🌢️

Tastes: Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Bitter

Keywords
달닀 / μ§œλ‹€ / 맡닀
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Basic Vocabulary
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TL;DR: Today's words are five basic tastes (였미, the "five flavors") β€” 달닀 (sweet), μ§œλ‹€ (salty), 맡닀 (spicy), μ“°λ‹€ (bitter), and μ‹œλ‹€ (sour). These are the words you'll reach for at every meal, market, and cafΓ© in Korea.
πŸ¦‹
Iru Helper Note: Tastes are everywhere in Korean food culture β€” and once you can describe them, you're ready to order with confidence. The next lesson, <mention-page url="https://app.notion.com/p/344be37590c08169-b1f0-f803f17bf2c8">, takes you straight into the cafΓ©, where 달닀 and μ“°λ‹€ come up constantly (sweet syrups vs. bitter espresso!). Quick example using all five: 이 κΉ€μΉ˜μ°Œκ°œλŠ” 짜고 맀운데, μ‹ κΉ€μΉ˜ 덕뢄에 살짝 μ‹œκ³ , 단맛도 쑰금 μžˆμ–΄μ„œ 쓴맛이 거의 μ•ˆ λŠκ»΄μ Έμš”. (This kimchi stew is salty and spicy, with a slight sourness from the aged kimchi and a touch of sweetness, so you barely notice any bitterness.)

🎯 Big Picture

These five words β€” 달닀, μ§œλ‹€, 맡닀, μ“°λ‹€, μ‹œλ‹€ β€” cover the basic vocabulary of taste (맛) in Korean, similar to how English speakers talk about sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, and sour. They're essential for describing food, giving feedback at a restaurant, reading recipes, and even talking about medicine. Bonus: this lesson is a grammar goldmine β€” each of these five words follows a different conjugation pattern, so mastering them means you've reviewed almost every irregular pattern so far!

πŸ“– Core Vocabulary Family

1. 달닀 (Sweet)

달닀 describes something sweet β€” desserts, drinks, fruit.
  • 이 μΌ€μ΄ν¬λŠ” 정말 λ‹¬μ•„μš”. (This cake is really sweet.)
  • ν•œκ΅­ μŒλ£ŒλŠ” λŒ€λΆ€λΆ„ λ‹¬μ•„μš”. (Korean drinks are mostly sweet.)
Grammar note: 달닀 is a regular adjective: stem 달- + μ•„μš” = λ‹¬μ•„μš”.

2. μ§œλ‹€ (Salty)

μ§œλ‹€ describes something salty β€” soups, side dishes, sauces.
  • 이 ꡭ은 λ„ˆλ¬΄ μ§œμš”. (This soup is too salty.)
  • κΉ€μΉ˜λŠ” μ§  μŒμ‹μ΄μ—μš”. (Kimchi is a salty food.)
Grammar note: μ§œλ‹€ ends in ㅏ, so the stem absorbs -μ•„μš” directly: 짜 + μ•„μš” β†’ μ§œμš” (not μ§œμ•„μš”), the same contraction as κ°€λ‹€ β†’ κ°€μš”.

3. 맡닀 (Spicy)

맡닀 describes something spicy β€” a Korean food classic.
  • 이 λ–‘λ³Άμ΄λŠ” 정말 λ§€μ›Œμš”. (This tteokbokki is really spicy.)
  • 맀운 μŒμ‹μ„ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”? (Do you like spicy food?)
Grammar note: 맡닀 is γ…‚-irregular: drop γ…‚ and add -μ›Œμš” β†’ λ§€μ›Œμš”, the same pattern as 무겁닀 β†’ λ¬΄κ±°μ›Œμš”.

4. μ“°λ‹€ (Bitter)

μ“°λ‹€ describes something bitter β€” black coffee, medicine, dark chocolate.
  • 이 약은 λ„ˆλ¬΄ μ¨μš”. (This medicine is too bitter.)
  • μ»€ν”ΌλŠ” μ›λž˜ μ“΄ λ§›μ΄μ—μš”. (Coffee is naturally bitter.)
Grammar note: μ“°λ‹€ is γ…‘-irregular: drop γ…‘ and add -μ–΄μš” β†’ μ¨μš”, the same family as 크닀 β†’ μ»€μš”. Heads up: μ“°λ‹€ is also a busy homonym meaning "to write," "to use," and "to wear (glasses/a hat)" β€” context tells you which meaning is active.

5. μ‹œλ‹€ (Sour)

μ‹œλ‹€ describes something sour β€” citrus, vinegar, unripe fruit.
  • 레λͺ¬μ€ λ„ˆλ¬΄ μ…”μš”. (Lemons are too sour.)
  • μ‹  μŒμ‹μ„ 먹으면 침이 λ‚˜μ™€μš”. (When you eat sour food, your mouth waters.)
Grammar note: μ‹œλ‹€ + μ–΄μš” contracts via γ…£ + μ–΄ β†’ μ—¬, giving μ…”μš” β€” the same pattern as λ§ˆμ‹œλ‹€ β†’ λ§ˆμ…”μš”.

πŸ—£οΈ How They Work in a Sentence

  1. 이 κΉ€μΉ˜λŠ” 짜고 맀운데, 쑰금 달고 μ‹  맛도 μžˆμ–΄μš”. (This kimchi is salty and spicy, but it also has a bit of sweet and sour taste.)
  1. ν•œμ•½μ€ 보톡 μ¨μ„œ λ¨ΉκΈ° νž˜λ“€μ–΄μš”. (Herbal medicine is usually so bitter that it's hard to take.)
  1. 단맛, 짠맛, 신맛, 쓴맛, λ§€μš΄λ§› β€” 이 λ‹€μ„― 가지가 κΈ°λ³Έ λ§›μ΄μ—μš”. (Sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and spiciness β€” these five are the basic tastes.)

🧱 General Formation Rule

  • 달닀 (regular): 달- + μ•„μš” β†’ λ‹¬μ•„μš”.
  • μ§œλ‹€ (ㅏ-ending, absorbs μ•„μš”): 짜 + μ•„μš” β†’ μ§œμš”.
  • 맡닀 (γ…‚-irregular): 맡- β†’ λ§€μ›Œμš”.
  • μ“°λ‹€ (γ…‘-irregular): μ“°- β†’ μ¨μš”.
  • μ‹œλ‹€ (γ…£+μ–΄β†’μ—¬ contraction): μ‹œ- β†’ μ…”μš”.
  • Taste as a noun (adjective stem + -γ„΄/은 + 맛): 단맛 (sweetness), 짠맛 (saltiness), λ§€μš΄λ§› (spiciness, from 맡닀 β†’ 맀운), 쓴맛 (bitterness), 신맛 (sourness).
πŸ”Ž
Cross-check: Search 달닀, μ§œλ‹€, 맡닀, μ“°λ‹€, and μ‹œλ‹€ on the ꡭ립ꡭ어원 ν‘œμ€€κ΅­μ–΄λŒ€μ‚¬μ „ (National Institute of Korean Language's Standard Korean Dictionary) for official definitions and usage examples.

πŸ” Synonym Alert

  1. 맡닀 vs. μ–Όν°ν•˜λ‹€ β€” 맡닀 is spicy in general, while μ–Όν°ν•˜λ‹€ describes a warm, hearty, savory spiciness β€” think spicy soup that warms you up, not just chili-level heat.
  1. 달닀 vs. λ‹¬μ½€ν•˜λ‹€ β€” 달닀 is plain "sweet," while λ‹¬μ½€ν•˜λ‹€ adds a pleasant, delightful nuance β€” like "sweet and lovely" rather than just "sugary."

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  1. μ“°λ‹€ has multiple meanings β€” "bitter" (taste), "to write," "to use," and "to wear (glasses/hat)." Context tells you which one is meant.
  1. 맡닀 β†’ λ§€μ›Œμš”, NOT λ§΅μ–΄μš” (it's γ…‚-irregular).
  1. μ§œλ‹€ β†’ μ§œμš”, NOT μ§œμ•„μš” (the ㅏ absorbs μ•„μš”).
  1. The attributive ("descriptive") forms aren't always a simple -γ„΄: 맡닀 β†’ 맀운 (not 맡은), while μ§œλ‹€ β†’ μ§ , 달닀 β†’ 단, μ“°λ‹€ β†’ μ“΄, μ‹œλ‹€ β†’ μ‹ .
  1. Don't confuse μ‹œλ‹€ (sour) with 식닀 (for food to go cold) β€” similar-looking, very different meanings!
이제 달닀, μ§œλ‹€, 맡닀, μ“°λ‹€, μ‹œλ‹€λ‘œ μŒμ‹μ˜ 맛을 자유둭게 ν‘œν˜„ν•΄ λ³΄μ„Έμš”! πŸ¬πŸ§‚πŸŒΆοΈβ˜•πŸ‹
Try this exercise
  1. 이 μΌ€μ΄ν¬λŠ” 정말 ___. (sweet, ν˜„μž¬)
  1. 이 ꡭ은 λ„ˆλ¬΄ ___. (salty, ν˜„μž¬)
  1. 이 λ–‘λ³Άμ΄λŠ” 정말 ___. (spicy, ν˜„μž¬)
  1. 이 약은 λ„ˆλ¬΄ ___. (bitter, ν˜„μž¬)
  1. 레λͺ¬μ€ λ„ˆλ¬΄ ___. (sour, ν˜„μž¬)
  1. 맀운 μŒμ‹μ„ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”? β€” λ„€, ___ μŒμ‹μ„ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”. (spicy, μˆ˜μ‹ν˜•)
  1. μ»€ν”ΌλŠ” μ›λž˜ ___ λ§›μ΄μ—μš”. (bitter, μˆ˜μ‹ν˜•)
  1. κΉ€μΉ˜λŠ” ___ μŒμ‹μ΄μ—μš”. (salty, μˆ˜μ‹ν˜•)
  1. μ‹  μŒμ‹μ„ 먹으면 침이 λ‚˜μ™€μš” = ___ μŒμ‹μ„ 먹으면... (sour, μˆ˜μ‹ν˜•)
  1. 단맛, 짠맛, 신맛, 쓴맛, ___ β€” 이 λ‹€μ„― 가지가 κΈ°λ³Έ λ§›μ΄μ—μš”. (spiciness)
Answer Key
  1. λ‹¬μ•„μš”
  1. μ§œμš”
  1. λ§€μ›Œμš”
  1. μ¨μš”
  1. μ…”μš”
  1. 맀운
  1. μ“΄
  1. μ§ 
  1. μ‹ 
  1. λ§€μš΄λ§›
πŸ“¦
Vocabulary Box: 달닀 (sweet) Β· μ§œλ‹€ (salty) Β· 맡닀 (spicy) Β· μ“°λ‹€ (bitter) Β· μ‹œλ‹€ (sour)
⚠️
Pitfalls Recap: μ“°λ‹€ = bitter/write/use/wear (context!) Β· 맡닀 β†’ λ§€μ›Œμš” Β· μ§œλ‹€ β†’ μ§œμš” Β· 맡닀 β†’ 맀운 (attributive) Β· μ‹œλ‹€ β‰  식닀.
πŸ”
Want more reps? Head down to the Practice Hub below for 10 more taste words and 5 extra exercises!
Β 
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Practice Hub β€” Tastes Bonus Round! Here are 10 more flavor words: μ§­μ§€ν•˜λ‹€ (savory/salty-ish), μƒˆμ½€ν•˜λ‹€ (tangy/sour-ish), λŠλΌν•˜λ‹€ (greasy/rich), κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€ (nutty/savory), λ‹΄λ°±ν•˜λ‹€ (plain/light), μ§„ν•˜λ‹€ (rich/strong), 싱겁닀 (bland), μ–Όν°ν•˜λ‹€ (spicy-hot and savory), λ‹¬μ½€ν•˜λ‹€ (sweet and delightful), and 맛없닀 (to taste bad/be tasteless). Try the 5 exercises below!

Exercise 1 β€” Word Recall: Korean β†’ English πŸ‡°πŸ‡·βž‘οΈπŸ‡¬πŸ‡§

  1. μ§­μ§€ν•˜λ‹€
  1. μƒˆμ½€ν•˜λ‹€
  1. λŠλΌν•˜λ‹€
  1. κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€
  1. λ‹΄λ°±ν•˜λ‹€
  1. μ§„ν•˜λ‹€
  1. 싱겁닀
  1. μ–Όν°ν•˜λ‹€
  1. λ‹¬μ½€ν•˜λ‹€
  1. 맛없닀
Answer Key
  1. savory / pleasantly salty
  1. tangy / sour-ish
  1. greasy / rich (often negative)
  1. nutty / savory (often positive)
  1. plain / light
  1. rich / strong (flavor)
  1. bland
  1. spicy-hot and savory (like a hearty soup)
  1. sweet and delightful
  1. tastes bad / tasteless

Exercise 2 β€” Word Recall: English β†’ Korean πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§βž‘οΈπŸ‡°πŸ‡·

  1. savory / pleasantly salty
  1. tangy / sour-ish
  1. greasy / rich
  1. nutty / savory
  1. plain / light
  1. rich / strong (flavor)
  1. bland
  1. spicy-hot and savory
  1. sweet and delightful
  1. tastes bad / tasteless
Answer Key
  1. μ§­μ§€ν•˜λ‹€
  1. μƒˆμ½€ν•˜λ‹€
  1. λŠλΌν•˜λ‹€
  1. κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€
  1. λ‹΄λ°±ν•˜λ‹€
  1. μ§„ν•˜λ‹€
  1. 싱겁닀
  1. μ–Όν°ν•˜λ‹€
  1. λ‹¬μ½€ν•˜λ‹€
  1. 맛없닀

Exercise 3 β€” Conjugation Practice ✍️

  1. μ§­μ§€ν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. μƒˆμ½€ν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. λŠλΌν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. 싱겁닀 β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. μ§„ν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
Answer Key
  1. μ§­μ§€ν•΄μš”
  1. μƒˆμ½€ν•΄μš”
  1. λŠλΌν•΄μš”
  1. κ³ μ†Œν•΄μš”
  1. μ‹±κ±°μ›Œμš” (γ…‚-irregular: γ…‚ drops, μ›Œ added)
  1. μ§„ν•΄μš”
πŸ“š
Quick Reference: Most flavor words ending in -ν•˜λ‹€ (μ§­μ§€ν•˜λ‹€, μƒˆμ½€ν•˜λ‹€, λŠλΌν•˜λ‹€, κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€, λ‹΄λ°±ν•˜λ‹€, μ§„ν•˜λ‹€, μ–Όν°ν•˜λ‹€, λ‹¬μ½€ν•˜λ‹€) just swap λ‹€ β†’ ν•΄μš”. 싱겁닀 is γ…‚-irregular, just like 맡닀 β†’ λ§€μ›Œμš”.

Exercise 4 β€” Sentence Translation: English β†’ Korean 🌍

  1. This kimchi tastes savory and good.
  1. The sauce is a bit tangy.
  1. This pizza is too greasy.
  1. Sesame oil has a nutty taste.
  1. I like plain, light food.
  1. The coffee here is rich and strong.
  1. This soup is too bland.
  1. This spicy soup is really hearty.
  1. This dessert is sweet and delightful.
  1. Honestly, this food tastes bad.
Answer Key
  1. 이 κΉ€μΉ˜λŠ” μ§­μ§€ν•˜κ³  λ§›μžˆμ–΄μš”.
  1. μ†ŒμŠ€κ°€ μ’€ μƒˆμ½€ν•΄μš”.
  1. 이 ν”ΌμžλŠ” λ„ˆλ¬΄ λŠλΌν•΄μš”.
  1. 참기름은 κ³ μ†Œν•œ 맛이 λ‚˜μš”.
  1. μ €λŠ” λ‹΄λ°±ν•œ μŒμ‹μ„ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”.
  1. μ—¬κΈ° μ»€ν”ΌλŠ” μ§„ν•΄μš”.
  1. 이 ꡭ은 λ„ˆλ¬΄ μ‹±κ±°μ›Œμš”.
  1. 이 μ–Όν°ν•œ ꡭ은 정말 λ§›μžˆμ–΄μš”.
  1. 이 λ””μ €νŠΈλŠ” λ‹¬μ½€ν•΄μš”.
  1. μ†”μ§νžˆ 이 μŒμ‹μ€ λ§›μ—†μ–΄μš”.

Exercise 5 β€” Opposite Pairs ↔️

  1. μ§œλ‹€ ↔ ?
  1. 달닀 ↔ ?
  1. μ§„ν•˜λ‹€ ↔ ?
  1. λ§›μžˆλ‹€ ↔ ?
  1. κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€ ↔ ?
Answer Key
  1. μ§œλ‹€ ↔ 싱겁닀 (salty ↔ bland)
  1. 달닀 ↔ μ“°λ‹€ (sweet ↔ bitter)
  1. μ§„ν•˜λ‹€ ↔ λ‹΄λ°±ν•˜λ‹€ (rich/strong ↔ plain/light)
  1. λ§›μžˆλ‹€ ↔ 맛없닀 (delicious ↔ tastes bad)
  1. κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€ ↔ λŠλΌν•˜λ‹€ (pleasantly nutty ↔ unpleasantly greasy)
달닀, μ§œλ‹€, 맡닀, μ“°λ‹€, μ‹œλ‹€λΆ€ν„° μ§­μ§€ν•˜λ‹€, κ³ μ†Œν•˜λ‹€, μ§„ν•˜λ‹€κΉŒμ§€ β€” 이제 μ–΄λ–€ μŒμ‹μ˜ 맛도 자유둭게 μ„€λͺ…ν•  수 μžˆμ–΄μš”! πŸ¬πŸ§‚πŸŒΆοΈβ˜•πŸ‹