How Do You Say McDonald's in Korean?
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · How we write & review
After this page, you can say McDonald's the Korean way, 맥도날드 (maekdonaldeu), and use the nickname 맥날 (maengnal).
10-second answer
How do you say mcdonald's in Korean?
McDonald's (often searched as mcdonalds) is 맥도날드 (maekdonaldeu) in Korean — four syllables where English has three. The extra syllable comes from Korean adding a closing vowel after the final "d" sound, which can't stand alone at the end of a Korean syllable, following the rules covered on the Konglish pronunciation page.
Quick check — did that land?
1. How do you say McDonald's in Korean?
맥도날드! Koreans don't pronounce McDonald's exactly like English.
Sound by Sound
| English | Korean piece | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mc / Mac | 맥 (maek) | Closes naturally on ㄱ — a legal Korean syllable ending |
| Don | 도 (do) | The "o" vowel carries through cleanly |
| al | 날 (nal) | ㄹ (r/l) handles the "l" sound |
| d (at the very end) | 드 (deu) | A bare final "d" isn't a legal standalone ending, so 으 gets added after it |
Quick Examples
맥도날드 갈래?
maekdonaldeu gallae?
Want to go to McDonald's?
맥날에서 만나자.
maengnal-eseo manjaja.
Let's meet at McDonald's.
맥날 (maengnal) — the extremely common casual shortening, like English "Mickey D's."
The Shortened Nickname: 맥날
Just like English speakers say "Mickey D's," Koreans almost always shorten 맥도날드 to 맥날 (maengnal) in casual speech — grabbing the first and third syllables. If you only remember one form for everyday conversation, 맥날 is the one you'll actually hear most.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Saying it with English pronunciation
An English-accented "McDonald's" often won't register with Korean staff — 맥도날드 (or 맥날) is what's actually understood.
Mistake #2 — Not knowing the 맥날 shortcut
The full form isn't wrong, but 맥날 is what you'll hear constantly among Korean speakers, especially younger ones.
Mini Quiz
2. What is 맥날?
3. Why does 맥도날드 end in an extra 으 sound not present in English?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
How Do You Say Burger King in Korean?
Another global fast-food name — see the same rules apply differently to a different set of sounds.
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