Key Facts
- Hangul: 먹방 (meokbang)
- Meaning: eating broadcast (mukbang)
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: mixed: native 먹 (from the verb "to eat") plus 방, short for Sino-Korean 방송 (broadcast)
- Syllables: two (meok-bang)
- Pronunciation: [meok-ppang]
- Register: Informal; streamed or broadcast eating shows.
- Level: A2
Eating Broadcast in Korean: What Does 먹방 Mean?
먹방 is a noun for a streamed or broadcast eating show, known abroad as mukbang. It is informal, the kind of word you use with friends rather than in a business letter. A host eats food on camera, often in large portions, while viewers watch. Live broadcasts may also include chat. The term grew out of Korean online video and is now borrowed into many other languages.
How Do You Pronounce 먹방?
먹방 is two syllables, written meokbang in RR. In speech the final ㄱ of 먹 makes the following ㅂ tense, so it sounds like [meok-ppang]. The ㄱ itself does not change. Learners who read it letter by letter say meok-bang and sound stiff. In 먹방을 the ng stays at the end of 방 and 을 follows it: meok-ppang-eul.
How Do You Use 먹방 in a Sentence?
저는 먹방을 자주 봐요.
I often watch mukbang.
jeoneun meokbangeul jaju bwayo. 저는 is the polite I as the topic, 자주 means often, and 봐요 is the polite watch. The marker 을 follows 먹방 because the word ends in a consonant.
그 유튜버는 먹방으로 유명해요.
That YouTuber is famous for mukbang.
geu yutyubeoneun meokbangeuro yumyeonghaeyo. 유명해요 means is famous, and 으로 here marks what the YouTuber is known for. 유튜버 is a loanword, and the sentence is a typical way to introduce a channel.
먹방을 보면 배고파져요.
Watching mukbang makes me hungry.
meokbangeul bomyeon baegopajyeoyo. 면 joins a condition to a result: when you watch it, you get hungry. 배고파져요 means become hungry, with the change marked by 져요.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 먹방을 보다 | watch mukbang |
| 먹방 유튜버 | mukbang YouTuber |
| 먹방 방송 | mukbang broadcast |
먹방을 보다 is the verb phrase for watching. 먹방 유튜버 names the host. 먹방 방송 says broadcast outright, and it is how a TV network might describe such a programme.
Cultural Note
Mukbang originated in Korea and has become an international term, used in English without translation.
Common Mistake
Wrong: Saying the word flat as meok-bang, with a plain b.
Correct: [meok-ppang], with a tense second syllable.
Spelling shows the base form only. The sound shift is what makes the word sound natural.
How Does 먹방 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 먹방 |
|---|---|---|
| 요리 | cooking | The act or art of cooking. 먹방 is about eating the food. |
| 쿡방 | cooking broadcast | A show where the host cooks, not eats. |
Choosing a Video over Lunch
Two coworkers are taking a lunch break. One notices a food video on the other’s phone. They use polite everyday endings even though the subject is internet entertainment.
Jisu
뭐 봐요?
Mwo bwayo?
What are you watching?
Alex
먹방을 보고 있어요.
Meokbangeul bogo isseoyo.
I’m watching mukbang.
Jisu
그 유튜버는 뭘 먹어요?
Geu yutyubeoneun mwol meogeoyo?
What does that YouTuber eat?
Alex
오늘은 치킨을 먹어요.
Oneureun chikineul meogeoyo.
Today they’re eating fried chicken.
보고 있어요 describes watching in progress. Compare it with 자주 봐요 in the earlier example, which describes a habit. 뭘 is the shortened form of 무엇을, “what” as an object. Neither speaker needs to translate 먹방 into a longer phrase once the video supplies the context.
Which Phrases Describe Watching and Making 먹방?
먹방을 찍다 means to film a mukbang. The verb 찍다 also means to take a photograph, but with a video genre as its object it means recording footage. A creator can film a 먹방 today and upload it later; the word does not promise a live broadcast.
먹방을 하다 means to do a mukbang, usually as the person eating on camera. 먹방을 보다 puts you on the viewer’s side. These verbs distinguish three activities: filming the content, performing in it, and watching it. Calling someone a 먹방 유튜버 identifies their channel’s focus rather than saying what they are doing at this moment.
치킨 먹방 means a chicken mukbang. A food name before 먹방 tells you what the host eats, so titles can name noodles, seafood or a particular dish without making a full sentence. The title alone does not tell you whether the video includes a recipe.
Where Will You See 먹방?
먹방 appears in video titles, search terms, thumbnails and entertainment captions. On a variety show, a caption may call a short scene of someone enjoying food a 먹방 even when eating is only one part of the programme. Large portions are associated with the genre, but portion size is not a requirement for every use of the word.
An enthusiastic diner may also be described jokingly as doing a 먹방. That playful use borrows the image of someone eating for an audience. At an ordinary restaurant, however, 먹방 is not a menu category or the usual word for your meal. Food, eating and food content are separate ideas.
The noun feels casual, but it can sit inside a polite sentence, as in the dialogue. A formal discussion of online entertainment can still name the genre 먹방; the surrounding wording sets the tone. You do not need a respectful replacement just because you are speaking to an older listener.
Words around a Mukbang Video
| Related word | Meaning | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| 영상 | video | Names the recorded content you open or share. |
| 방송 | broadcast / programme | The longer word behind the 방 in 먹방. |
| 생방송 | live broadcast | Specifies that a broadcast is happening live. |
| 시청자 | viewer | The person watching, rather than the host. |
For the wider language of online comments and entertainment, see internet slang vocabulary.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase puts you in the audience: 먹방을 보다 or 먹방을 하다?
- Must every 먹방 be broadcast live?
- What information does 치킨 add in 치킨 먹방?
Show answers
- 먹방을 보다 means to watch mukbang.
- No. It can be recorded; 생방송 specifically means a live broadcast.
- It identifies the food being eaten: chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 먹방 Formal?
No. It is informal and best with friends or in talk about online video.
How Is 먹방 Pronounced?
In RR it is meokbang. In speech it sounds like [meok-ppang].
What Is the Difference between 먹방 and 쿡방?
먹방 is about eating. 쿡방 is a cooking show.
How Do I Say I Watch Mukbang Often?
Say 저는 먹방을 자주 봐요.
Where to Go Next
This word belongs in the slang internet slang vocabulary list. Compare it with cooking in Korean and continue with great gain in Korean. To practise, try the vocabulary flashcard decks or return to Korean words A to Z.