Skip to content
Library
Games
Courses
Word of the Day
Conjugation
Chat
Printables
ConlangHub
Blog.txt
맛있다 vs 맛깔스럽다.doc

맛있다 vs 맛깔스럽다

Korean word comparison


Listen to 맛있다
Listen to 맛깔스럽다
맛있다맛깔스럽다
/mat-ISS-da/
adjective (descriptive verb)
/mat-kkal-seu-reop-da/
adjective (descriptive verb)
to be tasty; to be deliciousto be appetizing or richly flavored; to look and taste appealing

How they differ

맛깔스럽다 emphasizes that food is appetizing or skillfully seasoned and often highlights appearance or rich, distinctive flavor, rather than just stating it is tasty. It carries a descriptive, somewhat evaluative nuance that praises the food's appealing qualities.

When to use each

When to use 맛있다: Use 맛있다 for a straightforward judgment that a dish is tasty without additional descriptive nuance.

When to use 맛깔스럽다: Use 맛깔스럽다 when complimenting the appearance, seasoning, or flavorful complexity of a dish, or in reviews and descriptive speech.

Side-by-side examples

  1. 이 집 비빔밥은 정말 맛있다.
    (The bibimbap at this place is really delicious.)
  2. 이 집 비빔밥은 맛깔스럽다.
    (The bibimbap at this place is very appetizing / richly flavored.)
Register & nuance: 맛깔스럽다 is somewhat more descriptive and can appear in reviews or compliments; it's slightly more literary or expressive than the plain 맛있다.

More 맛있다 comparisons