Welcome back to Simply Korea 101!
So far, you’ve learned how to greet people, introduce yourself, talk about your family and interests, tell time, talk about dates, and ask for directions.
Now let’s learn one of the most useful skills when visiting Korea: ordering food and drinks.
From a neighborhood café to a busy Korean restaurant, these expressions can help you order with confidence.
You don’t need perfect Korean.
A few simple phrases can make your experience much easier.
☕ 5 Useful Korean Vocabulary Words
① 메뉴 — Menu
메뉴
Pronunciation: menyu
English: menu
This is one of the easiest Korean words to recognize because it sounds very similar to the English word “menu.”
Example
메뉴판
→ menu / menu board
메뉴판 주세요.
→ Please give me the menu.
② 음료 — Beverage / Drink
음료
Pronunciation: eumryo
English: beverage / drink
음료 is a general word for beverages.
Coffee, tea, juice, and soft drinks can all be described as 음료.
Example
음료가 뭐가 있어요?
→ What drinks do you have?
③ 음식 — Food / Dish
음식
Pronunciation: eumsik
English: food / dish
You learned this word in Chapter 4, but now you’ll use it in a real ordering situation.
Example
한국 음식
→ Korean food
맛있는 음식
→ delicious food
④ 주세요 — Please give me / I’d like…
주세요
Pronunciation: juseyo
English: Please give me… / I’d like…
주세요 is one of the most useful expressions you’ll learn in Korean.
Simply put the thing you want before 주세요.
Examples
물 주세요.
→ Water, please.
커피 주세요.
→ Coffee, please.
메뉴판 주세요.
→ The menu, please.
This simple pattern can be used in many everyday situations.
⑤ 계산 — Bill / Payment
계산
Pronunciation: gyesan
English: bill / payment
You’ll hear this word when it’s time to pay.
Example
계산할게요.
→ I’ll pay / Check, please.
💬 5 Practical Korean Conversation Phrases
① 메뉴판 주세요. — Please give me the menu.
메뉴판 주세요.
Pronunciation: menyupan juseyo
English: Please give me the menu.
This is a simple way to ask for a menu.
In many Korean cafés, the menu is displayed on a large board, so you may not always need to ask for one.
② 이거 주세요. — I’ll have this, please.
이거 주세요.
Pronunciation: igeo juseyo
English: I’ll have this, please.
This phrase is incredibly useful when pointing at something on a menu.
If you’re not sure how to pronounce the name of a dish, simply point and say:
이거 주세요.
→ I’ll have this, please.
This is one of the easiest ways for beginners to order naturally.
③ 추천해 주세요. — Please recommend something.
추천해 주세요.
Pronunciation: chucheonhae juseyo
English: Please recommend something.
Not sure what to order?
Ask the staff for a recommendation.
Example
뭐가 맛있어요?
→ What’s good?
추천해 주세요.
→ Please recommend something.
This can lead to discovering something you might not have chosen yourself.
④ 물 주세요. — Water, please.
물 주세요.
Pronunciation: mul juseyo
English: Water, please.
This is a very practical phrase to remember.
You can replace 물 with almost any item:
휴지 주세요.
→ Tissue, please.
숟가락 주세요.
→ A spoon, please.
젓가락 주세요.
→ Chopsticks, please.
⑤ 계산할게요. — I’ll pay / Check, please.
계산할게요.
Pronunciation: gyesanhalgeyo
English: I’ll pay / Check, please.
Use this when you’re ready to pay.
You can also hear:
계산해 주세요.
→ Please bring the bill / Please check me out.
Both expressions are useful in restaurants.
🍜 Mini Conversation
Let’s order!
Customer: 메뉴판 주세요.
→ Please give me the menu.
Staff: 네, 여기 있습니다.
→ Yes, here you are.
Customer: 아메리카노 하나 주세요.
→ One Americano, please.
Staff: 네, 알겠습니다.
→ Okay, got it.
Customer: 그리고 케이크도 하나 주세요.
→ And one cake, please.
Staff: 네, 알겠습니다.
→ Sure.
Customer: 계산할게요.
→ I’ll pay, please.
Staff: 네, 감사합니다.
→ Thank you.
Korean Culture Tip: 잘 먹겠습니다!
Here’s a Korean expression you may hear before eating:
잘 먹겠습니다!
Pronunciation: jal meokgesseumnida
Meaning: I’ll enjoy the meal! / Thank you for the meal.
This expression is commonly used before eating, especially when someone else has prepared or paid for the meal.
After finishing a meal, you may hear:
잘 먹었습니다!
Pronunciation: jal meogeotseumnida
Meaning: Thank you, I enjoyed the meal.
These expressions aren’t simply literal translations of “bon appétit” or “thank you.”
They reflect a Korean habit of expressing appreciation for food and the person who prepared it.
🧾 A Small Ordering Trick
If you know the number system, you can make your order more specific.
한 개
→ one
두 개
→ two
세 개
→ three
For example:
아메리카노 한 잔 주세요.
→ One Americano, please.
김밥 두 줄 주세요.
→ Two rolls of gimbap, please.
만두 세 개 주세요.
→ Three dumplings, please.
Korean uses different counters depending on what you’re counting.
You don’t need to master every counter today.
For now, focus on hearing and using 한 개, 두 개, 세 개.
🗣️ Read Aloud & Repeat
→ 소리 내어 읽고 따라 해보세요.
메뉴
menyu
Menu
음료
eumryo
Beverage
음식
eumsik
Food
주세요
juseyo
Please give me
계산
gyesan
Bill / payment
메뉴판 주세요.
menyupan juseyo.
Please give me the menu.
이거 주세요.
igeo juseyo.
I’ll have this, please.
추천해 주세요.
chucheonhae juseyo.
Please recommend something.
물 주세요.
mul juseyo.
Water, please.
계산할게요.
gyesanhalgeyo.
I’ll pay / Check, please.
Try saying each expression three times.
Click, listen, read aloud, and repeat.
🎯 Today’s Korean Challenge
You’re at a café in Korea!
Try to order like a local.
1. Ask for the menu.
→ 메뉴판 주세요.
2. Order one Americano.
→ 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요.
3. Ask for a recommendation.
→ 추천해 주세요.
4. Ask for water.
→ 물 주세요.
5. Ask for the bill.
→ 계산할게요.
Now try putting everything together without looking at the English.
Bonus Challenge
Choose your favorite Korean food and complete this sentence:
______ 주세요.
→ I’ll have ______, please.
For example:
비빔밥 주세요.
→ I’ll have bibimbap, please.
🌸 One Small Step
Ordering food is one of the best ways to practice Korean because you can immediately use what you learn in real life.
You don’t need long sentences.
A simple 이거 주세요 can already get your order started.
Don’t be afraid to speak slowly.
Pointing at the menu and using a simple Korean phrase is completely okay for beginners.
Every successful order is another little step toward speaking Korean with confidence.
See You in Chapter 9!
In Chapter 9, we’ll continue building your everyday Korean with another practical situation you’ll likely encounter in Korea.
Keep practicing, one phrase at a time.
See you in Chapter 9!
— Ayla
Let’s discover Korea, one word, one dish, and one story at a time.