음식eumsik- Food
Korean Food Vocabulary: 40 Words for Ordering at Korean Restaurants
4 min readbeginnervocabulary
Korean Food Vocabulary: Order Like a Local
Korean food culture is inseparable from the language. Whether you're at a Korean restaurant abroad or planning a trip to Seoul, knowing food vocabulary transforms the experience. Here are 40 essential words and phrases.
Basic Food Words
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 밥 | bap | Rice / Meal |
| 국 | guk | Soup |
| 찌개 | jjigae | Stew (thicker than 국) |
| 반찬 | banchan | Side dishes |
| 김치 | gimchi | Kimchi |
| 고기 | gogi | Meat |
| 생선 | saengseon | Fish |
| 야채 | yachae | Vegetables |
| 면 | myeon | Noodles |
| 물 | mul | Water |
Popular Dishes
| Korean | Romanization | What It Is |
|---|---|---|
| 비빔밥 | bibimbap | Mixed rice with vegetables and sauce |
| 불고기 | bulgogi | Marinated grilled beef |
| 삼겹살 | samgyeopsal | Grilled pork belly |
| 김치찌개 | gimchijjigae | Kimchi stew |
| 된장찌개 | doenjangjjigae | Soybean paste stew |
| 떡볶이 | tteokbokki | Spicy rice cakes |
| 냉면 | naengmyeon | Cold noodles |
| 삼계탕 | samgyetang | Ginseng chicken soup |
| 갈비 | galbi | Grilled short ribs |
| 잡채 | japchae | Glass noodle stir-fry |
Ordering Phrases
Here are the phrases you'll actually use at a restaurant:
Getting Seated
- 여기요! (yeogiyo!) — Excuse me! (to get a server's attention)
- 몇 분이세요? (myeot buniseyo?) — How many people? (the server asks this)
- 두 명이요 (du myeong-iyo) — Two people
Ordering
- 메뉴 주세요 (menyu juseyo) — Menu, please
- 이거 주세요 (igeo juseyo) — This one, please (pointing at the menu)
- 비빔밥 하나 주세요 (bibimbap hana juseyo) — One bibimbap, please
- 물 주세요 (mul juseyo) — Water, please
- 더 주세요 (deo juseyo) — More, please
During the Meal
- 맛있어요! (masisseoyo!) — It's delicious!
- 매워요 (maewoyo) — It's spicy
- 안 매운 거 있어요? (an maeun geo isseoyo?) — Do you have something not spicy?
- 배불러요 (baebulleoyo) — I'm full
Paying
- 계산이요 (gyesan-iyo) — Check, please
- 카드 돼요? (kadeu dwaeyo?) — Can I pay by card?
- 얼마예요? (eolmayeyo?) — How much is it?
- 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meogeotseumnida) — Thank you for the meal (said after eating)
Taste Words
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 맛있다 | masitda | Delicious |
| 맛없다 | madeopda | Not tasty |
| 맵다 | maepda | Spicy |
| 달다 | dalda | Sweet |
| 짜다 | jjada | Salty |
| 시다 | sida | Sour |
| 쓰다 | sseuda | Bitter |
Dietary Preferences
- 채식주의자예요 (chaesikjuuijayeyo) — I'm vegetarian
- 알레르기가 있어요 (allereugi-ga isseoyo) — I have allergies
- 땅콩 알레르기 (ttangkong allereugi) — Peanut allergy
- 고기 안 먹어요 (gogi an meogeoyo) — I don't eat meat
Korean Dining Etiquette
A few things to know:
- Wait for the eldest to start eating — Don't pick up your chopsticks first
- Don't pour your own drink — Pour for others, and they'll pour for you
- Rice bowls stay on the table — Unlike Japanese dining, don't lift the rice bowl
- Banchan is free refills — Side dishes can be refilled for free. Just ask: 반찬 더 주세요
Practice on Chamelingo
Chamelingo's Chapter 6 covers shopping and ordering food in depth. You'll practice menu reading, ordering dialogues, and number+counter combinations (두 개, 세 병) that you need for real restaurant situations. Every phrase includes native speaker audio so you can nail the pronunciation.
Browse all food-related words in our vocabulary reference organized by unit, and master the -주세요 request pattern so you can confidently order anything on a Korean menu.
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