Ordering street food is a quintessential part of experiencing Korean culture, offering delicious and affordable treats on almost every corner. This guide provides essential Korean phrases and cultural insights to help you confidently order your favorite snacks like 떡볶이 (tteokbokki), 튀김 (twigim), and 호떡 (hotteok) from street vendors. Learn how to ask for what you want, inquire about ingredients, specify preferences, and pay for your food like a local.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
- Expression: 거리 음식 주문하기 (geo-ri eum-sik ju-mun-ha-gi)
Pronunciation: geo-ri eum-sik ju-mun-ha-gi
Meaning: Ordering street food (The act of ordering food from street vendors)
Basic Ordering Phrases
This section covers the fundamental phrases needed to place an order at a street food stall.
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Expression: 이거 주세요. (i-geo ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: i-geo ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me this one. -
Expression: 떡볶이 하나 주세요. (tteok-bok-kki ha-na ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: tteok-bok-kki ha-na ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me one serving of tteokbokki. -
Expression: 김밥 두 줄 주세요. (gim-bap du jul ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: gim-bap du jul ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me two rolls of gimbap. -
Expression: 순대 일 인분 주세요. (sun-dae il in-bun ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: sun-dae il in-bun ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me one portion of sundae. -
Expression: 이거랑 이거 주세요. (i-geo-rang i-geo ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: i-geo-rang i-geo ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me this one and this one. -
Expression: 저거 뭐예요? (jeo-geo mwo-ye-yo?)
Pronunciation: jeo-geo mwo-ye-yo
Meaning: What is that over there? -
Expression: 맛있어 보여요. (ma-si-sseo bo-yeo-yo.)
Pronunciation: ma-si-sseo bo-yeo-yo
Meaning: It looks delicious. -
Expression: 조금만 주세요. (jo-geum-man ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: jo-geum-man ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me just a little bit. -
Expression: 많이 주세요. (ma-ni ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: ma-ni ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me a lot. -
Expression: 포장해 주세요. (po-jang-hae ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: po-jang-hae ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please wrap it up (for takeout). -
Expression: 여기서 먹을게요. (yeo-gi-seo meo-geul-ge-yo.)
Pronunciation: yeo-gi-seo meo-geul-ge-yo
Meaning: I’ll eat here. -
Expression: 추천해 주세요. (chu-cheon-hae ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: chu-cheon-hae ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please recommend something.
Asking Questions About Food
Use these phrases to ask about prices, ingredients, spiciness, and more.
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Expression: 이거 얼마예요? (i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo?)
Pronunciation: i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo
Meaning: How much is this? -
Expression: 이거 매워요? (i-geo mae-wo-yo?)
Pronunciation: i-geo mae-wo-yo
Meaning: Is this spicy? -
Expression: 안 맵게 해 주실 수 있어요? (an maep-ge hae ju-sil su i-sseo-yo?)
Pronunciation: an maep-ge hae ju-sil su i-sseo-yo
Meaning: Can you make it not spicy? -
Expression: 덜 맵게 해 주세요. (deol maep-ge hae ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: deol maep-ge hae ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please make it less spicy. -
Expression: 이거 안에 뭐 들었어요? (i-geo an-e mwo deu-reo-sseo-yo?)
Pronunciation: i-geo an-e mwo deu-reo-sseo-yo
Meaning: What’s inside this? -
Expression: 고기 들어갔어요? (go-gi deu-reo-ga-sseo-yo?)
Pronunciation: go-gi deu-reo-ga-sseo-yo
Meaning: Does it contain meat? -
Expression: 땅콩 알레르기 있어요. (ttang-kong al-le-reu-gi i-sseo-yo.)
Pronunciation: ttang-kong al-le-reu-gi i-sseo-yo
Meaning: I have a peanut allergy. -
Expression: 이거 이름이 뭐예요? (i-geo i-reum-i mwo-ye-yo?)
Pronunciation: i-geo i-reum-i mwo-ye-yo
Meaning: What is the name of this? -
Expression: 얼마나 기다려야 돼요? (eol-ma-na gi-da-ryeo-ya dwae-yo?)
Pronunciation: eol-ma-na gi-da-ryeo-ya dwae-yo
Meaning: How long do I have to wait? -
Expression: 지금 바로 돼요? (ji-geum ba-ro dwae-yo?)
Pronunciation: ji-geum ba-ro dwae-yo
Meaning: Is it ready right now? -
Expression: 소스는 따로 주세요. (so-seu-neun tta-ro ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: so-seu-neun tta-ro ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me the sauce separately. -
Expression: 이거 하나 더 주세요. (i-geo ha-na deo ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: i-geo ha-na deo ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me one more of this.
Payment and Specific Requests
Learn phrases for paying and making specific requests about your order.
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Expression: 계산해 주세요. (gye-san-hae ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: gye-san-hae ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please calculate the bill. / Check, please. -
Expression: 현금으로 계산할게요. (hyeon-geum-eu-ro gye-san-hal-ge-yo.)
Pronunciation: hyeon-geum-eu-ro gye-san-hal-ge-yo
Meaning: I’ll pay with cash. -
Expression: 카드 돼요? (ka-deu dwae-yo?)
Pronunciation: ka-deu dwae-yo
Meaning: Do you accept credit cards? (Note: Many street vendors are cash-only) -
Expression: 잔돈 여기 있어요. (jan-don yeo-gi i-sseo-yo.)
Pronunciation: jan-don yeo-gi i-sseo-yo
Meaning: Here is the change. (Said by the vendor) -
Expression: 잔돈은 괜찮아요. (jan-don-eun gwaen-cha-na-yo.)
Pronunciation: jan-don-eun gwaen-cha-na-yo
Meaning: It’s okay, keep the change. (Less common for small amounts) -
Expression: 봉투 하나 주시겠어요? (bong-tu ha-na ju-si-ge-sseo-yo?)
Pronunciation: bong-tu ha-na ju-si-ge-sseo-yo
Meaning: Could you please give me a bag? -
Expression: 꼬치 두 개 주세요. (kko-chi du gae ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: kko-chi du gae ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me two skewers. -
Expression: 설탕 뿌려주세요. (seol-tang ppu-ryeo-ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: seol-tang ppu-ryeo-ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please sprinkle sugar on it. (e.g., for Hotteok or Kkwabaegi) -
Expression: 소금 빼주세요. (so-geum ppae-ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: so-geum ppae-ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please leave out the salt. -
Expression: 간장 좀 더 주세요. (gan-jang jom deo ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: gan-jang jom deo ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me a little more soy sauce. -
Expression: 나무젓가락 주세요. (na-mu-jeot-ga-rak ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: na-mu-jeot-ga-rak ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me wooden chopsticks. -
Expression: 물티슈 있어요? (mul-ti-syu i-sseo-yo?)
Pronunciation: mul-ti-syu i-sseo-yo
Meaning: Do you have wet wipes?
Korean Culture Notes
Understanding these cultural points can enhance your street food experience.
- Cash is King: While card usage is high in Korea, many smaller street food stalls, especially those run by older vendors (아주머니/아저씨 – a-ju-meo-ni/a-jeo-ssi), prefer or only accept cash. Always carry some small bills (천원 – cheon-won, 오천원 – o-cheon-won).
- Standing and Eating: It’s very common to eat street food while standing near the stall or walking. Some stalls might have small counter spaces or plastic chairs, but don’t expect formal seating.
- Self-Service: Often, utensils like skewers (꼬치 – kko-chi), small cups for broth (어묵 국물 – eo-muk guk-mul), and soy sauce are self-service. Observe others or politely ask the vendor.
- Seasonal Variety: Street food offerings often change with the seasons. Expect warm, hearty snacks like 붕어빵 (bung-eo-ppang – fish-shaped pastry) and 호떡 (ho-tteok – sweet pancake) in winter, and cooler options in summer.
- Pointing is Okay: If you don’t know the name of the food, pointing politely (using your whole hand rather than just one finger is often considered more polite) and saying “이거 주세요” (i-geo ju-se-yo – Please give me this) is perfectly acceptable.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A customer (A) wants to order tteokbokki and twigim from a street food vendor (B).
Roles:
* A: Customer (손님 – son-nim)
* B: Vendor (주인 / 아주머니 – ju-in / a-ju-meo-ni)
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Expression: A: 안녕하세요! 떡볶이 일 인분이랑 튀김 섞어서 삼천 원어치 주세요. (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo! tteok-bok-kki il in-bun-i-rang twi-gim seok-keo-seo sam-cheon won-eo-chi ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo! tteok-bok-kki il in-bun-i-rang twi-gim seok-keo-seo sam-cheon won-eo-chi ju-se-yo
Meaning: Hello! Please give me one serving of tteokbokki and 3,000 won worth of mixed fried items (twigim). -
Expression: B: 네, 알겠습니다. 떡볶이 많이 매운데 괜찮으세요? (ne, al-ge-sseum-ni-da. tteok-bok-kki ma-ni mae-un-de gwaen-cha-neu-se-yo?)
Pronunciation: ne, al-ge-sseum-ni-da. tteok-bok-kki ma-ni mae-un-de gwaen-cha-neu-se-yo
Meaning: Yes, okay. The tteokbokki is quite spicy, is that alright? -
Expression: A: 아, 그럼 조금 덜 맵게 해 주실 수 있나요? (a, geu-reom jo-geum deol maep-ge hae ju-sil su in-na-yo?)
Pronunciation: a, geu-reom jo-geum deol maep-ge hae ju-sil su in-na-yo
Meaning: Ah, then could you possibly make it a little less spicy? -
Expression: B: 네, 조금 조절해 드릴게요. 튀김은 뭐뭐 드릴까요? 김말이, 오징어, 고구마 있어요. (ne, jo-geum jo-jeol-hae deu-ril-ge-yo. twi-gim-eun mwo-mwo deu-ril-kka-yo? gim-ma-ri, o-jing-eo, go-gu-ma i-sseo-yo.)
Pronunciation: ne, jo-geum jo-jeol-hae deu-ril-ge-yo. twi-gim-eun mwo-mwo deu-ril-kka-yo? gim-ma-ri, o-jing-eo, go-gu-ma i-sseo-yo
Meaning: Yes, I’ll adjust it a bit for you. What kinds of fried items would you like? We have seaweed rolls, squid, and sweet potato. -
Expression: A: 김말이 두 개랑 오징어 하나, 나머지는 고구마로 주세요. 포장해 주세요. (gim-ma-ri du gae-rang o-jing-eo ha-na, na-meo-ji-neun go-gu-ma-ro ju-se-yo. po-jang-hae ju-se-yo.)
Pronunciation: gim-ma-ri du gae-rang o-jing-eo ha-na, na-meo-ji-neun go-gu-ma-ro ju-se-yo. po-jang-hae ju-se-yo
Meaning: Please give me two seaweed rolls, one squid, and the rest sweet potato. Please wrap it for takeout. -
Expression: B: 네. 총 육천 원입니다. (ne. chong yuk-cheon won-im-ni-da.)
Pronunciation: ne. chong yuk-cheon won-im-ni-da
Meaning: Okay. That will be 6,000 won in total. -
Expression: A: 여기 만 원이요. (yeo-gi man won-i-yo.)
Pronunciation: yeo-gi man won-i-yo
Meaning: Here is 10,000 won. -
Expression: B: 네, 잠시만요. 여기 주문하신 거랑 잔돈 사천 원이요. 맛있게 드세요! (ne, jam-si-man-yo. yeo-gi ju-mun-ha-sin geo-rang jan-don sa-cheon won-i-yo. ma-sit-ge deu-se-yo!)
Pronunciation: ne, jam-si-man-yo. yeo-gi ju-mun-ha-sin geo-rang jan-don sa-cheon won-i-yo. ma-sit-ge deu-se-yo
Meaning: Yes, just a moment. Here is your order and 4,000 won change. Enjoy your meal!
Practice Tips
Now that you have these useful phrases, the best way to master them is through practice~! Try visiting areas known for street food like Myeongdong (명동 – myeong-dong) or Gwangjang Market (광장시장 – gwang-jang-si-jang) in Seoul. Start with simple orders like “이거 하나 주세요” (i-geo ha-na ju-se-yo) and gradually try asking questions like “얼마예요?” (eol-ma-ye-yo?) or “매워요?” (mae-wo-yo?). Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – most vendors are friendly and appreciate the effort! Listening to how Koreans order can also be very helpful. Enjoy exploring the delicious world of Korean street food! 화이팅! (hwa-i-ting! – Fighting!/You can do it!)
