doubled ㄹ form.
Which Phrases Describe a Satisfying Meal?
배불리 먹다 means to eat one's fill. 배불리 describes the result of the meal as satisfying the stomach. You may see it in a food review or hear it after a generous lunch. It does not necessarily mean eating an unhealthy amount; the phrase can simply say that there was enough to feel full.
배부르게 먹다 is another way to describe eating until full. The 게 ending turns the adjective into a description of how or to what result someone eats. Compare 배불러요, a complete statement about the eater's current state. English “a filling meal” describes the food's effect, while the Korean adjective by itself describes the person or stomach.
배가 부르다 is a spaced phrase meaning that the stomach is full. 배부르다 is the single-word adjective. The particle 가 makes the grammatical structure visible in the longer phrase. In ordinary meal talk, both can refer to the same physical feeling.
When Is 배부르다 Figurative?
배부른 소리 literally means “full-stomach talk”. Figuratively, it dismisses someone's complaints or wishes as coming from a comfortable, privileged position. A person complaining that they have too many holiday options might receive this response. It is a judgment about their attitude, rather than a report about dinner.
The phrase can sound critical or teasing, depending on the relationship and tone. It is not a polite way to tell a host that the meal was generous. For that situation, a direct 배불러요 with thanks communicates the physical meaning without judging anyone.
In food videos and everyday conversation, 배불러요 often marks the point when someone stops eating. In dialogue about money or comfort, a phrase built on 배부른 may instead refer to being well provided for. The presence of food helps identify the literal meaning; a noun such as 소리 can signal the figurative expression.
What Kind of “Full” Does 배부르다 Describe?
A restaurant with no empty seats is not 배부르다. For a bag filled to capacity, 가득하다 describes how full it is. 배부르다 can describe a bulging shape, such as a round-bellied jar, but that is about the shape rather than how much it holds. The usual meal meaning concerns a full stomach. See the distinct senses in the Korean Learners’ Dictionary.
안 배불러요 means “I am not full”. It leaves open how much more the speaker wants to eat. 배고파요 is stronger in a different direction: it reports hunger. A person who has eaten a small snack might be neither hungry nor full, so the two states are not exact logical negatives.
Why Does the Conditional Have No Doubled ㄹ?
The 르 change is triggered by 아/어 endings. 배불러요 and 배불러서 have that environment; 배부르면 does not. The modifier 배부른 and the formal 배부릅니다 also keep 르. Use the ending to decide the shape instead of extending 배불러 to every row.
The future 배부를 거예요 usually predicts how full someone will feel after eating. A large meal can make that prediction natural, but the form does not itself mean “I intend to eat”. The eating and the resulting state are different parts of the message. Keep 거예요 separate in writing.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 배 | stomach / belly | The body part named inside 배부르다. |
| 양 | amount / portion size | Helps explain whether a meal is enough. |
| 남기다 | to leave some | What a guest may do once full. |
| 가득하다 | to be full / filled | Describes filled spaces or containers. |
Use restaurant vocabulary for portions, meals and ordering language around these exchanges.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right 르 Form
- Give the polite present of 배부르다.
- Give the conditional “if you are full”.
- Put the adjective before 것 to name the state of being full.
- Give the because-form used when declining more food.
Show answers
- 배불러요. The ㄹ doubles before the 어 ending.
- 배부르면. There is no 아/어 ending to trigger the change.
- 배부른 것. The modifier keeps 르.
- 배불러서.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 배부르다 mean “filled to capacity” for any container?
- What social meaning does 배부른 소리 carry?
- Does “I am not full” necessarily mean “I am hungry”?
Show answers
- No. Use 가득하다 for that meaning. 배부르다 can describe a bulging shape or a full stomach.
- It criticizes or teases someone for complaining from a comfortable position.
- No. Someone can be neither hungry nor full.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Politely Refuse More Food?
Say 배불러서 못 먹겠어요.
Why Does 배불러요 Have Two ㄹ Sounds?
The ㅡ of 르 drops and an extra ㄹ is added, so the stem becomes 배불러.
Is 배부르다 the Same Word as 부르다?
The root is the same spelling but a different meaning here: swollen.
How Do I Say 'a Full Feeling'?
Use the modifier 배부른, as in 배부른 것.
Which Words Are Related to 배부르다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 배고프다 first if you have not, then 목마르다 for thirst. 모르다 and 부르다 show the same 르 pattern in other words. The Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.