Key Facts
- Hangul: 맵다 (maepda)
- Meaning: spicy
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 맵
- Conjugation class: ㅂ-irregular
- Grammar: Takes 이/가 for the food that is spicy.
- Usage: Do not use 뜨겁다 for chili heat. 안 매워요 and 맵지 않아요 both mean it is not spicy.
What Does 맵다 Mean?
맵다 describes hot, peppery food: 매운 음식. The food takes 이/가, as in 김치가 너무 매워요. It describes chili heat without saying whether the speaker enjoys it.
Do not use 뜨겁다 for chili heat: that word is about temperature. 안 매워요 and 맵지 않아요 are two ways to say it is not spicy.
Senses:
- spicy: Describes hot, peppery food, e.g. 매운 음식.
How Do You Pronounce 맵다?
The dictionary form 맵다 is read [맵따] because the final ㅂ is a stop that tenses the next ㄷ. The same holds for 맵습니다 [맵씀니다] and 맵겠어요 [맵께써요]. When a vowel follows, the ㅂ has already turned into 우/워, so 매웠어요 is [매워써요] and 매웠습니다 is [매웓씀니다].
How Do You Use 맵다 in a Sentence?
김치가 너무 매워요.
The kimchi is too spicy.
김치가 너무 매워요 uses 너무 for 'too' and shows 매워요, the ㅂ turned into 워.
저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요.
I like spicy food.
저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요 uses the modifier 매운 to describe the food, and 좋아해요 states the speaker's taste.
안 매우면 더 먹을게요.
If it's not spicy, I'll eat more.
안 매우면 더 먹을게요 combines the 안 negative with the conditional 매우면, then a promise to eat more.
How Does Maepda Conjugation Work?
맵다 is a ㅂ-irregular adjective. Before a vowel ending, the ㅂ of 맵 turns into 우, and 우 + 어 merges into 워: 매워요, 매웠어요, 매워서. The 으 endings give 매우세요, 매우면 and 매운. Consonant endings keep the ㅂ: 맵습니다, 맵지, 맵겠어요.
맵다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 매워요 | ||
| Polite past | 매웠어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 매울 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 맵겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 맵습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 매웠습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 매울 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 매워 | ||
| Casual past | 매웠어 | ||
| Casual future | 매울 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 매우세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 매워서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 매우면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 매운 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 매웠던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 매울 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 매워요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 맵지 않아요 |
For a word meaning 'spicy', -고 싶다 has no cell, because that ending attaches to action verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 매웠어요 | [매워써요] |
| Polite future | 매울 거예요 | [매울꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 맵겠어요 | [맵께써요] |
| Formal present | 맵습니다 | [맵씀니다] |
| Formal past | 매웠습니다 | [매웓씀니다] |
| Formal future | 매울 것입니다 | [매울꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 매웠어 | [매워써] |
| Past modifier | 매웠던 | [매웓떤] |
| Long negative | 맵지 않아요 | [맵찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 맵어요
Correct: ✓ 매워요
Why: 맵다 is a ㅂ-irregular: ㅂ becomes 워 before an 어 ending. Learners attach 어요 to the stem and keep the ㅂ. The ㅂ has to turn into 워 first.
Where Does 맵다 Turn up in Daily Talk?
If the chili heat is too strong, 너무 매워요 tells the listener why you are struggling with the dish. 짜다 is salty and 뜨겁다 is hot to the touch, so those two are the tastes and temperatures most often confused with it. 달다 and 싱겁다 complete the taste vocabulary.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 맵다?
| Word | How to tell it from 맵다 |
|---|---|
| 뜨겁다 | 뜨겁다 is hot in temperature, not hot in spice. |
| 짜다 | 짜다 is salty; 맵다 is the burning taste of chili. |
Ordering Tteokbokki with Less Chili Heat
A customer asks a server about the spice level before ordering. The server offers to adjust it.
Customer
이 떡볶이는 많이 매워요?
I tteokbokkineun mani maewoyo?
Is this tteokbokki very spicy?
Server
네. 매운 음식을 잘 드세요?
Ne. Maeun eumsigeul jal deuseyo?
Yes. Do you handle spicy food well?
Customer
아니요. 덜 맵게 해 주세요.
Aniyo. Deol maepge hae juseyo.
No. Please make it less spicy.
Server
네, 알겠습니다.
Ne, algetseumnida.
Certainly.
매워요 asks about the dish, 매운 describes a category of food, and 맵게 describes the result the customer wants. The request 덜 맵게 해 주세요 asks for less spice. It does not guarantee a completely chili-free dish, so the distinction matters if even a little heat is uncomfortable for you.
The server uses 드세요, the respectful form connected with eating. This honors the customer who eats; the food adjective remains 매운. You do not need to change the adjective itself to show respect for the diner.
Which Phrases Help When Ordering?
| Phrase | Meaning | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 매운 음식 | Spicy food | A category that includes many dishes. |
| 매운맛 | Spicy flavour; spicy option | A noun often used for a sauce or menu choice. |
| 덜 맵게 | Less spicy | A request to reduce the heat. |
| 안 맵게 | Not spicy | A request for a result without spice heat. |
| 매운 음식을 잘 먹다 | To handle spicy food well | Literally “eat spicy food well”; describes tolerance. |
매운맛 is written together as a noun. In 매운 음식, the adjective modifier and the noun are separate. The first can label a flavour choice; the second describes the food itself. Neither tells you the exact amount of chili or how hot it will feel to you.
덜 means “less”. It compares the requested dish with the restaurant's usual preparation or another spice level. 안 means “not”. That small change moves the request from reduced heat to no heat, although the kitchen may have limits if the sauce is already prepared.
Where Will You See 맵다 on Menus?
Menus and packaged noodles often use 매운맛 to distinguish a spicy option. A server is more likely to ask or answer with 매워요 in conversation. Some restaurants show their own levels of heat; those labels describe that restaurant's choices and are not a universal measurement.
Food videos and everyday reactions often contain 너무 매워요. Depending on the speaker's reaction, 너무 can convey “too spicy” or an emphatic “so spicy”. Watch whether the person is enjoying the challenge or saying they cannot continue eating.
맵다 also appears outside food. 매운 바람 describes a biting wind, where the sharp sensation is compared to chili heat. For a beginner ordering lunch, the food sense is the useful starting point; the noun 바람 makes the figurative weather sense clear.
Why Is It 매운 but 맵게?
The ending determines whether ㅂ changes. The modifier ending produces 매운, and the polite present produces 매워요. Before 게, a consonant-starting ending, the stem keeps ㅂ: 맵게. That is why the dialogue's request uses 맵게 even though the question uses 매워요.
Keep the same distinction in 맵지 않아요. The written ㅂ remains before 지, so the longer negative looks more like the dictionary form. Both 안 매워요 and 맵지 않아요 can be polite everyday statements; the longer wording can sound more measured, but it is not a separate speech level.
뜨겁다 describes temperature. A bowl can be both 매워요 and 뜨거워요, or spicy after it has cooled down. Waiting for the food to cool changes its temperature, without necessarily changing its chili heat.
Taste Words beside 맵다
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 고추 | chili pepper | A source of the heat described by 맵다. |
| 고춧가루 | chili powder | A seasoning you may see in a recipe. |
| 달다 | sweet | A dish can be sweet and spicy together. |
| 순한맛 | mild flavour | Often contrasts with 매운맛 on a product. |
The cooking and taste vocabulary lesson groups ingredients and flavour descriptions for reading recipes and menus.
Mini Drill: Choose the Stem Shape
- Change 맵다 to the polite present.
- Fill the gap: ____ 음식, “spicy food”.
- Fill the gap in a request for less heat: 덜 ____ 해 주세요.
- Give the conditional form meaning “if it is spicy”.
Show drill answers
- 매워요.
- 매운 음식.
- 덜 맵게 해 주세요. Keep ㅂ before 게.
- 매우면. The ㅂ changes before the conditional ending.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 덜 맵게 mean completely without spice heat?
- Which describes temperature: 맵다 or 뜨겁다?
- Why does 매운 음식을 잘 먹다 often describe tolerance?
Show answers
- No. It means less spicy.
- 뜨겁다 describes high temperature.
- “Eating spicy food well” means handling its heat comfortably in this expression.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say "It Is Spicy"?
매워요. For emphasis: 김치가 너무 매워요.
Why Is It 매워요 and Not 맵어요?
맵다 is a ㅂ-irregular. The ㅂ becomes 워 before an 어 ending.
Can I Use 뜨겁다 for Spicy Food?
No. 뜨겁다 means hot in temperature. For chili heat, use 맵다.
How Do I Say "It Is Not Spicy"?
안 매워요 or 맵지 않아요. Both can be polite everyday statements.
Which Words Are Related to 맵다?
The entries closest to 맵다 (spicy) are 짜다 (salty), 뜨겁다 (hot to the touch), 달다 (sweet), 싱겁다 (bland).
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare it with 짜다 and 뜨겁다, then move on to 달다 and 싱겁다. To see why 'spicy' takes the form 매워요, read ㅂ-irregular verbs and adjectives; the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.