Conjugation Sheet: 먹다 / 마시다 (eat / drink) | Korean Grammar

먹다 ("eat") and 마시다 ("drink") share a table for two reasons. First, they are a minimal contrast in stem type: 먹- is a consonant stem (it inserts the 으 buffer and takes -습니다), while 마시- is an i-final vowel stem (no 으, and its -어 contracts to 셔). Second, and more surprising, they merge in the honorific: both plain verbs are replaced by the single suppletive 드시다 when the eater or drinker is respected. Learn them together and you see both how the plain grid diverges and where it collapses into one word.

The side-by-side sheet

The default column is 해요체.

Form	먹다 (eat)	마시다 (drink)
Present — 해요체	먹어요 meogeoyo	마셔요 masyeoyo
Present — 합니다체	먹습니다 meokseumnida	마십니다 masimnida
Past — 해요체	먹었어요 meogeosseoyo	마셨어요 masyeosseoyo
Future — (으)ㄹ 거예요	먹을 거예요 meogeul geoyeyo	마실 거예요 masil geoyeyo
Connective — so/then (아/어서)	먹어서 meogeoseo	마셔서 masyeoseo
Connective — if (으면)	먹으면 meogeumyeon	마시면 masimyeon
Connective — since ((으)니까)	먹으니까 meogeunikka	마시니까 masinikka
Negative — 안 (don't)	안 먹어요 an meogeoyo	안 마셔요 an masyeoyo
Negative — 못 (can't)	못 먹어요 mot meogeoyo	못 마셔요 mot masyeoyo
Progressive — 고 있다	먹고 있어요 meokgo isseoyo	마시고 있어요 masigo isseoyo
Attributive — present / past / prospective	먹는 · 먹은 · 먹을 meongneun · meogeun · meogeul	마시는 · 마신 · 마실 masineun · masin · masil
Honorific (shared)	드시다 → 드세요 · 드십니다 (drink & eat) · elder-facing 잡수시다 → 잡수세요 (eat only)

The two stems part ways in exactly the predictable places. 먹- ends in a consonant, so it slips in a 으 before -면/-니까 (먹으면, 먹으니까) and takes -습니다 for the formal present. 마시- ends in the vowel ㅣ, so it never buffers, and its -어 endings undergo the i-glide contraction ㅣ + ㅓ → ㅕ: 마시 + 어요 → 마셔요, 마시 + 었어요 → 마셨어요, 마시 + 어서 → 마셔서. (For that contraction across all i-final stems, see the ㅣ-glide contraction.)

저는 매운 음식을 잘 먹어요.

jeoneun maeun eumsigeul jal meogeoyo

I handle spicy food well. (먹어요)

아침에는 보통 커피를 마셔요.

achimeneun botong keopireul masyeoyo

I usually drink coffee in the morning. (마시 + 어 → 마셔요)

어제 친구랑 삼겹살을 먹었어요.

eoje chingurang samgyeopsareul meogeosseoyo

I ate pork belly with a friend yesterday. (past 먹었어요)

저는 술은 별로 안 마셔요.

jeoneun sureun byeollo an masyeoyo

I don't really drink. (안 마셔요)

지금 점심 먹고 있어요.

jigeum jeomsim meokgo isseoyo

I'm having lunch right now. (progressive 먹고 있어요)

One honorific for both: 드시다

Here is the payoff of putting them side by side. Neither verb honorifies by simply adding -(으)시- — you would never say ×먹으세요 or ×마시세요 to someone you respect. Instead both are replaced by the suppletive 드시다 ("to partake"), which politely covers eating and drinking at once, plus "taking" medicine. So coffee, water, soup, rice, and pills are all offered with 드세요. For a very senior person's eating, 먹다 has a further-elevated suppletive, 잡수시다 → 잡수세요. Neither verb has a special humble form — you lower yourself in these situations by other means, not by a humble "eat." (See 드시다 / 잡수시다.)

할아버지, 천천히 드세요.

harabeoji, cheoncheonhi deuseyo

Grandpa, take your time eating. (honorific 드세요 — covers eating)

손님, 이 차 좀 드셔 보세요.

sonnim, i cha jom deusyeo boseyo

Sir/Madam, please try this tea. (honorific 드시다 — covers drinking)

할아버지께서는 아직 진지를 안 잡수셨어요.

harabeojikkeseoneun ajik jinjireul an japsusyeosseoyo

Grandfather hasn't eaten his meal yet. (elevated 잡수셨어요 = 잡수시 + 었)

💡

Whenever a respected person eats or drinks, reach for 드시다 → 드세요 — one word does both jobs. Save 잡수시다 → 잡수세요 for the eating of the genuinely senior (grandparents, elderly guests). ×먹으세요 and ×마시세요 sound blunt; native speakers avoid them.

먹다 reaches far past English "eat"

Do not let the gloss "eat" box in 먹다. It is one of Korean's great collocation verbs, taking on a cluster of idiomatic meanings English would never assign to "eat." Knowing these is half of sounding natural:

약을 먹다 — "take medicine" (Korean "eats" pills)
나이를 먹다 — "grow older, age"
마음을 먹다 — "make up one's mind, resolve"
겁을 먹다 — "get scared, take fright"

감기약을 먹고 푹 쉬었어요.

gamgiyageul meokgo puk swieosseoyo

I took cold medicine and rested well. (약을 먹다)

올해는 담배를 끊기로 마음을 먹었어요.

olhaeneun dambaereul kkeunkiro maeumeul meogeosseoyo

This year I made up my mind to quit smoking. (마음을 먹다)

저도 이제 나이를 먹었나 봐요.

jeodo ije naireul meogeonna bwayo

I guess I'm getting old now. (나이를 먹다)

Common Mistakes

1. Leaving 마시다 uncontracted (×마시어요). The i-final stem must contract: 마시 + 어요 → 마셔요.

❌ 저는 물을 많이 마시어요.

Wrong — ㅣ + 어 contracts: it's 마셔요.

✅ 저는 물을 많이 마셔요.

jeoneun mureul mani masyeoyo

I drink a lot of water.

2. Dropping the 으 buffer on 먹다 (×먹면). A consonant stem needs 으 before -면/-니까: 먹으면.

❌ 아침을 먹면 기분이 좋아요.

Wrong — 먹- is a consonant stem: 먹으면.

✅ 아침을 먹으면 기분이 좋아요.

achimeul meogeumyeon gibuni joayo

I feel good if I eat breakfast.

3. Using 먹으세요 to an elder. 먹다 is too blunt to honorify with -시-; use the suppletive 드세요.

❌ 할머니, 많이 먹으세요.

Blunt for an elder — use the suppletive honorific: 많이 드세요.

✅ 할머니, 많이 드세요.

halmeoni, mani deuseyo

Grandma, please help yourself.

4. Honorifying 마시다 as ×마시세요. A superior's drinking also folds into 드시다 → 드세요.

❌ 사장님, 커피 마시세요.

Wrong — drinking is honored by 드시다 too: 커피 드세요.

✅ 사장님, 커피 드세요.

sajangnim, keopi deuseyo

Have some coffee, sir. (honorific 드시다 covers drinking)

Key Takeaways

먹다 is a consonant stem: 으 buffer (먹으면, 먹으니까), formal -습니다 (먹습니다), present 먹어요.
마시다 is an i-final vowel stem: no 으, and -어 contracts (마시 + 어요 → 마셔요, 마셨어요, 마셔서).
One shared honorific: both climb to 드시다 → 드세요 (drink and eat); 먹다 has the elder-facing 잡수시다 → 잡수세요. Neither takes a humble form.
×먹으세요 / ×마시세요 are avoided — the suppletive 드세요 is the natural honorific.
먹다 is idiom-rich: 약을 먹다 (take medicine), 나이를 먹다 (age), 마음을 먹다 (resolve), 겁을 먹다 (get scared).

Now practice Korean

Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.

Start learning Korean→