Korean For All 1 Chapter 7: Native Korean Numbers, Counters in Korea, How to Order Food in Korean
How to Order Food in Korean & Master Native Korean Numbers!
안녕하세요, 여러분! (Hello, everyone!)
Have you ever been to a Korean restaurant? Or maybe you've wanted to order Korean food but weren’t sure how? 😋
Today, we’ll learn how to order food in Korean using the essential phrase "주세요" (Please give me) and dive into Native Korean numbers, which are used for counting things like food, people, and time.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to confidently place an order in a restaurant and use numbers like a pro!
1. The Magic Phrase: 주세요 (Please Give Me)
One of the most useful phrases in Korean is:
➡️ 주세요 (juseyo) = "Please give me"
💡 How to use it:
Simply put a noun (what you want) before 주세요.
비빔밥 주세요. (Bibimbap juseyo.) – Please give me a bibimbap.
물 주세요. (Mul juseyo.) – Please give me water.
영수증 주세요. (Yeongsujeung juseyo.) – Please give me the receipt.
📌 Fun Example:
Every night, I pray like this:
남자친구 주세요. (Namjachingu juseyo.) – Please give me a boyfriend! 😂
2. Must-Know Korean Food Vocabulary
Before we start ordering, let’s learn some popular Korean food names:
🥘 비빔밥 (Bibimbap) – Mixed rice with vegetables, egg, and spicy sauce
🥟 만두 (Mandu) – Dumplings (There are two types: 고기 만두 = meat dumplings, 김치 만두 = kimchi dumplings)
🥩 고기 (Gogi) – Meat
🍚 밥 (Bap) – Rice
🍜 라면 (Ramyeon) – Korean instant noodles
☕ 커피 (Keopi) – Coffee
🥤 콜라 (Kolla) – Cola (used for all sodas, like Pepsi or Coke)
🍵 차 (Cha) – Tea
💡 TIP: In Korean, food often comes with side dishes (반찬, banchan), which are unlimited and free at most restaurants!
3. Using Counters in Korean
Korean has special counters for different types of objects, and Native Korean numbers are used with them.
| Counter | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 개 (gae) | General items | 사과 두 개 (Two apples) |
| 병 (byeong) | Bottles | 콜라 한 병 (One bottle of Coke) |
| 권 (gwon) | Books | 책 세 권 (Three books) |
| 시 (si) | Hours (time) | 한 시 (One o’clock) |
| 명 (myeong) | People | 학생 네 명 (Four students) |
| 분 (bun) | People (honorific) | 세 분 (Three people, politely) |
| 마리 (mari) | Animals | 강아지 다섯 마리 (Five puppies) |
| 살 (sal) | Age | 스물아홉 살 (29 years old) |
| 장 (jang) | Flat things (papers, tickets) | 티켓 한 장 (One ticket) |
💡 TIP: When asking "How many?" use 몇 (myeot) + the counter.
몇 개예요? (Myeot gae-yeyo?) – How many are there?
몇 병이에요? (Myeot byeong-iyeoyo?) – How many bottles?
4. Native Korean Numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…)
Korean has two number systems:
✅ Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼…) – Used for dates, money, phone numbers, etc.
✅ Native Korean (하나, 둘, 셋…) – Used for counting things.
🎯 Native Korean Numbers 1-20
| Number | Korean | Number | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하나 → 한 | 11 | 열하나 |
| 2 | 둘 → 두 | 12 | 열둘 |
| 3 | 셋 → 세 | 13 | 열셋 |
| 4 | 넷 → 네 | 14 | 열넷 |
| 5 | 다섯 | 15 | 열다섯 |
| 6 | 여섯 | 16 | 열여섯 |
| 7 | 일곱 | 17 | 열일곱 |
| 8 | 여덟 | 18 | 열여덟 |
| 9 | 아홉 | 19 | 열아홉 |
| 10 | 열 | 20 | 스물 → 스무 |
💡 Notice how 1, 2, 3, 4, and 20 change when used with counters!
한 개, 두 개, 세 개, 네 개, 스무 개
5. Ordering Food in Korean (Dialogue)
🗣️ Example Conversation at a Restaurant
Staff: 주문하시겠어요? (Jumun hasigesseoyo?) – Would you like to order?
You: 비빔밥 하나랑 만두 다섯 개 주세요.
(Bibimbap hana-rang mandu daseot gae juseyo.)
– Please give me one bibimbap and five dumplings.
Staff: 네. 마실 것은요? (Ne. Masil geoseunyo?) – Yes, how about something to drink?
You: 콜라 한 병 주세요.
(Kolla han byeong juseyo.)
– Please give me one bottle of Coke.
Staff: 네. 만 팔천 원입니다. (Ne. Man palcheon won-imnida.) – That will be 18,000 won.
6. Korean Age System
Did you know? In Korea, age is VERY important in social interactions!
When you meet someone, people often ask:
➡️ 몇 살이에요? (Myeot sal-ieyo?) – How old are you?
🇰🇷 Korean Age System:
- Everyone is one year old at birth.
- Every New Year’s Day (January 1st), everyone gets one year older.
- Even though Korea officially switched to the international system in 2023, many people still use the traditional method!
Example:
➡️ 저는 스물아홉 살이에요. (Jeoneun seumul ahop sal-ieyo.) – I am 29 years old.
📝 Practice Time!
Try answering these questions in Korean:
1️⃣ 사과 몇 개 있어요? (How many apples do you have?)
2️⃣ 콜라 몇 병 있어요? (How many bottles of Coke do you have?)
3️⃣ 몇 살이에요? (How old are you?)
Click: Home - With Love From Korea – SooandCarr
Study & Connect via Soo House app
Click: Soo House
-
Posted in
korean grammar, level 1
