Key Facts
- Word: 맥주 (maekju) [maek-jju]
- Part of speech: noun; origin: Sino-Korean
- Meaning: beer
- Register: Neutral; in casual talk 맥주 is often shortened in compounds, as in 치맥 (chicken and beer).
- Hanja: 麥酒 (麥 barley + 酒 alcohol)
Beer in Korean: Meaning and Register
맥주 is beer, a Sino-Korean word with a neutral register. In casual talk it is shortened inside compounds, as in 치맥, fried chicken with beer. Counting uses measure words such as 잔 for a glass and 병 for a bottle, placed after the noun and number: 맥주 한 잔.
Word Origin
The hanja 麥酒 combines 麥 (barley) and 酒 (alcohol), meaning barley liquor.
Pronunciation
The pronunciation is [maek-jju]. The ㅈ comes right after a final ㄱ, so it is tensed and sounds like a doubled jj, not a plain j. RR does not mark tensing, so the romanization stays maekju and the bracketed form shows the sound.
Example Sentences
맥주 한 잔 주세요.
Maekju han jan juseyo
Please give me a glass of beer.
맥주 한 잔 주세요 is the ordering sentence. 한 잔 is one glass, and 주세요 is the polite please give me.
저는 맥주를 좋아해요.
Jeoneun maekjureul joahaeyo
I like beer.
A plain preference with the object particle 를, where 맥주를 is read maekjureul. The same tensed j follows the final k sound in this sentence.
치킨에는 맥주가 잘 어울려요.
Chikineneun maekjuga jal eoullyeoyo
Beer goes well with fried chicken.
어울려요 means goes well with. The sentence names fried chicken first and then says beer suits it, which is the idea behind 치맥.
Collocations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 맥주를 마시다 | to drink beer |
| 생맥주 | draft beer |
| 맥주 한 병 | a bottle of beer |
| 캔 맥주 | canned beer |
맥주를 마시다 is to drink beer. 생맥주 is draft beer, 맥주 한 병 is a bottle and 캔 맥주 is canned beer. The measure word follows the noun, as in 맥주 한 병.
Common Mistake
The error is a sound slip: learners read the romanization maekju literally.
Wrong: maek-ju, with a plain j.
Correct: maek-jju. After a final ㄱ the ㅈ is tensed, so the word sounds like [maek-jju].
맥주 vs 소주
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 맥주 | beer | Brewed from barley; this page's word. |
| 소주 | soju | A clear spirit, much stronger than beer. |
| 막걸리 | makgeolli | A milky rice drink. |
| 치맥 | fried chicken and beer | Not a drink but the food-and-beer combo. |
소주 (soju) and 막걸리 (makgeolli) are the two other everyday Korean drinks, one a clear spirit and the other a milky rice drink. 치맥 is a different kind of neighbour: not a drink but the fried chicken and beer combo.
Ordering Draft Beer with a Friend
Two friends order together. One customer speaks to the server and chooses glasses rather than bottles.
Customer
생맥주 있어요?
Saengmaekju isseoyo?
Do you have draft beer?
Server
네. 몇 잔 드릴까요?
Ne. Myeot jan deurilkkayo?
Yes. How many glasses would you like?
Customer
두 잔 주세요.
Du jan juseyo.
Two glasses, please.
Server
네. 생맥주 두 잔이요.
Ne. Saengmaekju du janiyo.
Certainly. Two glasses of draft beer.
몇 잔 asks “how many glasses?” 두 is the form of “two” used before a counter such as 잔. 드릴까요 is the server's polite “shall I give you?” The customer's 두 잔 주세요 leaves out 맥주 because both speakers already know which drink they mean.
How Do You Choose the Right Beer Order?
맥주 한 잔 asks for one glass, 맥주 한 병 for one bottle, and 맥주 한 캔 for one can. 잔, 병 and 캔 describe the serving or container. Two glasses need not mean two bottles: one bottle may be shared, and draft beer comes from a tap. State the container when the distinction matters.
생맥주 is draft beer. 병맥주 is bottled beer, while 캔 맥주 is canned beer. A menu may list 생맥주 separately from bottled brands. Asking 생맥주 있어요 checks whether the restaurant serves it before you choose an amount.
수제 맥주 means craft beer, and 흑맥주 means dark beer. These labels describe a beer category rather than how many servings you want. You can combine a type with a counter when ordering. The counter still follows the number, just as it does in the simpler phrase 맥주 한 잔.
Where Will You Hear 맥주 and 치맥?
맥주 appears on drinks menus, shop shelves and restaurant signs. 치맥 belongs especially to invitations and casual plans involving fried chicken and beer. Its literal construction takes 치 from 치킨 and 맥 from 맥주, but its practical meaning is the whole food-and-drink pairing. It is not a separate beer style.
맥주 한잔할까요 means “shall we have a beer?” In this social expression, 한잔하다 means having a drink together. The invitation is about spending time over a drink rather than carefully counting one glass. The National Institute of Korean Language explains the joined verb in its note on 한잔하다. Compare that with 한 잔 주세요, where the separated number and counter specify a serving in an order.
맥주 itself is neutral. 주세요 makes an order polite, while 맥주만 means “only beer”. If you hear an offer and want a different drink, naming 물 or 주스 with 주세요 gives the server a clear alternative.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 잔 | glass / cup counter | Counts servings poured into glasses. |
| 병 | bottle / bottle counter | Useful when ordering bottled beer to share. |
| 안주 | food served with alcohol | Names accompanying food rather than a drink. |
| 건배 | cheers / a toast | Heard when people raise their glasses. |
The drinks vocabulary lesson includes other drinks and the words needed to order them. Learn the drink name and its serving word together so your request tells the server both what and how much.
Quick Self-Test
- Which counter requests a bottle: 잔 or 병?
- Is 치맥 a type of beer?
- Why does 맥주 sound different from a plain reading of maekju?
Show answers
- 병. 잔 requests a glass or cup.
- No. It means fried chicken and beer together.
- The final ㄱ makes the following ㅈ tense, giving the sound jj.
FAQ
How Is 맥주 Pronounced?
As [maek-jju], with a tensed j after the final k sound.
What Does 치맥 Mean?
It is fried chicken and beer, a compound built from the first syllables of 치킨 and 맥주.
How Do I Order One Glass?
Say 맥주 한 잔 주세요.
What Is 생맥주?
It is draft beer.
Keep Learning
- Theme list: Drinks, where 맥주 sits alongside related words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks include 맥주.