밥 먹었어요? — Did you eat?
Koreans don't say 'How are you?' — they ask if you've eaten. Here's why this one question says everything about Korean culture.
You bump into a coworker in the hallway at 2pm.
Instead of "How's it going?" she asks:
"밥 먹었어요?"
She's not checking your nutrition. In Korea, asking if someone has eaten is one of the most natural ways to show you care about them. It's warmth, wrapped in a simple question.
The words
Hear it in action
Hallway check-in
Office corridor, just past lunchtime
Cultural note
This question is so embedded in Korean daily life that it crosses all kinds of relationships — between friends, colleagues, family members, even strangers who see you looking tired.
If someone asks and you say you haven't eaten, there's a decent chance they'll offer to feed you. It's not just small talk. It's an opening.