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맛없어요 (ma-deop-seo-yo) is a common Korean phrase that means “It’s not tasty,” “It’s not delicious,” or “It tastes awful.”
The word is composed of 맛 (mat), meaning “taste” or “flavor,” and 없어요 (eop-seo-yo), meaning “there is none” or “it doesn’t exist.” So, the literal translation is “There is no taste.”
Breakdown:
맛 (mat) = taste, flavor
없어요 (eop-seo-yo) = there is none, it doesn’t exist
맛없어요 is used to politely express that something doesn’t taste good, whether it’s food or drink. It’s polite but still casual enough for everyday situations.
Usage Examples:
이거 맛없어요.
This tastes bad.
김치 맛없어요.
The kimchi isn’t tasty.
이 아이스크림 맛없어요.
This ice cream tastes bad.
The opposite phrase for 맛없어요 is 맛있어요 (ma-si-sseo-yo), which means “It’s tasty” or “It’s delicious.”
