---
vocabulary:
  nouns:
    - ko: 김치
      en: kimchi
      examples:
        - ko: "**김치**에 재료가 많이 들어가요"
          en: There are a lot of ingredients in **kimchi**

    - ko: 밥
      en: rice (or a "meal" or "food")
      notes: |
        <p>밥 literally means "cooked rice," but Korean people commonly use it to mean "a meal" in general, regardless of whether the meal actually contains rice.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**밥** 먹자!"
          en: Let's **eat**!
        - ko: "**밥** 먹었어?"
          en: Have you **eaten**? (informal)
        - ko: 저는 아침식사로 **밥**을 먹었어요
          en: I ate **rice** for breakfast
        - ko: 저는 **밥**을 많이 먹었어요
          en: I ate a lot of **food (rice)**
        - ko: 저는 **밥**을 먹고 갈 거에요
          en: I will **eat** and then go

    - ko: 반찬
      en: side dish
      examples:
        - ko: "**반찬**을 남기지 마세요"
          en: Don't leave any **ban-chan (side dishes)**
        - ko: "**반찬**을 먹을 만큼만 가져가세요"
          en: Only take the amount of **side-dishes** that you will eat

    - ko: 식사
      en: meal
      notes: |
        <p>식사 is also used when people order some sort of soup/stew at a restaurant. For example, at a Korean BBQ restaurant you might say "식사만 할 거예요," meaning "I'm just going to have [this type of] meal."</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**식사** 할 거에요?"
          en: Will you **eat**?
        - ko: "**식사** 하셨어요?"
          en: Have you **eaten**? (formal)

    - ko: 물
      en: water
      examples:
        - ko: "**물** 주세요"
          en: "**Water**, please"
        - ko: "**물**을 갖다 주세요"
          en: Please go and get me **water**
        - ko: "**물**을 이 컵에 따라 주세요"
          en: Please pour **water** into this cup
        - ko: "**물**은 셀프입니다"
          en: "**Water** is self-serve"

    - ko: 음료수
      en: beverage
      examples:
        - ko: 어떤 **음료수**를 좋아해요?
          en: What **beverage** do you like?
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**음료수**를 냉장고에서 꺼내 줄래요?"
          en: Can you take a **beverage** out of the fridge for me?
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 맥주
      en: beer
      examples:
        - ko: "**맥주** 2잔 주세요"
          en: Two glasses of **beer**, please

    - ko: 소주
      en: a type of Korean traditional alcohol (strong, clear distilled liquor)
      notes: |
        <p>[A strong, clear distilled liquor, similar in strength to vodka; probably the most commonly consumed alcoholic drink in Korea]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**소주**를 좀 더 따라 줄까요?"
          en: Shall I pour you a bit more **soju**?
        - ko: "**소주** 2병 주세요"
          en: Please give me two bottles of **soju**

    - ko: 막걸리
      en: a type of Korean traditional alcohol (milky, lightly sparkling rice wine)
      notes: |
        <p>[A milky, lightly sparkling rice wine, lower in alcohol content than 소주]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**막걸리**를 좋아해요?"
          en: Do you like **makgeolli**?

    - ko: 콜라
      en: cola (Coke/Pepsi)
      examples:
        - ko: "**콜라** 한 잔 주세요"
          en: One glass of **cola**, please
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 저는 **콜라**보다 사이다를 더 좋아해요
          en: I like cider more than **cola**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 사이다
      en: '"cider" (this tastes similar to Sprite/7-Up)'
      notes: |
        <p>[Not alcoholic cider — 사이다 is a clear, carbonated soft drink similar to Sprite/7-Up]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**사이다** 있어요?"
          en: Do you have **cider (Sprite-like soda)**?
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 이 **사이다**는 너무 달아요
          en: This **cider (soda)** is too sweet
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 고기
      en: meat
      examples:
        - ko: 저는 어제 **고기**를 2번 먹었어요
          en: I ate **meat** twice yesterday

    - ko: 돼지고기
      en: pork
      examples:
        - ko: 저는 지난 번에 **돼지고기**를 먹었어요
          en: We ate **pork** last time

    - ko: 소고기
      en: beef
      examples:
        - ko: 저는 **소고기**를 안 먹어요
          en: I don't eat **beef**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**소고기**가 너무 비싸요"
          en: "**Beef** is too expensive"
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 해물
      en: seafood
      examples:
        - ko: "**해물**을 좋아해요?"
          en: Do you like **seafood**?
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 이 식당은 **해물**이 유명해요
          en: This restaurant is famous for its **seafood**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 재료
      en: ingredients
      examples:
        - ko: 김치에 **재료**가 많이 들어가요
          en: There are a lot of **ingredients** in kimchi

    - ko: 국내산
      en: some product/food from Korea
      notes: |
        <p>~산 is attached after a country name to indicate the origin of a food product (e.g. "호주산" = "from Australia"). If the product is from Korea, "국내산" (domestic) is used instead of "한국산."</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 김치 – **국내산**
          en: Kimchi – **Korea (domestic)**

    - ko: 식당
      en: restaurant
      examples:
        - ko: 그 **식당**이 어디에 있는 지 알아요?
          en: Do you know where that **restaurant** is?
        - ko: "**식당**은 은행 옆에 있어요"
          en: The **restaurant** is next to the bank
        - ko: 그 **식당**이 오래되었어요
          en: That **restaurant** is old

    - ko: 맛집
      en: delicious restaurant
      examples:
        - ko: "**맛집**을 핸드폰으로 검색해보자"
          en: Let's search for a good **restaurant** on my phone

    - ko: 젓가락
      en: chopstick
      examples:
        - ko: "**젓가락**으로 먹을 수 있어요?"
          en: Can you eat with **chopsticks**?
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**젓가락**이 하나만 있어요"
          en: There is only one **chopstick**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 숟가락
      en: spoon
      examples:
        - ko: "**숟가락**을 갖다 주세요"
          en: Please bring me a **spoon**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**숟가락**으로 국을 드세요"
          en: Eat the soup with a **spoon**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 포크
      en: fork
      examples:
        - ko: "**포크**가 있어요?"
          en: Do you have a **fork**?
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 저는 **포크**로 먹는 걸 더 좋아해요
          en: I prefer eating with a **fork**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 접시
      en: plate
      examples:
        - ko: "**접시**를 치워 주세요"
          en: Please clear the **plates** (from the table)

    - ko: 그릇
      en: bowl
      examples:
        - ko: 이 **그릇**은 너무 작아요
          en: This **bowl** is too small
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**그릇**을 하나 더 주세요"
          en: Please give me one more **bowl**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 탁자
      en: table
      examples:
        - ko: "**탁자** 위에 물이 있어요"
          en: There is water on the **table**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 이 **탁자**는 4명이 앉을 수 있어요
          en: Four people can sit at this **table**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 상
      en: small traditional Korean table that folds out
      notes: |
        <p>[A low, often foldable table used when sitting on the floor to eat, as opposed to 탁자, which refers to a more general/modern table]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**상**을 펴 주세요"
          en: Please fold out the **table**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**상** 위에 반찬이 많아요"
          en: There are a lot of side dishes on the **table**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 냄비
      en: pot
      examples:
        - ko: "**냄비**에 물을 끓여요"
          en: I'm boiling water in the **pot**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 이 **냄비**는 너무 뜨거워요
          en: This **pot** is too hot
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 냉장고
      en: refrigerator
      examples:
        - ko: "**냉장고**에 물이 있어요"
          en: There is water in the **refrigerator**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**냉장고**를 열어 주세요"
          en: Please open the **refrigerator**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 김치냉장고
      en: kimchi refrigerator
      notes: |
        <p>Many Korean households have a separate refrigerator dedicated just to kimchi, called 김치냉장고, kept at a different temperature/humidity ideal for storing and fermenting kimchi.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**김치냉장고**에 김치가 많아요"
          en: There is a lot of kimchi in the **kimchi fridge**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 우리 집에는 **김치냉장고**가 있어요
          en: We have a **kimchi fridge** at our house
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 냉동실
      en: freezer
      examples:
        - ko: 고기를 **냉동실**에 넣어 주세요
          en: Please put the meat in the **freezer**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**냉동실**이 꽉 찼어요"
          en: The **freezer** is full
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 메뉴
      en: menu
      notes: |
        <p>Korean people use 메뉴 to refer to the food that can be served at a restaurant/other place, not to the physical booklet listing the food. In English, "menu" usually refers to the physical booklet, which in Korean is called "메뉴판."</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 오늘 점심 **메뉴**가 뭐야?
          en: What is today's lunch **menu**?

  verbs:
    - ko: 먹다
      en: to eat
      examples:
        - ko: 다 **먹을** 수 있어요?
          en: Can you **eat** it all?
        - ko: 더 **먹고** 싶어요?
          en: Do you want to **eat** more?
        - ko: 같이 **먹자**!
          en: Let's **eat** together!
        - ko: 저는 아직 안 **먹었어요**
          en: I haven't **eaten** yet
        - ko: 많이 **드세요**!
          en: "**Eat** a lot (enjoy your meal) (formal)"

    - ko: 마시다
      en: to drink
      examples:
        - ko: 뭐 **마실래요**?
          en: What shall we **drink**?

    - ko: 요리하다
      en: to cook
      examples:
        - ko: 저는 김치찌개를 **요리했어요**
          en: I **cooked** kimchi stew
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**요리할** 줄 알아요?"
          en: Do you know how to **cook**?
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 따르다
      en: to pour
      examples:
        - ko: 소주를 좀 더 **따라** 줄까요?
          en: Shall I **pour** you a bit more soju?
        - ko: 물을 이 컵에 **따라** 주세요
          en: Please **pour** water into this cup

    - ko: 주다
      en: to give
      notes: |
        <p>~아/어 주세요 ("please give [me the favor of]...") is extremely common when politely requesting something, so many example sentences with 주다 look like requests rather than the literal verb "to give."</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 물 **주세요**
          en: Water, please
        - ko: 맥주 2잔 **주세요**
          en: Two glasses of beer, please
        - ko: 소스를 더 **주세요**
          en: Please **give** me more sauce
        - ko: 조금 더 **주세요**
          en: Just a little bit more, please
        - ko: 맛있는 것을 사 **줄게요**
          en: I will buy you something delicious

    - ko: 주문하다
      en: to order (place an order, e.g. at a counter/register)
      notes: |
        <p>[More formal/neutral sounding than 시키다; commonly used when speaking about the act of ordering itself, e.g. at a counter]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**주문할게요**"
          en: I'm going to **order** now
        - ko: "**주문했어요**?"
          en: Did you **order**?

    - ko: 시키다
      en: to order (request food/drinks be brought to you)
      notes: |
        <p>[Often used interchangeably with 주문하다 when ordering food, but 시키다 can also mean "to make someone do something"]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 뭐 **시켰어요**?
          en: What did you **order**?
        - ko: 더 **시킬까요**?
          en: Shall we **order** more?

    - ko: 계산하다
      en: to settle the bill
      notes: |
        <p>[Literally "to calculate"; used specifically for paying a bill, e.g. at a restaurant or store]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**계산이요**"
          en: Said when you want to pay for your meal at a restaurant

    - ko: 내다
      en: to pay (talking about who pays/covers the cost)
      notes: |
        <p>[Used when talking about who pays/covers the cost, as opposed to 계산하다, which is used for the act of settling the bill]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 제가 **낼게요**
          en: I'll **pay**
        - ko: 점심을 누가 **냈어요**?
          en: Who **paid** for lunch?

  adjectives:
    - ko: 비싸다
      en: expensive
      examples:
        - ko: 이 식당은 너무 **비싸요**
          en: This restaurant is too **expensive**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 소고기가 **비싸요**
          en: Beef is **expensive**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 싸다
      en: cheap
      examples:
        - ko: 이 김밥은 정말 **싸요**
          en: This kimbab is really **cheap**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 더 **싼** 식당이 있어요?
          en: Is there a **cheaper** restaurant?
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 배고프다
      en: hungry
      notes: (sometimes said as 배가 고프다)
      examples:
        - ko: 아직 **배고파요**?
          en: Are you still **hungry**?

    - ko: 배부르다
      en: full (not hungry)
      notes: (sometimes said as 배가 부르다)
      examples:
        - ko: 저는 너무 **배불러요**
          en: I am too **full**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**배불러서** 더 못 먹어요"
          en: I'm too **full**, I can't eat any more
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 맛있다
      en: delicious
      notes: |
        <p>The word "맛" means "taste." So 맛있다 (or 맛이 있다) literally means "to have taste," and 맛없다 (or 맛이 없다) literally means "to not have taste."</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 이 게 **맛있어요**
          en: This is **delicious**
        - ko: 제일 **맛있는** 게 뭐에요?
          en: What is the most **delicious** thing?
        - ko: "**맛있게** 드세요!"
          en: Bon Appétit (formal)

    - ko: 맛없다
      en: not delicious
      notes: |
        <p>Literally "to not have taste" (맛이 없다). See notes on 맛있다.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 이 음식은 좀 **맛없어요**
          en: This food is a bit **not delicious**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 어제 먹은 것은 **맛없었어요**
          en: What I ate yesterday was **not delicious**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 짜다
      en: salty
      notes: |
        <p>[In English, "salty" is usually only used when something literally has too much salt. In Korean, 짜다 is used much more broadly to describe anything over-seasoned, so it's heard far more often than its English counterpart.]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 이 국은 너무 **짜요**
          en: This soup is too **salty**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 반찬이 좀 **짜요**
          en: The side dishes are a bit **salty**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 느끼하다
      en: greasy
      notes: |
        <p>[Describes food, or the feeling after eating food, that is heavy/doughy/oily — commonly spaghetti, pizza, bread, or anything with a lot of cheese/wheat. Eating something pickled is a common way to counteract this feeling, which is why pickles are often served with pizza or pasta in Korea.]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 이 피자는 너무 **느끼해요**
          en: This pizza is too **greasy**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 스파게티를 먹으면 좀 **느끼해요**
          en: When I eat spaghetti, I feel a bit **greasy**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 고소하다
      en: nutty
      notes: |
        <p>[Describes a nutty taste/aroma, most commonly associated with sesame oil (참기름); hard to translate perfectly into English]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 참기름 냄새가 **고소해요**
          en: The sesame oil smells **nutty**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 이 반찬은 **고소한** 맛이 나요
          en: This side dish has a **nutty** taste
          notes: Generated by Claude

  meals:
    - ko: 아침(식사)
      ko_text: 아침
      en: breakfast
      notes: |
        <p>아침 also means "morning" (hence 아침식사 literally means "morning meal"), but context always makes clear whether the speaker means "morning" or "breakfast." For example:</p>
        <p>저는 아침에 일찍 일어났어요 = I woke up early in the morning</p>
        <p>저는 아침을 먹었어요 = I ate breakfast</p>
        <p>The same applies to 점심 and 저녁.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 저는 **아침식사**로 밥을 먹었어요
          en: I ate rice for **breakfast**
        - ko: 저는 **아침**에 일찍 일어났어요
          en: I woke up early in the **morning**
        - ko: 저는 **아침**을 먹었어요
          en: I ate **breakfast**

    - ko: 점심(식사)
      ko_text: 점심
      en: lunch
      notes: |
        <p>Like 아침, 점심 can stand alone (without 식사 attached) to mean "lunch," and context makes it clear whether "lunch" is meant. Unlike 아침, 점심 does not separately mean "midday" the way 아침 means "morning" — in everyday use, 점심 simply refers to the meal.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**점심**으로 뭐 먹고 싶어요?"
          en: What do you want to eat for **lunch**?
        - ko: "**점심**을 먹었어?"
          en: Did you eat **lunch**?
        - ko: "**점심**으로 뭐 먹었어요?"
          en: What did you eat for **lunch**?
        - ko: "**점심**은 어땠어요?"
          en: How was **lunch**?
        - ko: "**점심**을 누가 냈어요?"
          en: Who paid for **lunch**?

    - ko: 저녁(식사)
      ko_text: 저녁
      en: dinner
      notes: |
        <p>Like 아침, 저녁 can be used alone (without 식사 attached) to mean "dinner." 저녁 also means "evening," and just as with 아침, context makes it clear whether the speaker means "evening" or "dinner." For example:</p>
        <p>저는 저녁에 운동해요 = I exercise in the evening</p>
        <p>저는 저녁을 먹었어요 = I ate dinner</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**저녁**으로 뭐 먹을래요?"
          en: What shall we eat for **dinner**?
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 저는 **저녁**을 아직 안 먹었어요
          en: I haven't eaten **dinner** yet
          notes: Generated by Claude

  반찬:
    - ko: (배추)김치
      en: (cabbage) kimchi
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/banchan3.jpg"></p>
        <p>There are many types of kimchi, but when Korean people just say "김치" without specifying, they usually mean the kimchi made from Korean cabbage (배추). The full name "배추김치" is rarely necessary — "김치" alone is understood to mean this type.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**김치**에 재료가 많이 들어가요"
          en: There are a lot of ingredients in **kimchi**
        - ko: "**김치**가 너무 매워요"
          en: The **kimchi** is too spicy
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 저는 **김치**를 매일 먹어요
          en: I eat **kimchi** every day
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 김
      en: seaweed
      examples:
        - ko: "**김**을 밥이랑 같이 먹어요"
          en: I eat **seaweed** together with rice
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**김**이 바삭바삭해요"
          en: The **seaweed** is crispy
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 깍두기
      en: diced radish kimchi
      notes: |
        <p>[Made from radish cut into small cubes; one of the most common banchan alongside 배추김치]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**깍두기**도 좀 주세요"
          en: Please also give me some **diced radish kimchi**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 이 식당 **깍두기**가 맛있어요
          en: This restaurant's **diced radish kimchi** is delicious
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 무생채
      en: sliced radish kimchi
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/banchan4.jpg"></p>
        <p>[Made from thinly sliced radish that is seasoned but not fermented, unlike most other kimchi; has a fresher, more salad-like texture]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**무생채**는 안 매워요"
          en: "**Sliced radish kimchi** is not spicy"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**무생채**를 만들어 봤어요"
          en: I tried making **sliced radish kimchi**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 오이김치
      en: cucumber kimchi
      notes: |
        <p>[Made from cucumber, usually stuffed with a spicy radish/chive filling; lighter and more refreshing than cabbage kimchi]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 여름에는 **오이김치**를 자주 먹어요
          en: I often eat **cucumber kimchi** in the summer
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**오이김치**가 시원해요"
          en: "**Cucumber kimchi** is refreshing"
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 총각김치
      en: radish kimchi
      notes: |
        <p>[Made with whole small "chonggak" radishes, often including the green tops, usually left whole or cut in half. Compare with 열무김치, which uses young summer radish, and 깍두기, which uses diced radish.]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**총각김치**는 무가 통째로 들어가요"
          en: "**Chonggak kimchi** has the whole radish in it"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**총각김치**를 먹어 본 적 있어요?"
          en: Have you ever tried **chonggak radish kimchi**?
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 열무김치
      en: radish kimchi
      notes: |
        <p>[Made with young summer radish (열무), which has soft leaves and thin roots. Often eaten with cold noodles (열무국수) in summer. Compare with 총각김치, which uses a different, more mature radish.]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**열무김치**는 여름에 인기가 많아요"
          en: "**Yeolmu kimchi** is very popular in summer"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**열무김치**국수를 먹고 싶어요"
          en: I want to eat **yeolmu kimchi** noodles
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 나물
      en: seasoned herbs/vegetables
      notes: |
        <p>[A general term for banchan made from herbs or vegetables that are blanched/cooked and then seasoned, typically with sesame oil, garlic, and salt. 콩나물 무침 is one specific example of 나물.]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 저는 **나물**을 좋아해요
          en: I like **seasoned vegetables**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 이 **나물**은 고소해요
          en: This **seasoned vegetable dish** is nutty
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 콩나물 무침
      en: seasoned beansprout
      notes: |
        <p>[A specific type of 나물 made from soybean sprouts (콩나물), seasoned typically with sesame oil, garlic, and salt]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**콩나물 무침**을 만들어 줄게요"
          en: I'll make you some **seasoned beansprouts**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**콩나물 무침**이 아주 고소해요"
          en: The **seasoned beansprouts** are very nutty
          notes: Generated by Claude

  soups:
    - ko: 국
      en: soup (with one main ingredient and a lot of water)
      notes: |
        <p>[More of a soup with one main ingredient and a lot of water, compared to 찌개 and 탕]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**미역국**을 먹었어요"
          en: I ate seaweed **soup**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 찌개
      en: stew (less water, lots of things boiled together)
      notes: |
        <p>[More of a stew with less water than 국, and lots of ingredients boiled together]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**김치찌개**를 시켰어요"
          en: I ordered kimchi **stew**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 탕
      en: '"tang" (watery, but boiled for a long time with a lot of stuff in it)'
      notes: |
        <p>[Watery like 국, but boiled for a long time and containing a lot of ingredients, often meat/bones]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**삼계탕**을 여름에 먹어요"
          en: I eat **samgyetang** (chicken ginseng **soup**) in the summer
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 미역국
      en: seaweed soup
      examples:
        - ko: 생일에는 **미역국**을 먹어요
          en: We eat **seaweed soup** on birthdays
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**미역국**이 몸에 좋아요"
          en: "**Seaweed soup** is good for your body"
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 만둣국
      en: dumpling soup
      examples:
        - ko: 설날에 **만둣국**을 먹어요
          en: We eat **dumpling soup** on Lunar New Year
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**만둣국**이 따뜻해요"
          en: "**Dumpling soup** is warm"
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 삼계탕
      en: chicken soup with ginseng
      notes: |
        <p>[Often eaten in the summer, believed to help restore energy during hot weather]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: 더운 날에는 **삼계탕**을 먹어요
          en: We eat **samgyetang** on hot days
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**삼계탕**에는 인삼이 들어가요"
          en: "**Samgyetang** contains ginseng"
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 닭볶음탕
      en: stir fried chicken pot
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/dalkbokkeumtang.jpg"></p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**닭볶음탕**은 좀 매워요"
          en: "**Dakbokkeumtang** is a bit spicy"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**닭볶음탕**을 만들 줄 알아요?"
          en: Do you know how to make **dakbokkeumtang**?
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 해물탕
      en: spicy seafood stew
      examples:
        - ko: "**해물탕**에 새우가 들어가요"
          en: There is shrimp in the **spicy seafood stew**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**해물탕**을 나눠 먹자"
          en: Let's share the **spicy seafood stew**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 된장찌개
      en: bean paste stew
      examples:
        - ko: "**된장찌개**는 짜요"
          en: "**Doenjang stew** is salty"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 저는 **된장찌개**를 자주 먹어요
          en: I often eat **doenjang stew**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 김치찌개
      en: kimchi stew
      examples:
        - ko: "**김치찌개**를 끓여 줄게요"
          en: I'll cook **kimchi stew** for you
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**김치찌개**가 너무 매워요"
          en: "**Kimchi stew** is too spicy"
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 감자탕
      en: pork vertebrae stew
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kamjatang.jpg"></p>
        <p>감자 also means "potato" in Korean, so many foreigners (and even some younger Korean people) incorrectly assume that 감자탕 should contain potatoes. You'll often see potatoes in 감자탕, but this is reportedly a modern phenomenon caused by people ordering 감자탕 and arguing that there should be potatoes in their "potato stew."</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**감자탕**에는 감자가 없을 수도 있어요"
          en: "**Gamjatang** might not have any potatoes in it"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**감자탕**을 먹으러 가자"
          en: Let's go eat **gamjatang**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 부대찌개
      en: Army soup
      notes: |
        <p>During the Korean war, the US military used to give extra food to Korean people on the street. This usually consisted of things like hot-dogs and other similar items, so Korean people at the time took all the ingredients and made a stew out of it.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**부대찌개**에는 소시지랑 햄이 들어가요"
          en: "**Budae-jjigae** has sausage and ham in it"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**부대찌개**를 라면이랑 같이 먹어요"
          en: I eat **budae-jjigae** together with ramen
          notes: Generated by Claude

  meat:
    - ko: 삼겹살
      en: pork belly (similar to bacon, but thicker)
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/samgyupsal.jpg"></p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**삼겹살** 2개랑 밥 2공기 주세요"
          en: Two orders of **Samgyupsal**, and two orders of rice, please

    - ko: 오겹살
      en: pork belly (but there are five layers of fat instead of three)
      notes: |
        <p>[Compare with 삼겹살, which has three layers of fat/meat; 오겹살 has five layers, making it slightly fattier]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**오겹살**은 삼겹살보다 더 기름져요"
          en: "**Ogyeopsal** is fattier than samgyeopsal"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**오겹살**을 구워 먹자"
          en: Let's grill and eat some **ogyeopsal**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 목살
      en: pork neck
      examples:
        - ko: "**목살**은 좀 덜 기름져요"
          en: "**Pork neck** is a bit less greasy"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 저는 **목살**을 제일 좋아해요
          en: I like **pork neck** the most
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 갈비
      en: ribs
      examples:
        - ko: "**갈비**를 먹으러 가자"
          en: Let's go eat **ribs**
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**갈비**는 좀 비싸요"
          en: "**Ribs** are a bit expensive"
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: LA 갈비
      en: short ribs
      notes: |
        <p>[Cut across the bone so several small round bones appear in each strip, unlike traditional 갈비 which is cut along the bone; named after Los Angeles, where this cut became popular]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**LA 갈비**는 뼈가 여러 개 보여요"
          en: "**LA galbi** has several bones visible in it"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**LA 갈비**를 양념에 재워 놨어요"
          en: I marinated the **LA galbi**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 닭갈비
      en: stir-fried chicken
      notes: |
        <p>[Despite containing "갈비" (ribs) in the name, 닭갈비 doesn't contain ribs at all — it's stir-fried marinated chicken, usually with vegetables and rice cakes]</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**닭갈비**는 맵고 맛있어요"
          en: "**Dakgalbi** is spicy and delicious"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 춘천은 **닭갈비**로 유명해요
          en: Chuncheon is famous for **dakgalbi**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 불고기
      en: meat marinated in sweet soy sauce
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bulgogi2.jpg"></p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**불고기**는 좀 달아요"
          en: "**Bulgogi** is a bit sweet"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**불고기**를 상추에 싸 먹어요"
          en: I eat **bulgogi** wrapped in lettuce
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 김치볶음밥
      en: Kimchi fried rice
      examples:
        - ko: "**김치볶음밥**을 만들어 줄게요"
          en: I'll make **kimchi fried rice** for you
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**김치볶음밥**에 계란을 넣었어요"
          en: I put an egg in the **kimchi fried rice**
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 김밥
      en: A roll of rice and other ingredients wrapped in seaweed
      examples:
        - ko: 김밥 1줄 주세요
          en: One (line) of **kimbab** please
        - ko: 김밥은 얼마예요?
          en: How much is (the) **kimbab**?

    - ko: 떡
      en: Rice cakes
      notes: |
        <p>Rice cakes (떡) are soft and doughy, and are not the same as the dry, crunchy rice cakes that are common in the West.</p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**떡**은 쫄깃쫄깃해요"
          en: "**Rice cakes** are chewy"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: 저는 **떡**을 명절에 먹어요
          en: I eat **rice cakes** during holidays
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 떡볶이
      en: Spicy rice cakes
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ddokbokki.jpg"></p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**떡볶이**가 너무 매워요"
          en: "**Tteokbokki** is too spicy"
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**떡볶이**를 김밥이랑 같이 먹어요"
          en: I eat **tteokbokki** together with kimbab
          notes: Generated by Claude

    - ko: 비빔밥
      en: Mixed rice with vegetables
      notes: |
        <p><img src="https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bibimbap.jpg"></p>
      examples:
        - ko: "**비빔밥**을 잘 비벼야 돼요"
          en: You have to mix the **bibimbap** well
          notes: Generated by Claude
        - ko: "**비빔밥**에 고추장을 넣어요"
          en: I put gochujang in the **bibimbap**
          notes: Generated by Claude

sentence:
  while_eating:
    - ko: 건배!
      en: Cheers!

    - ko: 어때요?
      en: How is it?

    - ko: 이 게 맛있어요
      en: This is delicious

    - ko: 그 게 안 매워요?
      en: Is it not spicy?

    - ko: 아직 배고파요?
      en: Are you still hungry?

    - ko: 더 먹고 싶어요?
      en: Do you want to eat more?

    - ko: 다 먹을 수 있어요?
      en: Can you eat it all?

    - ko: 더 시킬까요?
      en: Shall we order more?

    - ko: 소주를 좀 더 따라 줄까요?
      en: Shall I pour you a bit more soju?

    - ko: 막걸리를 좋아해요?
      en: Do you like 막걸리?

    - ko: 편히 앉아
      en: Sit comfortably
      notes: In Korea, it is common to sit on the floor during a meal. It is polite to first kneel in an uncomfortable way, and then be told to sit down comfortably.

  before_eating:
    - ko: 뭐 먹을래요?
      en: What shall we eat?

    - ko: 뭐 먹을까요?
      en: What shall we eat?

    - ko: 뭐 마실래요?
      en: What shall we drink?

    - ko: 밥 먹자!
      en: Let’s eat!

    - ko: 점심으로 뭐 먹고 싶어요?
      en: What do you want to eat for lunch?

    - ko: 그 식당이 어디에 있는 지 알아요?
      en: Do you know where that restaurant is?

    - ko: 맛집을 핸드폰으로 검색해보자
      en: Let’s search for a good restaurant on my phone

    - ko: 식당은 은행 옆에 있어요
      en: The restaurant is next to the bank

    - ko: 그 식당이 오래되었어요
      en: That restaurant is old

    - ko: 주문할게요
      en: I’m going to order now

    - ko: 주문했어요?
      en: Did you order?

    - ko: 뭐 시켰어요?
      en: What did you order?

    - ko: 맛있는 것을 사 줄게요
      en: I will buy you something delicious

    - ko: 제일 맛있는 게 뭐에요?
      en: What is the most delicious thing?

    - ko: 김밥 1줄 주세요
      en: One (line) of kimbab please
      notes: 김밥 is in the shape of a line, so the counter they use for it is “줄” (which means “line”)

    - ko: 김밥은 얼마예요?
      en: How much is (the) kimbab?

    - ko: 같이 먹자!
      en: Let’s eat together!

    - ko: 저는 아직 안 먹었어요
      en: I haven’t eaten yet

    - ko: 저는 아무것도 먹고 싶지 않아요
      en: I don’t want to eat anything/I want to eat nothing

    - ko: 어떤 종류 음식을 먹고 싶어요?
      en: What type of food do you like the most?

    - ko: 딴 것(을) 먹을래요?
      en: Shall we eat something else?
      notes: You wouldn’t say this while eating and suggesting to eat something else. Rather, you would say this if you are trying to decide what to eat, and your friend suggests something you don’t like. As if you were saying “let’s eat something else instead.”

    - ko: 식사 할 거에요?
      en: Will you eat?
      notes: The word “식사” is also used when people have some sort of soup/stew at a restaurant. For example, you might walk into a Korean BBQ restaurant, and only want to get a soup/stew. At this point, you can say “식사만 할 거에요.” This would often translate to “I’m just going to have a meal,” but in this context, it indicates that you are going to have this specific type of meal.

  asking_for_something:
    - ko: 여기요!
      en: Excuse me!
      notes: (If you want someone to come to help you with something at a restaurant)

    - ko: 물 주세요
      en: Water, please

    - ko: 맥주 2잔 주세요
      en: Two glasses of beer, please

    - ko: 물을 갖다 주세요
      en: Please go and get me water

    - ko: 물을 이 컵에 따라 주세요
      en: Please pour water into this cup

    - ko: 삼겹살 2개랑 밥 2공기 주세요
      en: Two orders of Samgyupsal, and two orders of rice, please

    - ko: 소스를 더 주세요
      en: Please give me more sauce

    - ko: 소주 2병 주세요
      en: Please give me two bottles of soju

    - ko: 조금 더 주세요
      en: Just a little bit more, please

    - ko: 판을 바꿔 주세요
      en: Please change the pan
      notes: (This is common when eating Korean BBQ because the meat eventually burns the pan a little bit, so you need to change it for a new one)

  after_eating:
    - ko: 잘 먹었습니다
      en: “I ate well”
      notes: If somebody buys/provides/cooks you with a meal, it is polite to say this after you are finished to show your thanks. It is also common in Korean to say this to people who you ate the meal with, even if they had no role in buying/providing/cooking the meal. For example, if you and all of your friends are at a restaurant, right before getting up to leave, they might all say this to each other. They would probably also say the same thing to the owner/cook/whoever when they leave the restaurant as well.

    - ko: 잘 먹었어?
      en: “Did you eat well?
      notes: Both of these are commonly said by older people in Korean to younger people (or people of the same age) to ask if they had a good meal.

    - ko: 많이 먹었어?
      en: “Did you eat a lot?”
      notes: Both of these are commonly said by older people in Korean to younger people (or people of the same age) to ask if they had a good meal.

    - ko: 점심은 어땠어요?
      en: How was lunch?

    - ko: 점심을 먹었어?
      en: Did you eat lunch?

    - ko: 무엇을 먹었어?
      en: What did you eat?

    - ko: 식사 하셨어요?
      en: Have you eaten? (formal)

    - ko: 밥 먹었어?
      en: Have you eaten? (informal)

    - ko: 점심으로 뭐 먹었어요?
      en: What did you eat for lunch?

    - ko: 저는 아침식사로 밥을 먹었어요
      en: I ate rice for breakfast

    - ko: 불을 빼 주세요
      en: Please take out the fire (common in a BBQ restaurant)

    - ko: 나는 그만 먹을래
      en: I’m done eating (I’m finished eating)

    - ko: 저는 밥을 많이 먹었어요
      en: I ate a lot of food (rice)

    - ko: 접시를 치워 주세요
      en: Please clear the plates (from the table)

    - ko: 계산이요
      en: Said when you want to pay for your meal at a restaurant

    - ko: 제가 낼게요
      en: I’ll pay

    - ko: 점심을 누가 냈어요?
      en: Who paid for lunch?

    - ko: 저는 밥을 친구랑 저의 어머니랑 먹었어요
      en: I ate with my mom and my friend

    - ko: 2(이)차를 갈까요?
      en: Shall we do round two?
      notes: (After a meal, it is very common for Korean people continue their outing with friends/coworkers by going to another restaurant or bar. They call this “Round two”)

  general:
    - ko: 많이 드세요!
      en: Eat a lot (enjoy your meal) (formal)

    - ko: 많이 먹어!
      en: Eat a lot (enjoy your meal) (informal)

    - ko: 맛있게 드세요!
      en: Bon Appétit (formal)

    - ko: 김치에 재료가 많이 들어가요
      en: There are a lot of ingredients in kimchi

    - ko: 저는 어제 고기를 2번 먹었어요
      en: I ate meat twice yesterday

    - ko: 저는 지난 번에 돼지고기를 먹었어요
      en: We ate pork last time

    - ko: 저는 밥을 5시에 먹을 거에요
      en: I will eat at 5:00

    - ko: 저는 사흘 동안 밥을 안 먹었어요
      en: I didn’t eat rice for 3 days

    - ko: 저는 2주일 동안 한식을 안 먹었어요
      en: I didn’t eat Korean food for two weeks

    - ko: 저는 아침식사로 밥을 먹었어요
      en: I ate rice for breakfast

    - ko: 저는 보통 점심식사로 과일만 먹어요
      en: I usually only eat fruit for lunch

    - ko: 저는 빵을 친구랑 먹었어요
      en: I ate bread with a friend

    - ko: 저는 밥을 먹고 갈 거에요
      en: I will eat and then go

    - ko: 저는 엄마가 밥을 먹은 지 안 먹은 지 몰라요
      en: I don’t know if mom ate or not

    - ko: 밥을 먹은 지 5분 됐다
      en: I have been eating for 5 minutes

  written:
    - ko: 어서 오십시오
      en: Come in!

    - ko: 물은 셀프입니다
      en: Water is self-serve

    - ko: 반찬을 남기지 마세요
      en: Don’t leave any ban-chan (side dishes)

    - ko: 반찬을 먹을 만큼만 가져가세요
      en: Only take the amount of side-dishes that you will eat

    - ko: 소고기 – 호주산
      en: Beef – Australia
      notes: Korean restaurants display the country of origin of their food products. If the product came from Korea, you will see “국내산.” For any other country, the country name is placed before “~산.”

    - ko: 돼지고기 – 미국산
      en: Pork – America
      notes: Korean restaurants display the country of origin of their food products. If the product came from Korea, you will see “국내산.” For any other country, the country name is placed before “~산.”

    - ko: 김치 – 국내산
      en: Kimchi – Korea (domestic)
      notes: Korean restaurants display the country of origin of their food products. If the product came from Korea, you will see “국내산.” For any other country, the country name is placed before “~산.”
---

# (Theme) Unit 1: #3 – Eating

## Introduction

Boasting some of the most delicious choices of food in the world, it is always good to learn common vocabulary and sentences related to food.

Below is a list of vocabulary you may find useful during a meal or in a restaurant setting.

## Vocabulary

<VocabQuiz />

### Nouns

김치 = <span class="md spoiler">kimchi</span>

밥 = <span class="md spoiler">rice (or a “meal” or “food”)</span>

반찬 = <span class="md spoiler">side dish</span>

식사 = <span class="md spoiler">meal</span>

물 = <span class="md spoiler">water</span>

음료수 = <span class="md spoiler">beverage</span>

맥주 = <span class="md spoiler">beer</span>

소주 = <span class="md spoiler">a type of Korean traditional alcohol</span>

막걸리 = <span class="md spoiler">a type of Korean traditional alcohol</span>

콜라 = <span class="md spoiler">cola _(Coke/Pepsi)_</span>

사이다 = <span class="md spoiler">“cider” _(this tastes similar to Sprite/7-Up)_</span>

고기 = <span class="md spoiler">meat</span>

돼지고기 = <span class="md spoiler">pork</span>

소고기 = <span class="md spoiler">beef</span>

해물 = <span class="md spoiler">seafood</span>

재료 = <span class="md spoiler">ingredients</span>

국내산 = <span class="md spoiler">some product/food from Korea</span>

식당 = <span class="md spoiler">restaurant</span>

맛집 = <span class="md spoiler">delicious restaurant</span>

젓가락 = <span class="md spoiler">chopstick</span>

숟가락 = <span class="md spoiler">spoon</span>

포크 = <span class="md spoiler">fork</span>

접시 = <span class="md spoiler">plate</span>

그릇 = <span class="md spoiler">bowl</span>

탁자 = <span class="md spoiler">table</span>

상 = <span class="md spoiler">small traditional Korean table that folds out</span>

냄비 = <span class="md spoiler">pot</span>

냉장고 = <span class="md spoiler">refrigerator</span>

김치냉장고 = <span class="md spoiler">kimchi refrigerator</span>

냉동실 = <span class="md spoiler">freezer</span>

메뉴 = <span class="md spoiler">menu</span>

<Details>

Korean people use the word “menu” (메뉴) to refer to the food that can be served at a restaurant/other place. For example, at a school, you might hear students say “오늘 점심 메뉴가 뭐야?” Here, they are asking “What is the menu.” In English, we use “menu” to refer to the actual book that has different foods written on it. In Korean, this is referred to as “메뉴판.”

</Details>

Various types of foods are talked about later in the lesson.

### Verbs

먹다 = <span class="md spoiler">to eat</span>

마시다 = <span class="md spoiler">to drink</span>

요리하다 = <span class="md spoiler">to cook</span>

따르다 = <span class="md spoiler">to pour</span>

주다 = <span class="md spoiler">to give</span>

주문하다 = <span class="md spoiler">to order</span>

시키다 = <span class="md spoiler">to order</span>

계산하다 = <span class="md spoiler">to pay</span>

내다 = <span class="md spoiler">to pay</span>

### Adjectives

비싸다 = <span class="md spoiler">expensive</span>

싸다 = <span class="md spoiler">cheap</span>

배고프다 = <span class="md spoiler">hungry</span>

<Details>

(sometimes said as 배가 고프다)

</Details>

배부르다 = <span class="md spoiler">full (not hungry)</span>

<Details>

(sometimes said as 배가 부르다)

</Details>

맛있다 = <span class="md spoiler">delicious</span>

맛없다 = <span class="md spoiler">not delicious</span>

<Details>

The word “맛” in Korean is “taste.” Therefore, by saying “맛있다” (or 맛이 있다) and “맛없다” (or 맛이 없다) you are literally saying that something has taste or does not have taste.

</Details>

There are some words in Korean that we don’t have a good word for in English:

짜다 = <span class="md spoiler">“salty”</span>

<Details>

In English, I would only ever say this word if something literally has too much salt on it. In Korea, they use this word to refer to anything that has been over-spiced, which is, in effect putting too much salt in something. Therefore, while it might be rare to hear somebody say that something is “too salty” in English, you will hear it every day in Korean.

</Details>

느끼하다 = <span class="md spoiler">“greasy”</span>

<Details>

Korean people use this word to describe the food, or the feeling after eating a type of food that is very doughy. The biggest culprit of this in Korea would probably be spaghetti, but other things like Pizza, bread, doughnuts or other things with lots of cheese/wheat will make Korean people feel “느끼해.” The best way to combat this feeling in Korea is to eat something pickled, which means that pickles often come as a side dish when you order pizza or pasta.

</Details>

고소하다 = <span class="md spoiler">“nutty”</span>

<Details>

Korean people use this word to describe the feeling/taste when you eat something that tastes “nutty.” It is hard to explain this perfectly, but the most common time you will hear this word is when somebody eats sesame oil (참기름).

</Details>

### Meals

아침(식사) = <span class="md spoiler">breakfast</span>

점심(식사) = <span class="md spoiler">lunch</span>

저녁(식사) = <span class="md spoiler">dinner</span>

<Details>

While the word for “breakfast” can be seen as “아침식사,” it is very common to refer to it simply as “아침.” Note that this word also means morning (hence, 아침식사 means “morning meal), but the context always makes it clear if you are referring to the morning, or breakfast. For example:

- 저는 아침에 일찍 일어났어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I woke up early in the morning</span>
- 저는 아침을 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I ate breakfast</span>

The same thing can be said for 점심 and 저녁.

</Details>

For help memorizing these words, try using our [Memrise tool](http://www.memrise.com/course/150816/howtostudykoreancom-unit-1-2/28/).

Now let’s look at some specific sentences that you may find useful when in a restaurant setting:

## Sentences

<VocabQuiz fm-key="sentence" />

### While eating

---

<VocabQuiz fm-key="sentence" category="while_eating" />

건배! = <span class="md spoiler">Cheers!</span>

어때요? = <span class="md spoiler">How is it?</span>

이 게 맛있어요 = <span class="md spoiler">This is delicious</span>

그 게 안 매워요? = <span class="md spoiler">Is it not spicy?</span>

아직 배고파요? = <span class="md spoiler">Are you still hungry?</span>

더 먹고 싶어요? = <span class="md spoiler">Do you want to eat more?</span>

다 먹을 수 있어요? = <span class="md spoiler">Can you eat it all?</span>

더 시킬까요? = <span class="md spoiler">Shall we order more?</span>

소주를 좀 더 따라 줄까요? = <span class="md spoiler">Shall I pour you a bit more soju?</span>

막걸리를 좋아해요? = <span class="md spoiler">Do you like 막걸리?</span>

편히 앉아 = <span class="md spoiler">Sit comfortably</span>

_In Korea, it is common to sit on the floor during a meal. It is polite to first kneel in an uncomfortable way, and then be told to sit down comfortably._

### Deciding What to Eat/Before Eating

---

<VocabQuiz fm-key="sentence" category="before_eating" />

뭐 먹을래요? = <span class="md spoiler">What shall we eat?</span>

뭐 먹을까요? = <span class="md spoiler">What shall we eat?</span>

뭐 마실래요? = <span class="md spoiler">What shall we drink?</span>

밥 먹자! = <span class="md spoiler">Let’s eat!</span>

점심으로 뭐 먹고 싶어요? = <span class="md spoiler">What do you want to eat for lunch?</span>

그 식당이 어디에 있는 지 알아요? = <span class="md spoiler">Do you know where that restaurant is?</span>

맛집을 핸드폰으로 검색해보자 = <span class="md spoiler">Let’s search for a good restaurant on my phone</span>

식당은 은행 옆에 있어요 = <span class="md spoiler">The restaurant is next to the bank</span>

그 식당이 오래되었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">That restaurant is old</span>

주문할게요 = <span class="md spoiler">I’m going to order now</span>

주문했어요? = <span class="md spoiler">Did you order?</span>

뭐 시켰어요? = <span class="md spoiler">What did you order?</span>

맛있는 것을 사 줄게요 = <span class="md spoiler">I will buy you something delicious</span>

제일 맛있는 게 뭐에요? = <span class="md spoiler">What is the most delicious thing?</span>

김밥 1줄 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">One (line) of kimbab please</span>

김밥 _is in the shape of a line, so the counter they use for it is_ “줄” _(which means “<span class="md spoiler">line</span>”)_

김밥은 얼마예요? = <span class="md spoiler">How much is (the) kimbab?</span>

같이 먹자! = <span class="md spoiler">Let’s eat together!</span>

저는 아직 안 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I haven’t eaten yet</span>

저는 아무것도 먹고 싶지 않아요 = <span class="md spoiler">I don’t want to eat anything/I want to eat nothing</span>

어떤 종류 음식을 먹고 싶어요? = <span class="md spoiler">What type of food do you like the most?</span>

딴 것(을) 먹을래요? = <span class="md spoiler">Shall we eat something else?</span>

_You wouldn’t say this while eating and suggesting to eat something else. Rather, you would say this if you are trying to decide what to eat, and your friend suggests something you don’t like. As if you were saying “let’s eat something else instead.”_

식사 할 거에요? = <span class="md spoiler">Will you eat?</span>

_The word_ “식사” _is also used when people have some sort of soup/stew at a restaurant. For example, you might walk into a Korean BBQ restaurant, and only want to get a soup/stew. At this point, you can say_ “식사만 할 거에요.” _This would often translate to “<span class="md spoiler">I’m just going to have a meal</span>,” but in this context, it indicates that you are going to have this specific type of meal._

### Asking for Something While Eating

---

<VocabQuiz fm-key="sentence" category="asking_for_something" />

여기요! = <span class="md spoiler">Excuse me!</span>

_(If you want someone to come to help you with something at a restaurant)_

물 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Water, please</span>

맥주 2잔 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Two glasses of beer, please</span>

물을 갖다 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Please go and get me water</span>

물을 이 컵에 따라 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Please pour water into this cup</span>

삼겹살 2개랑 밥 2공기 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Two orders of Samgyupsal, and two orders of rice, please</span>

소스를 더 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Please give me more sauce</span>

소주 2병 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Please give me two bottles of soju</span>

조금 더 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Just a little bit more, please</span>

판을 바꿔 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Please change the pan</span>

_(This is common when eating Korean BBQ because the meat eventually burns the pan a little bit, so you need to change it for a new one)_

### After eating

---

<VocabQuiz fm-key="sentence" category="after_eating" />

잘 먹었습니다 = <span class="md spoiler">“I ate well”</span>

_If somebody buys/provides/cooks you with a meal, it is polite to say this after you are finished to show your thanks. It is also common in Korean to say this to people who you ate the meal with, even if they had no role in buying/providing/cooking the meal. For example, if you and all of your friends are at a restaurant, right before getting up to leave, they might all say this to each other. They would probably also say the same thing to the owner/cook/whoever when they leave the restaurant as well._

- 잘 먹었어? = <span class="md spoiler">“Did you eat well?</span>
- 많이 먹었어? = <span class="md spoiler">“Did you eat a lot?”</span>

_Both of these are commonly said by older people in Korean to younger people (or people of the same age) to ask if they had a good meal._

점심은 어땠어요? = <span class="md spoiler">How was lunch?</span>

점심을 먹었어? = <span class="md spoiler">Did you eat lunch?</span>

무엇을 먹었어? = <span class="md spoiler">What did you eat?</span>

식사 하셨어요? = <span class="md spoiler">Have you eaten? (formal)</span>

밥 먹었어? = <span class="md spoiler">Have you eaten? (informal)</span>

점심으로 뭐 먹었어요? = <span class="md spoiler">What did you eat for lunch?</span>

저는 아침식사로 밥을 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I ate rice for breakfast</span>

불을 빼 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Please take out the fire (common in a BBQ restaurant)</span>

나는 그만 먹을래 = <span class="md spoiler">I’m done eating (I’m finished eating)</span>

저는 밥을 많이 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I ate a lot of food (rice)</span>

접시를 치워 주세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Please clear the plates (from the table)</span>

계산이요 = <span class="md spoiler">Said when you want to pay for your meal at a restaurant</span>

제가 낼게요 = <span class="md spoiler">I’ll pay</span>

점심을 누가 냈어요? = <span class="md spoiler">Who paid for lunch?</span>

저는 밥을 친구랑 저의 어머니랑 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I ate with my mom and my friend</span>

2(이)차를 갈까요? = <span class="md spoiler">Shall we do round two?</span>

_(After a meal, it is very common for Korean people continue their outing with friends/coworkers by going to another restaurant or bar. They call this “Round two”)_

### General

---

<VocabQuiz fm-key="sentence" category="general" />

많이 드세요! = <span class="md spoiler">Eat a lot (enjoy your meal) (formal)</span>

많이 먹어! = <span class="md spoiler">Eat a lot (enjoy your meal) (informal)</span>

맛있게 드세요! = <span class="md spoiler">Bon Appétit (formal)</span>

김치에 재료가 많이 들어가요 = <span class="md spoiler">There are a lot of ingredients in kimchi</span>

저는 어제 고기를 2번 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I ate meat twice yesterday</span>

저는 지난 번에 돼지고기를 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">We ate pork last time</span>

저는 밥을 5시에 먹을 거에요 = <span class="md spoiler">I will eat at 5:00</span>

저는 사흘 동안 밥을 안 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I didn’t eat rice for 3 days</span>

저는 2주일 동안 한식을 안 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I didn’t eat Korean food for two weeks</span>

저는 아침식사로 밥을 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I ate rice for breakfast</span>

저는 보통 점심식사로 과일만 먹어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I usually only eat fruit for lunch</span>

저는 빵을 친구랑 먹었어요 = <span class="md spoiler">I ate bread with a friend</span>

저는 밥을 먹고 갈 거에요 = <span class="md spoiler">I will eat and then go</span>

저는 엄마가 밥을 먹은 지 안 먹은 지 몰라요 = <span class="md spoiler">I don’t know if mom ate or not</span>

밥을 먹은 지 5분 됐다 = <span class="md spoiler">I have been eating for 5 minutes</span>

### Things you might see written in a restaurant

---

<VocabQuiz fm-key="sentence" category="written" />

어서 오십시오 = <span class="md spoiler">Come in!</span>

물은 셀프입니다 = <span class="md spoiler">Water is self-serve</span>

반찬을 남기지 마세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Don’t leave any ban-chan (side dishes)</span>

반찬을 먹을 만큼만 가져가세요 = <span class="md spoiler">Only take the amount of side-dishes that you will eat</span>

Korean restaurants display the country of origin of their food products. If the product came from Korea, you will see “국내산.” For any other country, the country name is placed before “\~산.” For example:

- 소고기 – 호주산 = <span class="md spoiler">Beef – Australia</span>
- 돼지고기 – 미국산 = <span class="md spoiler">Pork – America</span>
- 김치 – 국내산 = <span class="md spoiler">Kimchi – Korea (domestic)</span>

## What do Korean People Eat?

Korean people traditionally eat rice with every meal. These days, with the continual influx of Westernized restaurants and eating habits, this doesn’t happen all of the time, but it is still the norm. The word rice (밥) is often used to refer to a meal in general, regardless of if the meal actually had rice in it or not. For example, if you just wanted to ask somebody if they ate, you could ask them:

- 밥을 먹었어? = <span class="md spoiler">Did you eat (rice)?</span>

Rice is the staple food at the table, and each meal will consist of various different types of 반찬. “반찬” typically translates to “side-dishes” in English, but they are not a typical side-dish in the way western people think. To me, a side dish is something you order (and pay more for) when you go to a restaurant – like an appetizer or something like that. In Korea, 반찬 are pre-made foods that are often able to be stored for a long time (due to fermentation). At home, Korean people store all of their 반찬 in dozens of Tupperware containers in the refrigerator.

### 반찬

---

<VocabQuiz category="반찬" />

The most common 반찬 of all (both in Korea and worldwide) is 김치. Korean people have so many Tupperware containers full of 김치 at their house, most people have a separate refrigerator (that looks like a deep freezer) that holds _only_ 김치.

During a Korean meal, various 반찬 are spread across a table – in what looks to be an enormous amount of food.

![banchan|355x260](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/banchan.jpg)

_Various side dishes_ (반찬) _on a traditional Korean table_ (상) _at a Korean house_

During the meal, Korean people will eat their bowl of rice and have a few pieces from their various 반찬 along with their rice. At home, at the end of a meal, these 반찬 go back into their Tupperware containers and put back into the refrigerator for the next meal. At a Korean restaurant, you will be given anywhere between 1 and 15 (or so) different 반찬 to graze over with your meal. You can typically order more of any 반찬 you want as long as you keep eating it. Whatever you don’t finish at a restaurant will be thrown away.

Here are some examples of some common 반찬 you will find in Korea. The translations of these are meaningless in English mostly because we would never eat something like this in a Western Culture. Pay more attention to the Korean word and how it looks instead of trying to understand what the thing might be based on the English word:

(배추)김치 = <span class="md spoiler">(cabbage) kimchi</span>

<Details>

![(배추)김치](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/banchan3.jpg)

_There are many types of kimchi, but the one that most people are referring to when they just say “kimchi” is the one made from Korean cabbage_ (배추). _Although it can be called_ “배추김치,” _saying_ “김치” _usually is sufficient._

</Details>

김 = <span class="md spoiler">seaweed</span>

깍두기 = <span class="md spoiler">diced radish kimchi</span>

무생채 = <span class="md spoiler">sliced radish kimchi</span>

<Details>

![무생채](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/banchan4.jpg)

</Details>

오이김치 = <span class="md spoiler">cucumber kimchi</span>

총각김치 = <span class="md spoiler">radish kimchi</span>

열무김치 = <span class="md spoiler">radish kimchi</span>

나물 = <span class="md spoiler">seasoned herbs/vegetables</span>

콩나물 무침 = <span class="md spoiler">seasoned beansprout</span>

Listing out all the 반찬 and explaining what each one is would take _forever._ There are hundreds of different types, and they all can’t really be explained in English.

In addition to the rice and 반찬, there are various soups (국) and meats (고기) that Korean people enjoy.

### Soups

---

<VocabQuiz category="soups" />

There are three different things that Western people might call “soup.” You will see many different foods ending with 국, 찌개 or 탕. The difference between them confuses me even to this day. If you ask a Korean person what the difference between 국, 찌개, and 탕 is they will say

“탕 is 탕, 국 is 국 and 찌개 is 찌개.”

Really, they are all very similar and it’s best to just know each individual food by its respective name and not worry about the difference between these three.

Nonetheless,

- 국 = <span class="md spoiler">this is more of a soup with one main ingredient and a lot of water</span>
- 찌개 = <span class="md spoiler">this is more of a stew with less water and lots of things boiled up together</span>
- 탕 = <span class="md spoiler">this is watery, but boiled for a long time and there is a bunch of stuff in it</span>

Below are some of the more common and popular soups, stews, or whatever you want to call them:

미역국 = <span class="md spoiler">seaweed soup</span>

만둣국 = <span class="md spoiler">dumpling soup</span>

삼계탕 = <span class="md spoiler">chicken soup with ginseng</span>

닭볶음탕 = <span class="md spoiler">stir fried chicken pot</span>

<Details>

![닭볶음탕](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/dalkbokkeumtang.jpg)

</Details>

해물탕 = <span class="md spoiler">spicy seafood stew</span>

된장찌개 = <span class="md spoiler">bean paste stew</span>

김치찌개 = <span class="md spoiler">kimchi stew</span>

감자탕 = <span class="md spoiler">pork vertebrae stew</span>

<Details>

![감자탕](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kamjatang.jpg)

감자 _also means “potato” in Korea, so many foreigners (and even some younger Korean people) incorrectly assume that_ 감자탕 _should contain potatoes. You’ll often see potatoes in_ 감자탕, _but I’ve heard that this is a modern phenomenon caused by people ordering_ 감자탕 _and arguing that there is no potatoes in their “potato stew.”_

</Details>

부대찌개 = <span class="md spoiler">Army soup</span>

<Details>

(_During the Korean war, the US military used to give extra food to Korean people on the street. This usually consisted of things like hot-dogs and stuff like that, so Korean people at the time took all the ingredients and made a stew out of it_)

</Details>

### Meat

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<VocabQuiz category="meat" />

Korean meat is often fried in-front of you, and you typically do it yourself. This style of food is usually translated to “Korean BBQ” in English. Having a room full of people Barbequing their own meat in an enclosed restaurant usually results in a lot of smoke, and meat-smelling clothes by the end of the night.

Below are some of the more common and popular meats you will find Korean people eating:

삼겹살 = <span class="md spoiler">pork belly (similar to bacon, but thicker)</span>

<Details>

![삼겹살](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/samgyupsal.jpg)

</Details>

오겹살 = <span class="md spoiler">pork belly (but there are five layers of fat instead of three)</span>

목살 = <span class="md spoiler">pork neck</span>

갈비 = <span class="md spoiler">ribs</span>

LA 갈비 = <span class="md spoiler">short ribs</span>

닭갈비 = <span class="md spoiler">stir-fried chicken</span>

불고기 = <span class="md spoiler">meet marinated in sweet soy sauce</span>

<Details>

![불고기](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bulgogi2.jpg)

</Details>

![samgyupsal|347x283](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/samgyupsal.jpg)

_삼겹살 with 반찬_

In addition to those, below are some other common foods you will find in Korea:

김치볶음밥 = <span class="md spoiler">Kimchi fried rice</span>

김밥 = <span class="md spoiler">A roll of rice and other ingredients wrapped in seaweed</span>

떡 = <span class="md spoiler">Rice cakes</span>

<Details>

_(Rice cakes are soft and doughy and are not the same as the dry rice cakes that we are used to in the West)_

</Details>

떡볶이 = <span class="md spoiler">Spicy rice cakes</span>

<Details>

![떡볶이](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ddokbokki.jpg)

</Details>

비빔밥 = <span class="md spoiler">Mixed rice with vegetables</span>

<Details>

![비빔밥](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bibimbap.jpg)

</Details>

Mmm… so much delicious food.

That’s it for this lesson. [Click here to check out our next Theme Lesson](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/theme/shopping/ "(Theme) Unit 1: #4 – Shopping").

Have something you want to include? Want to know how to say a sentence in Korean? Post in the [thread designated to this specific lesson](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=254) in our [Forum](https://www.howtostudykorean.com/forum/), and we will add it to this lesson.