How it is cooked
| Korean | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 구이 | gui | grilled |
| 볶음 | bokkeum | stir-fried |
| 찜 | jjim | steamed or braised |
| 조림 | jorim | simmered in sauce (usually soy) |
| 무침 | muchim | seasoned and tossed, like a salad |
| 튀김 | twigim | deep-fried |
| 전 | jeon | pan-fried in batter (pancake or fritter) |
| 부침 | buchim | pan-fried |
| 비빔 | bibim | mixed (with sauce) |
| 회 | hoe | raw, sliced (sashimi) |
| 숙회 | sukoe | lightly blanched |
| 수육 | suyuk | boiled and sliced (meat) |
| 훈제 | hunje | smoked |
| 숯불 | sutbul | charcoal-grilled |
| 직화 | jikwa | flame-grilled |
| 철판 | cheolpan | cooked on an iron hot plate |
| 돌솥 | dolsot | served in a hot stone pot |
| 뚝배기 | ttukbaegi | served bubbling in an earthenware pot |
| 즉석 | jeukseok | cooked at your table |
| 말이 | mari | rolled |
| 꼬치 | kkochi | on a skewer |
| 쌈 | ssam | wrapped in leaves |
| 냉 | naeng | cold |
| 물 | mul | with broth (cold noodles) or water-based |
Kinds of dishes
| Korean | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 국 | guk | soup |
| 탕 | tang | hearty soup |
| 찌개 | jjigae | stew |
| 전골 | jeongol | hot pot cooked at the table |
| 국밥 | gukbap | soup with rice |
| 죽 | juk | rice porridge |
| 밥 | bap | rice; a meal |
| 공기밥 | gonggibap | a bowl of plain rice |
| 볶음밥 | bokkeumbap | fried rice |
| 덮밥 | deopbap | rice bowl with toppings |
| 비빔밥 | bibimbap | mixed rice bowl |
| 면 | myeon | noodles |
| 국수 | guksu | noodles (often thin wheat) |
| 냉면 | naengmyeon | cold noodles |
| 라면 | ramyeon | instant noodles |
| 만두 | mandu | dumplings |
| 떡 | tteok | rice cake |
| 김밥 | gimbap | seaweed rice roll |
| 반찬 | banchan | side dishes |
| 안주 | anju | food served with drinks |
| 분식 | bunsik | snack-bar food (tteokbokki, gimbap, ramyeon) |
| 한정식 | hanjeongsik | multi-course Korean set meal |
| 백반 | baekban | home-style set meal (rice, soup, side dishes) |
| 정식 | jeongsik | set meal |
| 햄버거 | haembeogeo | hamburger |
| 버거 | beogeo | burger |
| 피자 | pija | pizza |
| 샐러드 | saelleodeu | salad |
| 돈까스 | donkkaseu | pork cutlet (also spelled 돈가스) |
| 생선가스 | saengseongaseu | fried fish cutlet |
| 생맥주 | saengmaekju | draft beer |
| 콜라 | kolla | cola |
| 사이다 | saida | lemon-lime soda (not apple cider) |
| 음료수 | eumnyosu | soft drink |
| 커피 | keopi | coffee |
Ingredients
| Korean | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 소고기 | sogogi | beef |
| 쇠고기 | soegogi | beef |
| 한우 | hanu | Korean-raised beef (premium) |
| 돼지고기 | dwaejigogi | pork |
| 돼지 | dwaeji | pork |
| 삼겹살 | samgyeopsal | pork belly |
| 닭 | dak | chicken |
| 닭고기 | dakgogi | chicken |
| 오리 | ori | duck |
| 양고기 | yanggogi | lamb |
| 양꼬치 | yangkkochi | lamb skewers |
| 해물 | haemul | seafood |
| 해산물 | haesanmul | seafood |
| 생선 | saengseon | fish |
| 오징어 | ojingeo | squid |
| 낙지 | nakji | small octopus |
| 문어 | muneo | octopus |
| 쭈꾸미 | jjukkumi | webfoot (baby) octopus |
| 새우 | saeu | shrimp |
| 게 | ge | crab |
| 꽃게 | kkotge | blue crab |
| 조개 | jogae | clams |
| 바지락 | bajirak | short-neck clams |
| 홍합 | honghap | mussels |
| 굴 | gul | oysters |
| 전복 | jeonbok | abalone |
| 멸치 | myeolchi | anchovy |
| 참치 | chamchi | tuna |
| 연어 | yeoneo | salmon |
| 장어 | jangeo | eel |
| 명태 | myeongtae | pollock |
| 동태 | dongtae | frozen pollock |
| 황태 | hwangtae | dried pollock |
| 어묵 | eomuk | fish cake |
| 오뎅 | odeng | fish cake (older word) |
| 젓갈 | jeotgal | fermented seafood |
| 새우젓 | saeujeot | salted fermented shrimp |
| 육수 | yuksu | broth |
| 사골 | sagol | ox bone broth |
| 곱창 | gopchang | small intestines |
| 막창 | makchang | large intestine |
| 대창 | daechang | beef large intestine |
| 순대 | sundae | blood sausage |
| 선지 | seonji | congealed blood |
| 내장 | naejang | offal |
| 햄 | haem | ham |
| 소시지 | sosiji | sausage |
| 스팸 | seupaem | Spam |
| 두부 | dubu | tofu |
| 순두부 | sundubu | soft tofu |
| 계란 | gyeran | egg |
| 달걀 | dalgyal | egg |
| 치즈 | chijeu | cheese |
| 우유 | uyu | milk |
| 김치 | gimchi | kimchi |
| 묵은지 | mugeunji | aged kimchi |
| 버섯 | beoseot | mushrooms |
| 감자 | gamja | potato |
| 고구마 | goguma | sweet potato |
| 콩나물 | kongnamul | bean sprouts |
| 숙주 | sukju | mung bean sprouts |
| 나물 | namul | seasoned greens |
| 야채 | yachae | vegetables |
| 채소 | chaeso | vegetables |
| 깻잎 | kkaesip | perilla leaf |
| 상추 | sangchu | lettuce |
| 파 | pa | green onion |
| 마늘 | maneul | garlic |
| 고추 | gochu | chili pepper |
| 청양고추 | cheongyanggochu | very hot green chili |
| 미나리 | minari | water dropwort (Korean watercress) |
| 메밀 | memil | buckwheat |
| 밀가루 | milgaru | wheat flour |
| 찹쌀 | chapssal | glutinous rice |
| 팥 | pat | red beans |
| 땅콩 | ttangkong | peanuts |
| 잣 | jat | pine nuts |
| 참깨 | chamkkae | sesame |
| 들깨 | deulkkae | perilla seeds |
| 주꾸미 | jukkumi | webfoot (baby) octopus |
| 양파 | yangpa | onion |
| 양배추 | yangbaechu | cabbage |
| 양곱창 | yanggopchang | beef tripe |
Taste and spice
| Korean | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 매운 | maeun | spicy |
| 매운맛 | maeunmat | spicy flavour |
| 얼큰한 | eolkeunhan | hot and spicy (soup) |
| 순한맛 | sunhanmat | mild flavour |
| 안 매운 | an maeun | not spicy |
| 맵기 | maepgi | spice level |
| 단계 | dangye | level |
| 달콤한 | dalkomhan | sweet |
| 짭짤한 | jjapjjalhan | salty |
| 새콤한 | saekomhan | tangy |
| 고소한 | gosohan | nutty, savoury |
| 담백한 | dambaekan | light and clean-tasting |
| 양념 | yangnyeom | seasoned (with sauce) or marinade |
| 간장 | ganjang | soy sauce |
| 고추장 | gochujang | chili paste |
| 된장 | doenjang | soybean paste |
| 불맛 | bulmat | smoky wok flavour |
Portions and ordering
| Korean | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 반반 | banban | half and half |
| 인분 | inbun | serving (portion) |
| 1인분 | 1inbun | one serving |
| 2인분 | 2inbun | two servings |
| 2인분 이상 | 2inbun isang | two servings minimum |
| 소 | so | small |
| 중 | jung | medium |
| 대 | dae | large |
| 소자 | soja | small size |
| 중자 | jungja | medium size |
| 대자 | daeja | large size |
| 곱빼기 | gopppaegi | double portion (noodles) |
| 특 | teuk | large or special version |
| 보통 | botong | regular |
| 사리 | sari | add-on (noodles, rice cakes) |
| 추가 | chuga | extra, add |
| 무료 | muryo | free |
| 셀프 | selpeu | self-service |
| 리필 | ripil | refill |
| 포장 | pojang | takeaway |
| 배달 | baedal | delivery |
| 매장 | maejang | dine-in |
| 세트 | seteu | set |
| 점심특선 | jeomsimteukseon | lunch special |
| 한 마리 | han mari | a whole (chicken, fish) |
| 반 마리 | ban mari | half |
| 한 접시 | han jeopsi | one plate |
| 시가 | siga | market price |
| 후식 | husik | dessert |
| 식사 | siksa | meal (rice or noodles to finish) |
| 주류 | juryu | alcohol |
| 음료 | eumnyo | drinks |
| 원산지 | wonsanji | country of origin |
| 국내산 | gungnaesan | Korean-grown |
| 수입산 | suipsan | imported |
| 이상 | isang | or more (2인분 이상 = two servings or more) |
| 주문 | jumun | order |
| 가능 | ganeung | available, possible |
| 불가 | bulga | not available |
| 품절 | pumjeol | sold out |
| 공깃밥 | gonggitbap | a bowl of plain rice |
| 곱배기 | gopbaegi | double portion (common spelling of 곱빼기) |
| 무한리필 | muhanripil | all you can eat |
| 1인 | 1in | for one person |
| 혼밥 | honbap | eating alone |
| 가격 | gagyeok | price |
| 영업시간 | yeongeopsigan | opening hours |
| 브레이크타임 | beureikeutaim | break time (kitchen closed) |
| 라스트오더 | raseuteuodeo | last order |
Menu jargon
| Korean | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 마약 | mayak | "drug" — here it means addictive |
| 부대 | budae | army base (부대찌개) |
| 모둠 | modum | assorted |
| 왕 | wang | king-size |
| 원조 | wonjo | the original |
| 할머니 | halmeoni | grandma-style |
| 옛날 | yennal | old-fashioned |
| 시골 | sigol | country-style |
| 수제 | suje | handmade |
| 손 | son | handmade (손칼국수, 손만두) |
| 생 | saeng | fresh, not frozen |
| 냉동 | naengdong | frozen |
| 해장 | haejang | hangover cure |
| 보양 | boyang | stamina food |
| 명가 | myeongga | famous house |
| 서비스 | seobiseu | free extra from the restaurant |
Food labels (packaged food)
| Korean | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 원재료명 | wonjaeryomyeong | ingredients |
| 알레르기 유발물질 | allereugi yubalmuljil | allergens |
| 함유 | hamyu | contains |
| 난류 | nanryu | eggs |
| 대두 | daedu | soybeans |
| 밀 | mil | wheat |
| 메밀 | memil | buckwheat |
| 갑각류 | gapgangnyu | crustaceans |
| 조개류 | jogaeryu | shellfish |
| 돼지고기 | dwaejigogi | pork |
| 쇠고기 | soegogi | beef |
| 닭고기 | dakgogi | chicken |
| 같은 제조시설 | gateun jejosiseol | made in the same facility as |