At the Café
Korean Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 8 · Ordering Food & Drink at a Café
☕ Ordering Food & Drink at a Café — 카페에서
Cafés are everywhere in Korea, and ordering is one of the easiest ways to use Korean for real. The whole job comes down to one pattern: [thing] + [number] + [counter] + 주세요 ("please give me…"). You will also learn the two counters 잔 (cups) and 개 (items), how to say whether you are staying or taking away, and how to pay.
eo = ㅓ (short, open "uh")
eu = ㅡ (unrounded "oo")
ae = ㅐ (like the vowel in "bed")
[ ] = how the word is actually said, where it differs from the spelling
① The Basic Order — 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요
직원:
어서 오세요. 주문하시겠어요?
Eoseo oseyo. Jumunhasigesseoyo?
Welcome. Would you like to order?
손님:
아이스 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요.
Aiseu amerikano han jan juseyo.
One iced americano, please.
직원:
네. 또 필요하신 거 있으세요?
Ne. Tto piryohasin geo isseuseyo?
Yes. Anything else you need?
손님:
아니요, 괜찮아요.
Aniyo, gwaenchanayo.
No, that's fine.
② Here or To Go? — 여기서 드실 거예요?
직원:
여기서 드실 거예요?
Yeogiseo deusil geoyeyo?
Will you have it here?
손님:
아니요, 가져갈게요.
Aniyo, gajyeogalgeyo.
No, I'll take it with me.
직원:
따뜻한 거요, 차가운 거요?
Ttatteutan geoyo, chagaun geoyo?
Hot or cold?
손님:
따뜻한 라테로 주세요.
Ttatteutan latero juseyo.
A hot latte, please.
③ Drinks and Cake — 두 잔이랑 케이크 하나요
손님:
커피 두 잔이랑 케이크 한 개 주세요.
Keopi du janirang keikeu han gae juseyo.
Two coffees and one cake, please.
직원:
케이크는 무슨 맛으로 드릴까요?
Keikeuneun museun maseuro deurilkkayo?
Which flavour of cake would you like?
손님:
초콜릿 케이크로 주세요.
Chokollit keikeuro juseyo.
Chocolate cake, please.
④ At the Kiosk — 키오스크가 어려워요
손님:
저기요, 이거 어떻게 해요?
Jeogiyo, igeo eotteoke haeyo?
Excuse me, how do I do this?
직원:
메뉴를 누르고 카드로 계산하세요.
Menyureul nureugo kadeuro gyesanhaseyo.
Press the menu item and pay by card.
손님:
아, 고맙습니다.
A, gomapseumnida.
Ah, thank you.
⑤ Paying (formal) — 계산해 주세요
손님:
계산해 주세요.
Gyesanhae juseyo.
The bill, please.
직원:
카드로 하시겠습니까, 현금으로 하시겠습니까?
Kadeuro hasigetseumnikka, hyeongeumeuro hasigetseumnikka?
Would you like to pay by card or by cash?
손님:
카드로 할게요. 영수증도 주세요.
Kadeuro halgeyo. Yeongsujeungdo juseyo.
By card. And a receipt too, please.
⑥ Two Friends (casual) — 뭐 마셔?
A:
뭐 마셔? 내가 살게.
Mwo masyeo? Naega salge.
What are you drinking? I'll buy.
B:
나는 녹차. 고마워!
Naneun nokcha. Gomawo!
Green tea for me. Thanks!
A:
케이크도 먹을래?
Keikeudo meogeullae?
Want some cake too?
B:
응, 좋아!
Eung, joa!
Yes, sure!
🗝️ Key Phrases — 중요한 표현
Use the polite column with staff and strangers. The casual column is for friends your own age or younger, and for understanding what you hear.
| Situation | Polite | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| One … please | … 한 잔 주세요 … han jan juseyo | … 한 잔 줘 … han jan jwo |
| I'll order | 주문할게요 jumunhalgeyo | 주문할게 jumunhalge |
| Having it here | 여기서 먹을게요 yeogiseo meogeulgeyo | 여기서 먹을게 yeogiseo meogeulge |
| Taking it with me | 가져갈게요 / 포장해 주세요 gajyeogalgeyo / pojanghae juseyo | 포장해 줘 pojanghae jwo |
| Hot / iced | 따뜻한 거 / 아이스로 주세요 ttatteutan geo / aiseuro juseyo | 따뜻한 걸로 / 아이스로 줘 ttatteutan geollo / aiseuro jwo |
| Paying | 계산해 주세요 gyesanhae juseyo | 계산해 줘 gyesanhae jwo |
| Calling the staff | 저기요 / 여기요 jeogiyo / yeogiyo | (same) |
🔢 Counters: 잔 and 개 — 단위
To ask for a number of things, put the native number and then the counter after the thing: 커피 두 잔 ("two cups of coffee"). 잔 counts cups and glasses; 개 counts general items (cakes, cookies, sandwiches). Remember 한, 두, 세, 네 for 1–4 (Chapter 7); 다섯 is five.
| Number | With 잔 (cups) | With 개 (items) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 한 잔 han jan | 한 개 han gae |
| 2 | 두 잔 du jan | 두 개 du gae |
| 3 | 세 잔 se jan | 세 개 se gae |
| 4 | 네 잔 ne jan | 네 개 ne gae |
| 5 | 다섯 잔 daseot jan | 다섯 개 daseot gae |
🍰 The Menu — 메뉴
| English | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| americano | 아메리카노 | a-me-ri-ka-no |
| latte | 라테 | ra-te |
| coffee | 커피 | keo-pi |
| green tea | 녹차 | nok-cha |
| juice | 주스 | ju-seu |
| cake | 케이크 | ke-i-keu |
| cookie | 쿠키 | ku-ki |
| sandwich | 샌드위치 | saen-deu-wi-chi |
| water | 물 | mul |
🔤 Three Verbs You Can Already Use — 동사
| Verb | Everyday polite (-요) | Formal (-ㅂ니다) | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| to give (주다) | 줘요 / 주세요 (please) jwoyo / juseyo | 줍니다 jumnida | 줘 jwo |
| to eat (먹다) | 먹어요 meogeoyo | 먹습니다 meokseumnida | 먹어 meogeo |
| to drink (마시다) | 마셔요 masyeoyo | 마십니다 masimnida | 마셔 masyeo |
📖 Vocabulary — 어휘
| # | Korean | Say it | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 카페 | ka-pe | café | noun |
| 2 | 주문 | ju-mun | order | noun |
| 3 | 메뉴 | me-nyu | menu | noun |
| 4 | 잔 | jan | cup; glass (counter) | counter |
| 5 | 개 | gae | item (counter) | counter |
| 6 | 아이스 | a-i-seu | iced | adj. |
| 7 | 따뜻한 | tta-tteu-tan | warm; hot (drink) | adj. |
| 8 | 여기 | yeo-gi | here | noun |
| 9 | 포장 | po-jang | packing; takeaway | noun |
| 10 | 계산 | gye-san | paying; the bill | noun |
| 11 | 카드 | ka-deu | card | noun |
| 12 | 현금 | hyeon-geum | cash | noun |
| 13 | 영수증 | yeong-su-jeung | receipt | noun |
| 14 | 맛 | mat | taste; flavour | noun |
| 15 | 주다 | ju-da | to give | verb |
| 16 | 먹다 | meok-tta | to eat | verb |
| 17 | 마시다 | ma-si-da | to drink | verb |
| 18 | 가져가다 | ga-jyeo-ga-da | to take (with you) | verb |
| 19 | 괜찮다 | gwaen-chan-ta | to be fine; to be OK | adj. |
| 20 | 또 | tto | also; again; more | adverb |
주세요 Does Everything
주세요 ("please give me") is the most useful word in a café. Name the thing, add the number and counter if you want more than one, and finish with 주세요: 라테 한 잔 주세요. For the type of drink, add 로 to say "as/in the form of": 아이스로 주세요 ("iced, please"). 이랑 (after a consonant) / 랑 (after a vowel) joins two items: 커피 두 잔이랑 케이크.
Here or To Go
Staff usually ask 여기서 드실 거예요? (note 드시다, the respectful word for "eat/drink", used for the customer). You answer 네, 여기서 먹을게요 or 아니요, 가져갈게요 / 포장이에요. The ending -(으)ㄹ게요 announces what you will do ("I'll have it here"). Look for a 셀프 ("self-service") sign: many cafés expect you to fetch water and cutlery yourself.
As Heard in Dramas — 드라마에서
Drama characters live in cafés, and the first thing you hear is 어서 오세요 ("welcome"). Between friends you get 내가 살게 ("I'll treat you") and 고마워 ("thanks"), as in dialog 6. A character who wants a quiet talk often says 커피 한잔할래요? ("fancy a coffee?"), which can really mean "let's talk".
Grammar Pointer
The object particle 을/를 and the particle 로 are explained in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 4; native numbers with counters in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 9; and the polite request 주세요 and the respectful 드시다 in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 10.
✍️ Try It Yourself — 연습
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Order one iced americano.
Show answer
아이스 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요.
2. Order three lattes and two cookies.
Show answer
라테 세 잔이랑 쿠키 두 개 주세요.
3. The staff ask whether you're having it here. Say you'll take it with you.
Show answer
아니요, 가져갈게요. or 포장이에요.
4. Ask for a hot green tea.
Show answer
따뜻한 녹차 한 잔 주세요.
5. Say you'll pay by card, and ask for a receipt.
Show answer
카드로 할게요. 영수증도 주세요.
6. Offer to buy a friend a drink, casually.
Show answer
내가 살게. (Or ask: 뭐 마셔?)