Eating is a survival instinct wherever we are! You will definitely suffer if you can’t even order something to eat while you were travelling in a foreign country. Korean foods are also one of the best cuisine in the world, we must at least learn some useful Korean phrases so we can get the food we want successfully!
Situation 1: You want to order a hotteok from a stall at Myeongdong street
Hotteok is a common street food which is similarly like a sweet chewy fried pancake. By default, they have filling made of peanuts and sugar.
To order a hotteok,
You : μλ
νμΈμ! νΈλ‘ νλ μ£ΌμΈμ.
an-nyeong ha-sae-yo! Ho-tteok ha-na chu-se-yo
The expression – μ£ΌμΈμ(ju-se-yo) means ‘please give me…’. And νλ (ha-na) here means ‘one’ which is in the traditional Korean numbering system. If you want to have 2 or 3 hotteok, you can replace νλ with λκ² (du-ge) or μΈκ² (se-ge). You can change νΈλ‘ into other foods you want to have when you want to order other street foods, such as λ‘λ³ΆκΈ° (tteokbokki), μ€λ¬΅ (o-muk, fish cake), κ³λλΉ΅ (gye-ran-bbang, egg bread).
Eg. λ‘λ³ΆκΈ° μ£ΌμΈμ. (tteokbokki ju-se-yo)
μ€λ¬΅ νλ μ£ΌμΈμ. (o-muk ha-na ju-se-yo)
κ³λλΉ΅ λκ² μ£ΌμΈμ. (gye-ran-bbang du-ge ju-se-yo)
Situation 2: You want to order a coffee in a cafΓ© down at Hongdae
A hot coffee in the morning definitely is the best to start the morning. Koreans really love coffee, so it’s not difficult at all to find cafes for you to have a coffee boost.
While you enter the cafΓ© and approached to the barista,
Barista: μ΄μ μ€μΈμ! λμκ³ κ°μλμ?
(eo-seo o-se-yo! deu-si-go ga-si-na-yo?)
Welcome! Are you serving here?
You: λ€. μ»€νΌ νμ μ£ΌμΈμ.
(ne. keo-pi han-jan ju-se-yo)
Yes. Could you give me a coffee please?
Barista: λ°λ»ν κ±Έλ‘ λ리κΉμ? μ°¨κ°μ΄ κ±Έλ‘ λ리κΉμ?
(dda-ddeut-han geol-lo deu-ri-gga-yo? cha-ga-un geol-lo deu-ri-gga-yo?)
Would you like it hot? Would you like it cold?
You: λ°λ»νκ² μ£ΌμΈμ.
(dda-ddeut-ha-ge ju-se-yo)
Please give me a hot one.
Barista: λ νμνμ κ±° μμ΄μ?
(deo pil-yo-ha-sin-geo i-sseo-yo)
Is there any other thing you need?
Me: μλμ. κ·Έκ±°λ©° λμ.
(a-ni-yo. geu-geo-myeon dwae-yo)
No. That will be enough.
Barista: μΌμ² μ€λ°±μ μ
λλ€.
(sam-cheon o-baek-won ib-ni-da)
That would be 3500 won.
— Given the cash/card —
Barista: μμμ¦ λ릴κΉμ?
(yeong-su-jeung deu-ril-gga-yo)
Do you need a receipt?
Me: μλμ. κ°μ¬ν©λλ€.
(a-ni-yo. kam-sa-hap-ni-da)
No. Thank you.
From the conversation above, there are some very useful phrases we can point out here:
- λ°λ»νλ€ (ddat-ddeut-ha-da) (verb) – to be hot (suitable to describe for drinks)
Eg. μ΄ μ°¨λ λ°λ»ν΄μ. (i cha-neun dda-ddeut-hae-yo)
This tea is hot. - μ°¨κ°λ€ (cha-gap-da) (verb) – to be cold/chilly/icy
Eg. μ΄ μ»€νΌλ μ°¨κ°μμ. - μμμ¦ (yeong-su-jeung) : receipt
Drinks that you can order in cafe, in Korean:
- μλ©λ¦¬μΉ΄λ Έ (a-me-ri-ka-no) – Americano
- μΉ΄νλΌν (ka-pe-la-te) – caffe latte
- μΉ΄νΈμΉλ Έ (ka-pu-chi-no) – cappuccino
- μ°μ (u-yu) – milk
- λ Ήμ°¨ (nok-cha) – green tea
- ν«μ΅Έμ½ (hat-cho-ko) – hot chocolate
Situation 3: Ordering authentic foods in Korean restaurant
If you want to get some main dishes for your lunch or dinner, you will have to find the local Korean food restaurants, or often they called as μλΉ (sik-dang).
As you enter the restaurant and meet the waiter,
Waiter: μ΄μ μ€μΈμ! λͺ λΆμ΄μΈμ?
(eo-seo o-se-yo! myeot bun-i-se-yo)
Welcome! How many people?
You: λ λͺ
μ΄μ.
(du myeong-i-yo)
Two people, please.
Waiter: μ΄μͺ½μΌλ‘ μλ΄ν΄ λ릴κ²μ.
(i-jjok-eu-ro an-nae-hae deu-ril-ge-yo)
Please follow me inside.
As you have seated,
You: λ©λ΄ν μ’ μ£ΌμΈμ.
(me-nyu-pan jom ju-se-yo)
Could you give me the menu?
Waiter: μ£Όλ¬Ένμκ² μ΄μ?
(ju-mun-ha-si-ge-seo-yo)
Would you like to take the order?
You: μ¬κΈ° λκ° λ§μμ΄μ?
(yeo-gi bwo-ga mas-si-seo-yo)
What is delicious here?
Waiter: μ¬κΈ΄ λΉλΉλ°₯μ μΈκΈ°κ° λ§μμ.
(yeo-gin bi-bim-bap-eun in-gi-ga man-a-yo)
The bibimbap here is popular.
You: λΉλΉλ°₯ λμΈλΆ μ£ΌμΈμ.
(bi-bim-bap du-in-bun ju-se-yo)
Please give me 2 servings of bibimbap.
Waiter: λ€. μ μλ§ κΈ°λ€λ € μ£ΌμΈμ.
(ne. jam-si-man gi-da-ryeo ju-se-yo)
Ok. Please wait for awhile.
Aside from the conversation above, there are also other useful sentences we could use while we are taking order/waiting for the food.
If you would like your food to be less spicy:
λ λ§΅κ² ν΄ μ£ΌμΈμ. (deol maeb-ge hae ju-se-yo)
If you want to remind that your order has not arrived:
μ ν¬ μ£Όλ¬Έν μμμ΄ μμ§ μ λμμ΄μ.
(jeo-ui ju-mun-han eum-sik-i a-jik an na-wa-seeo-yo)
If you want to ask where is the washroom:
νμ₯μ€μ μ΄λμ μμ΄μ? (hwa-jang-sil-eun eo-di-e i-sseo-yo)
If you want to pay after you finish your meal:
κ³μ°ν κ²μ. (gye-san hal-ge-yo)
MyDaehan π 