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 short questions — about 1 minute
2. What is 맥날?
3. Why does 맥도날드 end in an extra 으 sound not present in English?
Part of Konglish: Why Brand Names Sound Different in Korean
- Why Foreign Brand Names Sound Different in Korean
- How Do You Say Burger King in Korean?
- How Do You Say KFC in Korean?
- How Do You Say Subway (the Sandwich Chain) in Korean?
- How Do You Say Starbucks in Korean?
- How Do You Say Coca-Cola in Korean?
- How Do You Say Pizza Hut in Korean?
- How Do You Say Baskin-Robbins in Korean?
- How Do You Say IKEA in Korean?
- How Do You Say Bus and Taxi in Korean?
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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