[MANNAM] Table manner in Korea

[MANNAM] Table manner in Korea.

How many times we do eat meals in a day?

Do you usually miss your breakfast or lunch? It would be different among people, but usually people eat 3 times a day.
Then we have 21 meals in a week, and around 90 meals in a month!
WOW. It seems like a big number,
Then how about learning phrase that we can use when we eat meal? Then you can practice and use that phrase at least 3 times a day!

Then let’s learn the phrase that Korean people use when they eat meal.

잘 먹겠습니다. (jal-meok-get-seub-ni-da)

This is very common phrase that Korean uses before meal.
Then what does it mean?
If it is translated it literally, then it means “I will eat it well.”
잘(jal) refers to ‘well’
먹겠습니다 is future tense of ‘먹다(to eat, meok-da)’ in polite way.

잘 먹었습니다. (jal-aot-get-seub-ni-da)

This is the common phrase that we use after we finished meals
Doesn’t this spelling look similar to one above?
Actually the spelling is exactly same except the second third word.
Again, 잘(jal) refers to ‘well’
먹었습니다 means ‘had eaten’ in polite way.
It is also past tense while 먹겠습니다 is the future tense.
 
Now, when you eat meal with Koreans or when you visit Korean restaurant, you can practice these phrase 잘 먹었습니다 and 잘 먹겠습니다.
This is one of Korean table manner to say these phrases, in a way to show gratitude to one who cooked the food, and also for elders that you share the food with.
By saying these phrases, you would become a person who respects the one you are sharing meal with.
Also, don’t forget that you are allowed to eat any food after eldest eat start eating.
This is very important table manner in Korea.

In this way, you can understand Korean culture of respecting adults even in an occasion of eating meal.

If we learn each other’s culture one by one, this is a small step forward for better world; starting from table manner to understanding spirit of one’s culture.
Understand culture from small thing, than it will lead to the peaceful world that MANNAM always desire to make.