Basic Korean Phrases You Should Know at a Restaurant Pt.2

If you find yourself at a Korean restaurant or, visiting Korea there are a few basic phrases you should know. In my previous article, I covered ordering food. Click Here for part one. However, in today’s article, I will be covering how to ask for more food and pay your bill.

Introduction

In the previous article, I introduced to you five phrases that you can use to place an order at a Korean restaurant. But, there are actually more phrases that you should probably know to avoid an embarrassing moment while asking for refills or your bill. So, today I would like to introduce to you another five phrases that you can use in a Korean restaurant.

반찬 더 주세요 (Ban-chan Toe Chew-say-yo)

If you are a side dish lover, then you must learn this phrase! It means ‘please give me more side dishes’. At Korean restaurants, side dishes are normally bottomless, so you can eat as much as you want. If you find a side dish you really like, you’ll definitely want to use this phrase a few times.

물 더 주세요 (mool Toe Chew-say-yo)

This phrase means, ‘please give me more water’. Some Korean restaurants have self-serve water dispensers however many don’t. So, make sure to look around first before asking your waiter for water. If you don’t see any obvious water dispensers, then go ahead and ask. If they begin talking and motioning somewhere, chances are they are telling you where the dispenser is and you should go refill it yourself.

포장해 주세요 ( Po-jang-hae Chew-say-yo)

What if you order too much food and couldn’t finish it? If the food was delicious and you don’t want to waste it, you can ask the workers to pack it up for you using this phrase. Most restaurants will do it for you without any additional charge. They will pack it into a delivery food container and give it to you so that you can take it home.

You can also use this phrase when you are ordering food if you want it to-go.

잘 먹었습니다 (Chal Meok-got-seum-ni-da)

When you are done eating, people in Korea usually say this phrase to give thanks and be polite.

It literally means ‘I have eaten well’. But it actually is a bit closer to thank you. This phrase should be directed towards whoever cooked your meal, the restaurant staff, and the people you ate with. Of course, this is not a compulsory thing to say but, it is a nice way to show your appreciation for the people around you.

계산할게요 (kye-san-hal-geh-yo)

Now, it is time for you to pay the bill. But, you don’t know how to say to the waiter that you are ready to pay. That is where this phrase comes in.

This phrase means ‘I am going to pay’. They will probably then tell you how much your bill is. Of course, you might not be able to understand the amount of money they said. But, you can just give them your card or refer to the teller screen. You will know the exact amount after they give you the receipt.

Conclusion

Now you finally know the basic phrases you need to get through a meal at a Korean restaurant. After memorizing these useful phrases, I am sure you will not face any big problems when eating at a restaurant in South Korea. If you find this article interesting and helpful, share it with your friends. For more articles like this, subscribe to KoreabyMe and read my other published articles on the site. You can follow me on Instagram too!