Meaning and Usage
만족하다 means 'to be satisfied' or 'to be content' with something. It is commonly used to express a feeling of fulfillment or acceptance regarding a situation, result, or condition.
Common Contexts
This verb is often used in everyday conversations about personal feelings, customer satisfaction, or evaluations of outcomes. It can describe emotional states or objective assessments.
Collocations and Patterns
- 만족하다 + 에 (만족하다 + noun particle): to be satisfied with something (e.g., 결과에 만족하다 - to be satisfied with the result)
- 만족하지 못하다: to not be satisfied
- 고객이 만족하다: customers are satisfied
Register and Politeness
만족하다 is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. To make it polite, use the appropriate verb ending (e.g., 만족합니다).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 만족하다 with 좋아하다 (to like). 만족하다 expresses satisfaction or contentment, not preference or liking. For example, '나는 이 음식이 좋아요' means 'I like this food,' but '나는 이 음식에 만족해요' means 'I am satisfied with this food,' which implies it meets expectations rather than expressing a preference.