Food & Ordering
Learn essential food words and the most common phrases for ordering at a café or restaurant. With just a few patterns, you can order politely and smoothly.
Core words
| Korean | Meaning | Note | |
|---|
| 물 | water | Very common request | |
| 밥 | rice / meal | Often means ‘meal’ | |
| 커피 | coffee | Loanword | |
| 차 | tea | Also means ‘car’ by context | |
| 메뉴 | menu | Loanword | |
| 주문 | order (noun) | 주문할게요 (I’ll order) | |
| 포장 | to-go / takeout | For takeout | |
| 매장 | dine-in / in-store | 매장에서 먹어요 | |
| 계산 | payment / checkout | 계산할게요 | |
Most useful ordering phrases
✅The #1 pattern: N + 주세요 (Please give me N). It works for almost everything.
| Korean | Meaning | When to use | |
|---|
| … 주세요. | Please give me … | Polite ordering | |
| … 있어요? | Do you have …? | Check availability | |
| … 없어요. | We don’t have … / I don’t have … | Common response | |
| 이거요. | This one, please. | Pointing at a menu | |
| 주문할게요. | I’ll order. | Start ordering | |
Takeout vs dine-in
| Korean | Meaning | Example | |
|---|
| 포장이에요. | It’s to-go. | 포장이에요. (To-go, please.) | |
| 매장이에요. | It’s for here. | 매장이에요. (For here.) | |
💡In cafés, staff may ask: 포장이세요? (To-go?) You can answer: 네, 포장이에요 / 아니요, 매장이에요.
Payment (계산)
| Korean | Meaning | Example | |
|---|
| 계산할게요. | I’ll pay / Check please. | At the counter or table | |
| 카드로 할게요. | I’ll pay by card. | Very common | |
| 현금으로 할게요. | I’ll pay in cash. | Also common | |
Mini dialogues
| Situation | Korean | Meaning | |
|---|
| Ordering | 커피 한 잔 주세요. | One coffee, please. | |
| Availability | 물 있어요? | Do you have water? | |
| To-go | 포장이에요. | To-go, please. | |
| For here | 매장이에요. | For here, please. | |
| Paying | 계산할게요. | I’ll pay. | |
Quick practice
Try saying the Korean sentence out loud. Replace the item word to make new orders.
| Prompt | Answer (example) | Focus | |
|---|
| Ask for water. | 물 주세요. | 주세요 | |
| Order one coffee. | 커피 한 잔 주세요. | counter + 주세요 | |
| Ask if there is a menu. | 메뉴 있어요? | 있어요? | |
| Say it’s to-go. | 포장이에요. | 포장/매장 | |
| Say you’ll pay by card. | 카드로 할게요. | 결제 표현 | |
🎯Chapter goal: order politely using 주세요, answer 포장/매장, and handle simple payment phrases.
