Ordering Coffee in Korean | Why google translate MAY NOT work

Why is learning cafe expressions worth it?

Coffee is relaxation. If you have to consume big energy whenever ordering coffee, it won’t be like your normal peaceful break anymore.

You already know how to order

You must have ordered hundred thousands of coffee throughout whole life. Like you know, “coffee order expressions” follows similar pattern.

• Saying “hi”
• Picking menu
• Choosing “here” or “to go”
• Payment & Getting receipt
• They will call you when it’s ready

However, this natural coffee order procedure can be messed up in your mind when you travel other countries using different language.

Here are expressions the commonly used in Korean coffee shop. Not to destroy your peaceful coffee break, you could be willing to remember those obvious coffee order expressions and obvious pattern I believe.

How translate doesn’t help

Translated expressions sometimes drive you to even more embarrassing situation. That’s because the dictionary has no way to identify the context you are in.

How do you order coffee normally?

Do you say “One coffee please” for a brewed coffee? (if you’re espresso lover, don’t mind)

So let’s say you typed “One coffee please” in translator like below. Then it showed you “keopi han jan juseyo”. Have you ever actually said “keopi han jan juseyo” in local Korean cafe?

If you have, you will see it brings you even more confusions. Cafe workers will ask you more questions back in their language. That sounds embarassing.

Why this happens? What you do is only making efforts to be nicer though. It’s not your fault, nor is the translator’s. Again, why this happens?

Cultural differences in coffee order

One cultural understanding can be missing here. Even though the “coffee” culture came from western countries (probably with starbucks from the US), it hasn’t settled as it is in original way.

The missing part here is the fact that Korean cafe do not carry machine brewing coffee as just "coffee". That is why you can’t avoid standing in front of baristas who are to specify the “coffee” you’re ordering.

How to ask better ?

Instead of “One coffee please”, what’s better then? Here are info you must specify about your coffee order.

Essential info you must tell

There are 4 pieces of “must tell” info at cafe. 2 of them goes first, and the others are following.

1. Exact name of coffee menu
2. Iced or Hot
3. Here or To-go (Takeout)
4. Receipt or No receipt

Once cafe workers got these 4 factors about your order, there won’t be harder questions basically. (Exceptionally, there is “Covid check out” custom, conducting nationwide. You can find out by google)

Photo by  Jonathan Borba  from  Pexels

Korean name of Coffee menu

Now, here we are. It’s time to look what kind of coffee in Korea.

아메리카노 Americano

- Sound : amerikano
- Available everywhere

(Could be replaced by Long black 롱블랙)

카페라떼 Cafe latte

- Sound : kape latte
- Mostly Available

바닐라 라떼 Espresso Vanilla latte

- Sound : banilla latte
- Mostly Available

카푸치노 Capucchino

- Sound : kapuchino
- Mostly Available

카페모카 Cafe mocha

- Sound : kape moka
- Mostly Available

카라멜 마끼아또 Caramel macchiato

- Sound : karamel makkiatto
- Mostly Available

콜드브루 Cold brew coffee

- Sound : koldeubeuru
- Often available

핸드드립 Hand drip coffee

- Sound : haendeudeurip keopi
- Often available

** you would be asked to choose bean **

Non coffee menu

- 다즐링 Darjeeling : dajeulling
- 얼그레이 Earl Gray : eolgeurei
- 캐모마일 Chamomile (tea) : kaemomail
- 민트 Mint (tea) : minteu
- 레몬에이드 Lemonade : lemon-eideu

Hot or Iced

따뜻한 hot

- Sound : ttatteuthan

아이스 iced

- Sound : aiseu

Here / To go

먹고 갈 거예요 I'm going to eat/drink (here)

- Sound : meoggo gal geoyeyo

테이크아웃 해주세요 Take out please

- Sound : teikeuaut-ibnida

Receipt / No receipt

Barista will ask you about receipt first. It will be a “Yes or No” question.

영수증 Receipt

- Sound : yeong-su-jeung

네 Yes

- Sound : ne

아니요 No

- Sound : aniyo

네, 주세요 Yes, please

- Sound : ne, juseyo

아니요, 괜찮아요 No, I’m ok

- Sound : aniyo, gwaen-chan-ah-yo

Practical Dialogue

* W -> Worker
* U -> You

Greeting & Name a menu

W: 어서오세요~.

Eoseooseyo~.
Welcome

U: 안녕하세요. 따뜻한 아메리카노 하나 주세요

Annyeonghaseyo. Ttatteuthan amerikano hana juseyo
Hi. One Hot Americano please

Here or To-go

W: 드시고 가세요?
Deusigo gaseyo?
For here or togo?
U (takeout) : 테이크아웃 해주세요.
Teikeuaut haejuseyo
Takeout please
U (here) : 네. 먹고 갈 거예요.
Ne. Meoggo gal geoyeyo
Yes, I'm going to eat (here)

Receipt

W: 영수증 필요하세요?
Yeongsujeung pil-yohaseyo?
Do you need receipt?
U (Yes): 네, 주세요.
Ne, juseyo
Yes, please
U (No): 아니요, 괜찮아요
Aniyo, gwaen-chan-ah-yo
No, I'm OK

Finalizing

Depends on cafe’s service, workers will say differently at the end.

• Situation 1. Getting you a buzzer
• Situation 2. Workers serve to your seat
• Situation 3. (Small cafe) Call you (actually, they read the coffee name you ordered like "your short size americano is ready").

Situation 1: Get you a buzzer
W (Buzzer): 준비되면 진동벨로 알려 드릴게요~
Junbidoemyeon jindongbello allyeo deulilgeyo
When it's ready, I'll let you know with the buzzer.

Situation 2: They will serve to your seat
W (Serve to seat): 준비되면 자리로 가져다 드릴게요~
Junbidoemyeon jariro gajyeoda deulilgeyo~
When it's ready, I'll bring it to your seat.

Situation 3: They will call you(small cafe)
W (call you): 준비되면 불러 드릴게요~
Junbidoemyeon bulleo deulilgeyo
We'll call you when I'm ready

Common
W: 잠시만 기다려 주세요~
Jamsiman gidalyeo juseyo
Please wait a bit.
(=> You will receive a buzzer like photos below.)
U: 감사합니다.
Gamsahabnida
Thank you.

Common type of cafe buzzer

When ready -> Flickering & Vibrating

Boom! There you go!
This is all you need to know !
If you are reading this, you deserve rewarding coffee break !
Enjoy !

Summary

4 Things you need to specify

> Name exact coffee menu
> Choose Hot / Iced
> Say For here / To go
> Answer Yes or No for receipt

Lexical resources

Hi
안녕하세요
annyeonghaseyo Warm
따뜻한
ttatteushan

* This means “hot” only in coffee order

Iced
아이스
aiseu

Takeout
테이크아웃
teikeuaut

Here
여기
yeogi

Will eat/drink (here)
먹고 갈 거예요
meoggo gal geoyeyo

Receipt
영수증
yeong-su-jeung

Americano
아메리카노
amerikano

Cafe Latte
카페라떼 / 라떼 (either way)
kapelatte

Cold brew coffee
콜드브루 커피
koldeubeuru keopi

One
하나
hana

Two of them
두 개
du-gae

Three of them
세 개
se-gae

please
주세요
juseyo

Buzzer
진동벨
jindongbello


Thank you
감사합니다
gamsahabnida

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