Dictionary — Entry No. 0605
점심
jeomsim · noun
점심
jeomsim
[JUHM-shim]
nounbeginner
Meaning
The Korean word for ‘lunch’ or ‘noon,’ derived from Sino-Korean characters meaning ‘the dot at the center of the day.’ Like 아침 and 저녁, it refers to both the midday time period and the meal eaten then, anchoring daily life around shared eating.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
Korean food culture is central to K-Drama storytelling — plot developments unfold over 점심 as naturally as over coffee, from first dates to business negotiations. TWICE and other idol groups regularly post midday meal content on social media, and fans follow these ‘점심 인증 (jeomsim injeung, lunch verification)’ posts as a window into idol daily life. The casual check-in 점심 먹었어? (Did you eat lunch?) is one of the most common expressions of care between Korean friends.
Example Sentences
점심 뭐 먹을 거야?
Jeomsim mwo meogeul geoya?
What are you going to eat for lunch? (One of the most frequently asked questions in Korean daily conversation — food choices are a social ritual)
점심시간에 만나자.
Jeomsimsiganae mannaja.
Let’s meet during the lunch break. (점심시간 = ‘lunch hour/break’ — 시간 means ‘time’)
오늘 점심은 내가 살게.
Oneul jeomsimeun naega salge.
I’ll treat you to lunch today. (내가 살게 literally means ‘I’ll buy it’ — the standard Korean way to offer to pay for someone’s meal)
⚠️ Don’t use jeomsim when…
점심 can mean ‘noon’ (the time) or ‘lunch’ (the meal) — particle choice clarifies: 점심에 만나 (meet at noon) vs 점심을 먹자 (let’s eat lunch). Also note that in casual speech Koreans often drop the particle entirely, which can confuse learners trying to parse spoken sentences.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Hospital Playlist — the surgical residents’ rushed 점심 breaks in the hospital cafeteria are recurring scenes that ground the drama’s emotional depth in the small, ordinary moments between life-and-death cases.
- K-Pop: TWICE — Feel Special
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.