Phrases for restaurants

Staff often ask 몇 분이세요? (myeot buniseyo, "How many people?"). Answer 두 명이요 (du myeongiyo, "Two people") or 혼자예요 (honjayeyo, "Just me"). Holding up fingers at the same time helps. They'll then show you to a seat, often saying 이쪽으로 앉으세요 (ijjogeuro anjeuseyo, "Please sit here").

Say 메뉴판 주세요 (menyupan juseyo, "A menu, please"). To ask about a foreign-language menu, say 영어 메뉴 있어요? (yeongeo menyu isseoyo, "Do you have an English menu?"). Many restaurants now use tablets or QR codes on the table for ordering, so check the table first.

The easiest way is to point at the menu and say 이거 주세요 (igeo juseyo, "This one, please"). To specify a number, add it: 비빔밥 하나 주세요 (bibimbap hana juseyo, "One bibimbap, please") or 이거 두 개 주세요 (igeo du gae juseyo). Meat dishes are often ordered by serving, using 인분 (inbun).

Ask 뭐가 맛있어요? (mwoga masisseoyo, "What's good here?") or 추천해 주세요 (chucheonhae juseyo, "Please recommend something"). To find out the most popular dish, try 여기 뭐가 제일 잘 나가요? (yeogi mwoga jeil jal nagayo, "What sells best here?"). Feel free to ask about spiciness or portion size at the same time.

Say 맵지 않게 해 주세요 (maepji anke hae juseyo, "Please make it not spicy") or 덜 맵게 해 주세요 (deol maepge hae juseyo, "Please make it less spicy"). You can also ask first: 이거 매워요? (igeo maewoyo, "Is this spicy?"). Some dishes use pre-made sauces and can't be adjusted, so listen to what staff suggest.

Say 물 좀 주세요 (mul jom juseyo, "Some water, please"). Water at Korean restaurants is usually free of charge, and many places have self-service water, such as a dispenser or bottles you pour yourself, though not all do. If you see a sign saying 물은 셀프 (mureun selpeu, "water is self-service"), look for the dispenser.

Yes. At most Korean restaurants, basic side dishes (banchan) can be refilled. Say 반찬 더 주세요 (banchan deo juseyo, "More side dishes, please") or point and say 이거 조금 더 주세요 (igeo jogeum deo juseyo, "A bit more of this, please"). Some places have a self-serve banchan station, and certain items may cost extra.

Say 포장해 주세요 (pojanghae juseyo, "Please pack it to go"). For leftovers, ask 남은 거 포장돼요? (nameun geo pojangdwaeyo, "Can I take the leftovers?"). If you want takeout from the start, say 포장이요 (pojangiyo) when ordering. Some places charge separately for containers.

If staff ask 드시고 가세요? (deusigo gaseyo, "Eating here?"), answer 먹고 갈게요 (meokgo galgeyo, "I'll eat here") or 여기서 먹을게요 (yeogiseo meogeulgeyo). For takeout, say 포장이요 (pojangiyo). These phrases come up often at fast-food places, cafes and snack shops (bunsikjip), so they are worth memorizing.

Say 저는 ○○ 알레르기가 있어요 (jeoneun ○○ allereugiga isseoyo, "I'm allergic to ○○"), for example 땅콩 (ttangkong, peanuts) or 새우 (saeu, shrimp). Before ordering, ask 이거 ○○ 들어가요? (igeo ○○ deureogayo, "Does this contain ○○?"). For serious allergies, carry a card written in Korean, and call 119 if symptoms appear.

Say ○○ 빼 주세요 (○○ ppae juseyo, "Please leave out ○○"), as in 고기 빼 주세요 (gogi, meat), 파 빼 주세요 (pa, green onion) or 오이 빼 주세요 (oi, cucumber). If you're vegetarian, say 고기 안 먹어요 (gogi an meogeoyo, "I don't eat meat"). Broths and sauces often can't be changed, so confirm with staff.

Ask for a sharing plate with 앞접시 주세요 (apjeopsi juseyo) and scissors with 가위 주세요 (gawi juseyo). Using scissors to cut meat or cold noodles is common in Korean restaurants. Spoons (숟가락, sutgarak) and chopsticks (젓가락, jeotgarak) are often in a drawer built into the table.

Ask 화장실 어디예요? (hwajangsil eodiyeyo, "Where's the restroom?"). In some buildings, the restroom is outside the restaurant in a shared hallway or on another floor, and you may need a code or key. In that case, ask 화장실 비밀번호가 뭐예요? (hwajangsil bimilbeonhoga mwoyeyo, "What's the restroom code?").

Say 예약했어요 (yeyakhaesseoyo, "I have a reservation") and give your name: ○○ 이름으로 예약했어요 (○○ ireumeuro yeyakhaesseoyo, "It's under ○○"). Adding time and party size helps: 일곱 시에 두 명 예약했어요 ("Two people at seven"). Without a booking, ask 예약 안 했는데 자리 있어요? ("I don't have a reservation; is there a table?").

Ask 얼마나 기다려야 돼요? (eolmana gidaryeoya dwaeyo, "How long do we have to wait?"). Popular restaurants often have a waiting list or a machine at the entrance where you enter your phone number. You can say 대기 명단에 이름 올려 주세요 (daegi myeongdane ireum ollyeo juseyo, "Please put my name on the list") or ask how to use the machine.

Many Korean restaurants have a call button on each table. Press it and a staff member will come to take your order or bring what you need, so there's no need to call out. When they arrive, just say what you want, like 물 좀 주세요 (mul jom juseyo, "Some water, please") or 주문할게요 (jumunhalgeyo, "We'd like to order").

Politely say 저기요, 주문한 음식이 아직 안 나왔어요 (jeogiyo, jumunhan eumsigi ajik an nawasseoyo, "Excuse me, our food hasn't come yet"). If you received the wrong dish, say 이거 안 시켰어요 (igeo an sikyeosseoyo, "We didn't order this"). A short ○○ 언제 나와요? (eonje nawayo, "When will the ○○ come?") also works.

At Korean barbecue places, some staff grill for you and some leave it to customers. Ask 구워 주세요 (guwo juseyo, "Please grill it for us") or 직접 구워야 돼요? (jikjeop guwoya dwaeyo, "Do we grill it ourselves?"). If the heat is too high, say 불 좀 줄여 주세요 (bul jom juryeo juseyo, "Please turn down the heat").

Say 젓가락 하나 더 주세요 (jeotgarak hana deo juseyo, "One more pair of chopsticks, please") or 숟가락 떨어뜨렸어요 (sutgarak tteoreotteuryeosseoyo, "I dropped my spoon"). Many restaurants keep utensils in a drawer or box at the table, so check there first. For wet wipes, ask 물티슈 주세요 (multisyu juseyo).

Say 이게 다예요 (ige dayeyo, "That's all") or 일단 이렇게 주세요 (ildan ireoke juseyo, "This for now, please"). 일단 ("for now") is common because it leaves room to order more later. When you want to add something, say 추가 주문할게요 (chuga jumunhalgeyo, "I'd like to order more").