Lesson 11: Korean Food and Dining Vocabulary - 50+ Useful Sentences
Learning how to communicate effectively in a restaurant is an essential part of mastering any language. In this lesson, we'll explore Korean food vocabulary and useful phrases for dining out. You’ll learn how to order food, ask for the bill, and express your preferences in a Korean restaurant. This post includes over 50 example sentences to help you practice and become confident when dining in Korea.
1. Basic Korean Food Vocabulary
Here are some essential food-related words you need to know:
- Rice - 밥 (Bap)
- Soup - 국 (Guk)
- Noodles - 면 (Myeon)
- Meat - 고기 (Gogi)
- Fish - 생선 (Saengseon)
- Vegetables - 야채 (Yachae)
- Spicy - 매운 (Maeun)
- Sweet - 달콤한 (Dalkomhan)
- Salty - 짠 (Jjan)
- Bitter - 쓴 (Sseun)
2. Ordering Food in a Korean Restaurant
Knowing how to order food is a crucial skill. Below are sentences to help you navigate the ordering process.
Examples:
- 메뉴 주세요. (Menyu juseyo.) - Please give me the menu.
- 이거 주세요. (Igeo juseyo.) - Please give me this.
- 불고기를 주문할게요. (Bulgogireul jumunhalgeyo.) - I will order bulgogi.
- 비빔밥 하나 주세요. (Bibimbap hana juseyo.) - One bibimbap, please.
- 김치찌개를 먹고 싶어요. (Kimchijjigaereul meokgo sipeoyo.) - I want to eat kimchi stew.
3. Asking for Recommendations and Clarifications
Sometimes you might need help choosing what to eat. Here are phrases for asking recommendations or clarifications.
Examples: 6. 추천해 주세요. (Chucheonhae juseyo.) - Please recommend something. 7. 이 요리는 뭐예요? (I yorineun mwoyeyo?) - What is this dish? 8. 매운 음식이에요? (Maeun eumsigiyeyo?) - Is this food spicy? 9. 채식주의자를 위한 메뉴가 있어요? (Chaesikjuuijareul wihan menyuga isseoyo?) - Do you have a vegetarian menu? 10. 이거 어떻게 먹어요? (Igeo eotteoke meogeoyo?) - How do you eat this?
4. Expressing Preferences and Dietary Restrictions
Letting the staff know about your preferences and restrictions is important.
Examples: 11. 매운 음식을 못 먹어요. (Maeun eumsigeul mot meogeoyo.) - I can’t eat spicy food. 12. 저는 고기를 안 먹어요. (Jeoneun gogireul an meogeoyo.) - I don’t eat meat. 13. 저는 해산물을 좋아해요. (Jeoneun haesanmureul joahaeyo.) - I like seafood. 14. 덜 매운 걸로 주세요. (Deol maeun geollo juseyo.) - Please make it less spicy. 15. 저는 단 음식을 좋아해요. (Jeoneun dan eumsigeul joahaeyo.) - I like sweet food.
5. Polite Requests and Questions
Being polite is key when dining out, especially in Korea where manners are important.
Examples: 16. 물 좀 주세요. (Mul jom juseyo.) - Please give me some water. 17. 더 주세요. (Deo juseyo.) - Please give me more. 18. 이거 빼 주세요. (Igeo bbae juseyo.) - Please take this out (remove an ingredient). 19. 소스를 따로 주세요. (Soseureul ttaro juseyo.) - Please give the sauce separately. 20. 계산서 주세요. (Gyesanseo juseyo.) - Please give me the bill.
6. Phrases for Specific Food Items
Here are sentences focused on ordering specific Korean dishes.
Examples: 21. 된장찌개 하나 주세요. (Doenjangjjigae hana juseyo.) - One soybean paste stew, please. 22. 냉면 두 그릇 주세요. (Naengmyeon du geureut juseyo.) - Two bowls of cold noodles, please. 23. 삼겹살을 주문할게요. (Samgyeopsareul jumunhalgeyo.) - I’ll order the pork belly. 24. 갈비찜을 주세요. (Galbijjimeul juseyo.) - Please give me braised short ribs. 25. 치킨을 먹고 싶어요. (Chikineul meokgo sipeoyo.) - I want to eat chicken.
7. Describing Your Dining Experience
Here’s how you can talk about your dining experience.
Examples: 26. 음식이 정말 맛있어요. (Eumsigi jeongmal masisseoyo.) - The food is really delicious. 27. 이 요리가 정말 매워요. (I yoriga jeongmal maewoyo.) - This dish is really spicy. 28. 국물이 너무 짜요. (Gukmuri neomu jjayo.) - The soup is too salty. 29. 디저트가 달콤해요. (Dijeoteuga dalkomhaeyo.) - The dessert is sweet. 30. 이 음식은 제 스타일이에요. (I eumsigeun je seutailiyeyo.) - This food is my style.
8. Complimenting the Food and Service
Compliments are always appreciated in any culture.
Examples: 31. 음식이 정말 훌륭해요. (Eumsigi jeongmal hullyunghaeyo.) - The food is excellent. 32. 서비스가 아주 좋아요. (Seobiseuga aju joayo.) - The service is very good. 33. 요리가 정말 정성스럽네요. (Yoriga jeongmal jeongseongseureomneyo.) - The dish is really made with care. 34. 이 레스토랑이 마음에 들어요. (I reseutorangi maeume deureoyo.) - I like this restaurant. 35. 셰프님께 감사드려요. (Syepeunimkke gamsadeuryeoyo.) - Thank you to the chef.
9. Handling Special Requests
Sometimes you may have special requests while dining.
Examples: 36. 냅킨 좀 더 주세요. (Naepkin jom deo juseyo.) - Please give me more napkins. 37. 포장해 주세요. (Pojanghae juseyo.) - Please wrap it up (for takeout). 38. 이 음식을 더 따뜻하게 해 주세요. (I eumsigeul deo ttatteuthage hae juseyo.) - Please make this food warmer. 39. 차가운 물을 주세요. (Chagaun mureul juseyo.) - Please give me cold water. 40. 이 자리에서 먹고 갈게요. (I jarieseo meokgo galgeyo.) - I’ll eat here (and leave afterward).
10. Discussing Payment and Splitting the Bill
Finally, you’ll need to know how to handle payment.
Examples: 41. 카드로 계산할게요. (Kadeuro gyesanhalgeyo.) - I will pay by card. 42. 현금으로 계산할게요. (Hyeongeumeuro gyesanhalgeyo.) - I will pay in cash. 43. 계산을 나눠서 할 수 있나요? (Gyesaneul nanwoseo hal su innayo?) - Can we split the bill? 44. 팁을 어떻게 드리면 되나요? (Tipeul eotteoke deurimyeon doenayo?) - How should I give the tip? 45. 영수증 주세요. (Yeongsujeung juseyo.) - Please give me the receipt.
Handling Different Currencies: 46. 미국 달러로 계산할 수 있나요? (Miguk dalleoro gyesanhal su innayo?) - Can I pay in U.S. dollars? 47. 신용카드를 사용할 수 있나요? (Sinyongkadeureul sayonghal su innayo?) - Can I use a credit card? 48. 이건 카드로만 결제할 수 있나요? (Igeon kadeuroman gyeoljjehal su innayo?) - Can I only pay for this with a card? 49. 포인트를 사용할 수 있나요? (Pointeureul sayonghal su innayo?) - Can I use points? 50. 환전을 어디서 할 수 있나요? (Hwanjeoneul eodiseo hal su innayo?) - Where can I exchange money?
Conclusion
By mastering Korean food and dining vocabulary, you can confidently navigate dining situations in Korea. This lesson provided over 50 examples to help you practice essential phrases and sentences, making your restaurant experiences more enjoyable and stress-free.
Whether you’re ordering a simple meal, asking for recommendations, or handling payment, these sentences will serve as a practical guide to improving your Korean dining skills. Keep practicing these phrases to enhance your fluency and make the most out of your dining experiences in Korea.
