Suh ChangWhoon
Written by 서 창훈, a certified Korean teacher with 14+ years of experience in Japan. He previously worked as a government officer, cybersecurity consultant, and English interpreter. Today, he teaches Korean in real classrooms without complex grammar explanations — instead, he trains students’ brains to speak naturally. His unique method is now the foundation of all his Korean courses.
Table of Contents
Want to learn how to say drink in Korean? The most common verb is 마시다 – but how do you actually use it in real sentences?
In this guide, I’ll show you 3 everyday ways to use 마시다 naturally, explain the grammar behind it, and give you simple sentence breakdowns. Whether you’re ordering drinks at a cafe or telling someone to drink water, you’ll know exactly what to say.
Let’s get started!
Today's Goal
- Learn the meaning of 마시다
- Understand how to conjugate to drink in Korean
- Practice with real examples (formal, casual, commands)
- Learn related phrases like “drink water” and “drink up”
1. 마셔요 – I drink (polite form)
✅ Example
Original Korean Sentence
저는 커피를 마셔요.
Pronunciation Guide
저는 (jeo-neun) 커피를 (keo-pi-reul) 마셔요 (ma-syeo-yo).
Meaning and Context
저 (I; in a humble way) 는 (topic marker; I’m going to talk about me) 커피 (coffee) 를 (object marker; my object is coffee) 마시 (to drink) 어요 (polite ending; I’m telling you polite and friendly).
English Translation
I drink coffee.
✅ You can say:
물을 마셔요. – I drink water.
차를 마셔요. – I drink tea.
This is a great way to express your daily habits or routines.
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2. 마셨어요 – I drank (past tense)
✅ Example
Original Korean Sentence
아침에 우유를 마셨어요.
Pronunciation Guide
아치메 (a-chi-me) 우유를 (u-yu-reul) 마셧써요 (ma-syeot-sseo-yo).
Meaning and Context
아침 (morning) 에 (in) 우유 (milk) 를 (object particle; my object is milk) 마시 (to drink) 었 (past tense) 어요 (I’m telling you polite and friendly).
English Translation
I drank milk in the morning.
Literal Translation
(I) drank milk in morning.
✅ Try it:
주스를 마셨어요. – I drank juice.
물을 너무 많이 마셨어요. – I drank too much water.
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This is just a small taste of my sentence breakdowns.
My “Story Style Breakdown™” method — where I teach grammar through simple, story-like sentence breakdowns—is only inside my course.
Most Korean courses stop at grammar. Mine goes beyond — with stories, breakdowns, and real practice to help you speak.
3. 마셔! – Drink up! (casual command)
✅ Example
Original Korean Sentence
이거 마셔!
Pronunciation Guide
이거 (i-geo) 마셔 (ma-syeo)!
Meaning and Context
이 (this) 거 (thing; colloquial form of 이것) 마시 (to drink) 어 (casual command ending; I’m telling you to do this)!
English Translation
Drink this!
Literal Translation
Drink this thing!
✅ Other examples:
물을 마셔! – Drink water!
약을 꼭 마셔! – Be sure to take the medicine!
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Conjugation of to Drink in Korean
| Tense / Form | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present (polite) | 마셔요 | 커피를 마셔요. |
| Past (polite) | 마셨어요 | 물을 마셨어요. |
| Future | 마실 거예요 | 내일 마실 거예요. |
| Casual command | 마셔! | 이거 마셔! |
| Formal command | 마시세요 | 물을 마시세요. |
This is how you conjugate to drink in Korean, whether you’re talking about what you drink now or telling someone to drink up!
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How to Say Drink Water in Korean
- 물 마셔요. – Drink water.
- 물 좀 마시세요. – Please drink some water (formal).
- 물 많이 마셔! – Drink lots of water! (casual)
💡 When you want someone to drink up in Korean, just say:
“다 마셔!” – Drink it all!
Mini Story: What Did You Drink?
민지: 아침에 뭐 마셨어?
(What did you drink this morning?)
아멜리아: 물이랑 오렌지 주스를 마셨어요!
(I drank water and orange juice!)
✅ Example
Original Korean Sentence
민지: 아침에 뭐 마셨어?
아멜리아: 물이랑 오렌지 주스를 마셨어요!
Pronunciation Guide
민지: 아치메 (a-chi-me) 뭐 (mwo) 마셧써 (ma-syeot-sseo)?
아멜리아: 무리랑 (mu-ri-rang) 오렌지 (o-ren-ji) 주스를 (ju-seu-reul) 마셧써요 (ma-syeot-sseo-yo)!
Meaning and Context
민지: 아침 (morning) 에 (in) 뭐 (what) 마시 (to drink) 었 (past tense) 어 (I’m asking you casually)?
아멜리아: 물 (water) 이랑 (and) 오렌지 (orange) 주스 (juice) 를 (my object is water and orange juice) 마시 (to drink) 었 (past tense) 어요 (I’m telling you polite and friendly)!
English Translation
What did you drink this morning?
I drank water and orange juice!
Literal Translation
What drank in morning?
(I) drank water and orange juice!
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FAQs (What You Might Still Wonder About)
1. ❓ Is 마시다 only used for drinking liquids in Korean?
Mostly, yes. 마시다 is used for drinking liquids like water, tea, coffee, and alcohol. However, it can also be used metaphorically — for example, 공기를 마시다 means “to breathe air,” and 담배를 마시다 (although less common) can imply “inhale smoke.” So its use can extend beyond just liquids in poetic or figurative contexts.2. ❓ What is the difference between 마시다 and 드시다 in Korean?
드시다 is the honorific form of both 마시다 (to drink) and 먹다 (to eat). You use 드시다 when referring to someone older or when showing respect, such as in formal or polite situations. Example:할아버지께서 물을 드셨어요. – My grandfather drank water.3. ❓ Can 마시다 be used in written Korean as well as spoken Korean?
Yes, 마시다 is used in both spoken and written Korean. In more formal writing (essays, news articles), you’ll see the base form 마시다, but in dialogue or casual writing, conjugated forms like 마셔요 or 마셨다 are common.4. ❓ What are some common Korean expressions or idioms with 마시다?
Here are a few:물을 마시듯 하다 – to do something very easily (like drinking water)술을 마시면 얼굴이 빨개져요 – I turn red when I drink alcohol These show that 마시다 appears in many common Korean expressions.5. ❓ Is it okay to use 마시다 when talking to friends?
Yes, 마시다 is perfectly natural with friends. You’d use casual conjugations like 마셔 or 마셨어. However, tone still matters — if you say 마셔! too sharply, it can sound like a command. Use a friendly tone or add 좀 for softness (e.g., 물 좀 마셔 – Drink some water, okay?).6. ❓ How can I practice 마시다 with native Korean content?
Try watching Korean dramas or listening to Korean YouTube videos where people eat and drink (like mukbangs or vlogs). You’ll often hear natural phrases like 이거 마셔요 or 커피 마실래요? You can also use apps like Anki to review flashcards with example sentences.🎨 Speak 12 Hobbies in Korean – Boost your confidence now!
Final Thoughts:
Now you know how to say drink in Korean using 마시다 in all the key situations:
- Daily life (I drink water)
- Past tense (I drank coffee)
- Command form (Drink up!)
You also learned:
- How to conjugate “to drink in Korean”
- How to say “drink water in Korean”
- “Drink up in Korean” like in natural conversation
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