Ordering, sharing a table and eating with older people: the Korean, and the manners, of a Korean meal.
36 sentences · 3 dialogues · 19 words
Food is at the heart of Korean social life. People ask 밥 먹었어요? as a greeting, colleagues bond over a barbecue, and a shared stew in the middle of the table is the normal way to eat.
A meal is also where the rules of age and respect show most: who starts eating, who pours, who pays. This page gives the sentences and the manners together, from ordering at a counter to a dinner with an older colleague.
Goals by level. Tick what you can already do — the tick stays in this browser only.
19 words from the word lists, ordered by level. A coloured edge shows what you have already practised.
Short dialogues to read along and repeat. Say one part first, then the other.
Two of you walk into a small restaurant at lunchtime.
어서 오세요. 몇 분이세요?Welcome. How many of you?
두 명이에요.Two.
이쪽으로 앉으세요. 주문하시겠어요?Sit over here, please. Are you ready to order?
비빔밥 하나하고 불고기 하나 주세요.One bibimbap and one bulgogi, please.
네. 음료는요?Certainly. And to drink?
물이면 돼요. 덜 맵게 해 주실 수 있어요?Water is fine. Could you make it less spicy?
네, 주방에 말씀드릴게요.Of course, I’ll tell the kitchen.
After work, a senior colleague takes you out for grilled meat.
자, 한 잔 받아요.Here — have a glass.
감사합니다. 제가 따라 드릴게요.Thank you. Let me pour yours.
고마워요. 고기 다 익었어요. 많이 먹어요.Thanks. The meat’s done. Eat up.
잘 먹겠습니다. 고기는 제가 구울게요.Thank you. I’ll do the grilling.
괜찮아요. 오늘은 내가 살게요.That’s all right. Today is on me.
정말요? 그럼 다음에는 제가 커피 살게요.Really? Then next time the coffee’s on me.
A friend’s mother has cooked for you.
자, 많이 드세요.Here, please help yourself.
와, 정말 맛있어 보여요. 잘 먹겠습니다.Wow, this looks delicious. Thank you for the meal.
김치는 좀 매워요. 괜찮아요?The kimchi is a bit spicy. Is that all right?
네, 괜찮아요. 매운 음식 좋아해요.Yes, that’s fine. I like spicy food.
밥 더 줄까요?Shall I give you some more rice?
아니요, 배불러요. 잘 먹었습니다.No, thank you, I’m full. Thank you for the meal.
The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.
김치 좀 더 주세요.A little more kimchi, please.
이거 매워요?Is this spicy?
물은 셀프예요.Water is self-service.
정말 맛있어요!It’s really delicious!
저는 고기를 안 먹어요.I don’t eat meat.
맛있게 드세요.Enjoy your meal.
잘 먹겠습니다.Thank you for the meal. (before eating)
여기 커피 두 잔 주세요.Two coffees here, please.
배고파요. 밥 먹으러 가요.I’m hungry. Let’s go and eat.
메뉴판 좀 주세요.Could we have the menu, please?
여기 비빔밥 하나, 불고기 이 인분 주세요.One bibimbap and two portions of bulgogi here, please.
반찬 더 주실 수 있어요?Could we have some more side dishes?
공깃밥 하나 추가해 주세요.One extra bowl of rice, please.
어른이 먼저 수저를 드신 다음에 먹어요.We start eating after the eldest has picked up their spoon.
고기는 상추에 싸서 한입에 드세요.Wrap the meat in lettuce and eat it in one bite.
찌개는 가운데 놓고 같이 먹어요.The stew goes in the middle and everyone shares it.
배불러요. 더 못 먹겠어요.I’m full. I can’t eat any more.
오늘은 제가 살게요.Today is my treat.
계산은 따로 할게요.We’ll pay separately.
이 집은 국물이 진하고 맛있어요.The broth here is rich and tasty.
혼자 왔는데 일 인분도 돼요?I’m on my own — can I order a single portion?
남은 음식은 포장해 갈 수 있어요?Can I take the leftovers away?
젓가락이 하나 더 필요해요.I need another pair of chopsticks.
삼겹살은 가위로 잘라서 먹어요.Pork belly is cut with scissors before you eat it.
어른과 술을 마실 때는 고개를 옆으로 돌리고 마셔요.When you drink with older people, you turn your head to the side.
잔이 비면 서로 채워 줘요.When a glass is empty, you fill each other’s.
김치찌개는 맵지만 자꾸 생각나요.Kimchi stew is spicy, but I keep craving it.
여기가 이 동네에서 제일 유명한 맛집이래요.They say this is the best-known place to eat in the area.
배달 음식을 시켜 먹을까요?Shall we order a delivery?
외식보다 집밥이 더 좋을 때도 있어요.Sometimes home cooking is better than eating out.
덜 맵게 해 달라고 했는데 그래도 매워요.I asked for it less spicy, and it’s still hot.
고기 굽는 건 제가 할게요.I’ll do the grilling.
밥상을 차리는 동안 수저 좀 놓아 줄래요?While I’m putting the food out, could you lay the spoons and chopsticks?
혼밥하는 사람이 점점 늘고 있대요.They say more and more people eat out alone.
김치는 발효 음식이라서 오래 둘수록 맛이 달라져요.Kimchi is fermented, so the longer you keep it, the more the taste changes.
계절마다 제철 음식을 챙겨 먹는 편이에요.I tend to make a point of eating what is in season.
At the table, wait until the oldest person has started before you eat.
Lift your glass with both hands when an older person pours, and turn slightly away when you drink.
Side dishes come with the meal and are usually refilled free; ask with 반찬 더 주실 수 있어요?
반찬 더 주실 수 있어요?
Paying is often one person’s treat — 제가 살게요, "my treat" — and the other pays next time.
Splitting the bill is also common among friends and colleagues.
제가 살게요
Chopsticks are never stuck upright in a bowl of rice; it recalls the offerings made at memorial rites.
6 questions on the words and sentences of this field. The word questions count in your progress like any other exercise.
Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Korean, then open it to compare.
김치 좀 더 주세요.
메뉴판 좀 주세요.
계산은 따로 할게요.
여기가 이 동네에서 제일 유명한 맛집이래요.
Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.
