🍲 How to Read Korean Menus – Beginner Level (TOPIK 1–2)
Confused by Korean menus when dining out?
This guide will teach you how to read Korean menus using Hangul, understand common food vocabulary, and order confidently at restaurants in Korea.
📚 Table of Contents
- Menu Basics: Why Learn Hangul?
- Essential Menu Vocabulary
- Example Menu Items and Meanings
- Practice Dialogue: Ordering Food
- Did You Know? Cultural Tips
- Final Thoughts
🍽 Menu Basics: Why Learn Hangul?
Most Korean menus are written in Hangul, sometimes without English translations. Knowing basic Korean alphabet reading skills helps you identify dishes and avoid surprises. Recognizing words like “볶음” (bokkeum, stir-fried) or “찌개” (jjigae, stew) makes ordering easier and more fun.
📖 Essential Menu Vocabulary
- 밥 (bap) – rice / meal
- 국 (guk) – soup
- 찌개 (jjigae) – stew
- 볶음 (bokkeum) – stir-fried
- 구이 (gui) – grilled
- 김치 (kimchi) – fermented vegetables
- 비빔밥 (bibimbap) – mixed rice with vegetables
💬 Example Menu Items and Meanings
- 김치찌개 – Kim-chi-jji-gae – Kimchi stew
- 불고기 – Bul-go-gi – Marinated grilled beef
- 비빔밥 – Bi-bim-bap – Mixed rice with vegetables and sauce
- 된장국 – Dwen-jang-guk – Soybean paste soup
- 삼겹살 – Sam-gyeop-sal – Grilled pork belly
💡 Note: Many dishes have cooking styles in their names (찌개, 볶음, 구이). Recognizing these helps you guess what the dish is even if you don’t know every word. Try: Can you identify if “김치볶음밥” is fried rice or stew?
🗣 Practice Dialogue: Ordering Food
A: 메뉴판 좀 주세요. – Men-yu-pan jom ju-se-yo. – Please give me the menu.
B: 여기 있습니다. – Yeo-gi it-seum-ni-da. – Here you go.
A: 김치찌개 하나 주세요. – Kim-chi-jji-gae ha-na ju-se-yo. – One kimchi stew, please.
B: 네, 잠시만 기다려 주세요. – Ne, jam-si-man gi-da-ryeo ju-se-yo. – Yes, please wait a moment.
🧩 Quick Check: Which polite request word appeared twice? How would you order two dishes instead of one?
🌏 Did You Know? Cultural Tips
Many Korean restaurants provide free side dishes called “반찬 (banchan)” like kimchi and pickled radish. They are refillable and included in the meal price. When reading a menu, don’t be surprised if these are not listed—they come automatically!
📦 Final Thoughts
Learning how to read Korean menus is a fun way to practice Hangul and discover new foods. Start by recognizing common cooking terms and practice reading them aloud. Soon, you’ll feel confident ordering like a local.
I hope that while reading various posts on my blog, you’ll learn Korean and grow to love Korea. As a Korean, I sincerely wish for that. Please come back anytime to discover new expressions and cultural insights!
🎓 Want to practice reading real menus with a teacher? Book a 1:1 Korean class on italki and learn to order food like a local!
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