Your goal
Do not use one Korean word for both meanings of English “hot.” Use 매워요 for spicy taste and 뜨거워요 for high temperature.
Before you start
- 맛
- taste
- 상태
- condition; how something is now
- 맵다
- to be spicy
- 뜨겁다
- to be hot in temperature
- 차갑다
- to be cold to the touch or taste
- 국
- soup
- 커피
- coffee
Use 이/가 after the item: 국이, 커피가. Reuse 안 or -지 않아요 for a negative statement.
Explore the situation
라면
- Taste
- Spicy
- Temperature
- Hot temperature
국
- Taste
- Not spicy
- Temperature
- Hot temperature
물
- Taste
- Not specified
- Temperature
- Cold temperature
커피
- Taste
- Not specified
- Temperature
- Hot temperature
Use the stated taste and temperature beside the diagram. Color or visible steam alone does not tell you every food’s taste.
Learn the expressions
| Dictionary form | Describe it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 맵다 | 매워요. | spicy taste |
| 뜨겁다 | 뜨거워요. | hot temperature |
| 차갑다 | 차가워요. | cold temperature |
These three words use 매워요, 뜨거워요 and 차가워요, not 맵어요, 뜨겁어요 or 차갑어요. Do not assume every word ending in ㅂ behaves alike; learn these three forms first.
| Description | Question / negative |
|---|---|
| 매워요. | 매워요? / 안 매워요. / 맵지 않아요. |
| 뜨거워요. | 뜨거워요? / 안 뜨거워요. |
| 차가워요. | 차가워요? / 차갑지 않아요. |
Read the conversation
Ask about spiciness
라면이 매워요?
Show meaning
Is the ramyeon spicy?
네. 매워요.
Show meaning
Yes, it is spicy.
Check temperature
국이 차가워요?
Show meaning
Is the soup cold?
아니요. 뜨거워요.
Show meaning
No, it is hot.
Build a sentence
Change taste and temperature separately, then compare the Korean sentences.
Describe taste and temperature separately
국
- Taste
- Spicy
- Temperature
- Hot temperature
국이 매워요. 국이 뜨거워요.
Describe taste and temperature separately
국
- Taste
- Spicy
- Temperature
- Cold temperature
국이 매워요. 국이 차가워요.
Describe taste and temperature separately
국
- Taste
- Not spicy
- Temperature
- Hot temperature
국이 맵지 않아요. 국이 뜨거워요.
Describe taste and temperature separately
국
- Taste
- Not spicy
- Temperature
- Cold temperature
국이 맵지 않아요. 국이 차가워요.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Describe the soup’s hot temperature.
Sentence pieces
- 뜨거워요.
- 국
- 이
2. Build the sentence saying the water is cold.
Sentence pieces
- 차가워요.
- 물
- 이
Practice
Check the situation and the requested information before answering.
1. Choose the practiced polite form of 맵다.
- 매워요.
- 맵어요.
- 맵다예요.
2. Choose the practiced polite form of 뜨겁다.
- 뜨겁어요.
- 뜨거요.
- 뜨거워요.
3. Choose the practiced polite form of 차갑다.
- 차가요.
- 차가워요.
- 차갑어요.
4. This is a spicy taste, not a high temperature. Which word fits?
- 매워요.
- 뜨거워요.
- 차가워요.
Try a new situation
Use only the new state card. The same food may have a different stated temperature or taste from the model.
Tasks
Try the tasks first, then compare with the answers and examples in step 10.
1. Describe only the soup’s taste.
국
- Taste
- Spicy
- Temperature
- Cold temperature
Show a hint
Use 매워요 for spicy taste, 뜨거워요 for hot temperature and 차가워요 for cold.
2. Describe the coffee’s temperature.
커피
- Taste
- Not specified
- Temperature
- Cold temperature
Show a hint
Use 매워요 for spicy taste, 뜨거워요 for hot temperature and 차가워요 for cold.
3. Describe only the ramyeon’s temperature.
라면
- Taste
- Not spicy
- Temperature
- Hot temperature
Show a hint
Use 매워요 for spicy taste, 뜨거워요 for hot temperature and 차가워요 for cold.
4. Use -지 않아요 to say the soup is not spicy.
국
- Taste
- Not spicy
- Temperature
- Hot temperature
Show a hint
Use 매워요 for spicy taste, 뜨거워요 for hot temperature and 차가워요 for cold.
5. Ask whether the ramyeon is spicy.
Show a hint
Use 매워요 for spicy taste, 뜨거워요 for hot temperature and 차가워요 for cold.
Check your learning
Answer using the new details, not the earlier model.
1. Soup: high temperature, not spicy. Describe only the temperature.
- 국이 매워요.
- 국이 차가워요.
- 국이 뜨거워요.
2. Water: low temperature. Which sentence matches?
- 물이 매워요.
- 물이 차가워요.
- 물이 뜨거워요.
3. Which short negative means “not spicy”?
- 안 매워요.
- 매워요 안.
- 안 맵어요.
4. Which question asks about the ramyeon’s unconfirmed spiciness?
- 라면이 뜨거워요?
- 라면이 얼마예요?
- 라면이 매워요?
5. Choose the long negative saying the soup is not spicy.
- 국이 안 뜨거워요.
- 국이 맵지 않아요.
- 국이 매워요지 않아요.
6. Coffee is hot. Answer 커피가 차가워요?
- 아니요. 뜨거워요.
- 네. 차가워요.
- 네. 매워요.
Reflect on your reading
Tick only what you actually checked. Feedback from another person is optional and is not required to finish the lesson.
Answers and explanations
Show answers and explanations
Practice questions
1. Choose the practiced polite form of 맵다.
Answer: 매워요.
The practiced form is 매워요.
- 맵어요. — This word does not keep ㅂ before 어요.
- 맵다예요. — Check the practiced 워요 form.
2. Choose the practiced polite form of 뜨겁다.
Answer: 뜨거워요.
The practiced form is 뜨거워요.
- 뜨겁어요. — This word does not keep ㅂ before 어요.
- 뜨거요. — Check the practiced 워요 form.
3. Choose the practiced polite form of 차갑다.
Answer: 차가워요.
The practiced form is 차가워요.
- 차가요. — Check the practiced 워요 form.
- 차갑어요. — This word does not keep ㅂ before 어요.
4. This is a spicy taste, not a high temperature. Which word fits?
Answer: 매워요.
매워요 describes spicy taste.
- 뜨거워요. — 뜨거워요 means hot temperature.
- 차가워요. — 차가워요 means cold temperature.
Learning check
1. Soup: high temperature, not spicy. Describe only the temperature.
Answer: 국이 뜨거워요.
This states its hot temperature.
- 국이 매워요. — This conflicts with not spicy.
- 국이 차가워요. — This is opposite to the stated temperature.
2. Water: low temperature. Which sentence matches?
Answer: 물이 차가워요.
This states cold water.
- 물이 매워요. — The information is temperature, not spiciness.
- 물이 뜨거워요. — This contradicts the low temperature.
3. Which short negative means “not spicy”?
Answer: 안 매워요.
Place 안 before 매워요.
- 매워요 안. — 안 is placed incorrectly.
- 안 맵어요. — The base polite form is 매워요, giving 안 매워요.
4. Which question asks about the ramyeon’s unconfirmed spiciness?
Answer: 라면이 매워요?
This asks about spiciness.
- 라면이 뜨거워요? — This asks temperature.
- 라면이 얼마예요? — This asks price.
5. Choose the long negative saying the soup is not spicy.
Answer: 국이 맵지 않아요.
Add 지 않아요 to 맵-.
- 국이 안 뜨거워요. — This negates temperature, not spicy taste.
- 국이 매워요지 않아요. — Do not add 지 to the completed 매워요 form.
6. Coffee is hot. Answer 커피가 차가워요?
Answer: 아니요. 뜨거워요.
Reject cold and state the actual hot temperature.
- 네. 차가워요. — This is opposite to the stated temperature.
- 네. 매워요. — Spiciness does not answer this temperature check.
Example answers
Written responses are examples. Other wording can also meet the same conditions.
1. Describe only the soup’s taste.
국이 매워요.
The stated card matches: 국이 매워요.
2. Describe the coffee’s temperature.
커피가 차가워요.
The stated card matches: 커피가 차가워요.
3. Describe only the ramyeon’s temperature.
라면이 뜨거워요.
The stated card matches: 라면이 뜨거워요.
4. Use -지 않아요 to say the soup is not spicy.
국이 맵지 않아요.
The stated card matches: 국이 맵지 않아요.
5. Ask whether the ramyeon is spicy.
라면이 매워요?
라면은 매워요?
라면 매워요?
Ask 매워요? about an unconfirmed taste.
Sentence-piece practice
1. Describe the soup’s hot temperature.
국이 뜨거워요.
Use 매워요 for spicy taste, 뜨거워요 for hot temperature and 차가워요 for cold.
2. Build the sentence saying the water is cold.
물이 차가워요.
Use 매워요 for spicy taste, 뜨거워요 for hot temperature and 차가워요 for cold.
Review and continue
Come back to these
Try without the model
Hide the model, change a food, quantity or condition, and make a sentence.
Reuse a difficult expression
Use an expression from your review in a new situation.
Review what felt difficult
Review expressions and examplesCheck the mismatch and retry with a different item or quantity. →Reading and written results are separate from your speaking self-record.