Basic Foods and Korean Dish Names

In this lesson, you'll learn the names of everyday foods and popular Korean dishes. Once you know these words, reading a menu and ordering becomes much easier.

Basic Food Words

Korean	Romanization	English
밥	bap	cooked rice
국	guk	soup
고기	gogi	meat
생선	saengseon	fish
채소	chaeso	vegetable
과일	gwail	fruit
면	myeon	noodles
빵	ppang	bread
달걀	dalgyal	egg

Now let's look at the names of some popular Korean dishes.

Popular Korean Dishes

Korean	Romanization	English
비빔밥	bibimbap	mixed rice bowl
불고기	bulgogi	marinated grilled beef
김치찌개	gimchijjigae	kimchi stew
김밥	gimbap	seaweed rice roll
떡볶이	tteokbokki	spicy rice cakes
삼겹살	samgyeopsal	grilled pork belly
냉면	naengmyeon	cold noodles
된장찌개	doenjangjjigae	soybean paste stew
잡채	japchae	stir-fried glass noodles

저는 비빔밥을 좋아해요.

Jeoneun bibimbabeul joahaeyo.

I like bibimbap.

이 김치찌개는 정말 맛있어요.

I gimchijjigaeneun jeongmal masisseoyo.

This kimchi stew is really delicious.

오늘 점심에 김밥을 먹었어요.

Oneul jeomsime gimbabeul meogeosseoyo.

I had gimbap for lunch today.

한국 음식 중에서 뭘 제일 좋아해요?

Hanguk eumsik jungeseo mwol jeil joahaeyo?

Which Korean food do you like the most?

오늘 저녁에 삼겹살을 먹어요.

Oneul jeonyeoge samgyeopsareul meogeoyo.

We're having pork belly tonight.

여름에는 냉면이 인기가 많아요.

Yeoreumeneun naengmyeoni ingiga manayo.

Cold noodles are popular in summer.

저는 매운 음식을 잘 못 먹어요.

Jeoneun maeun eumsigeul jal mot meogeoyo.

I'm not great with spicy food.

아침에는 보통 빵을 먹어요.

Achimeneun botong ppangeul meogeoyo.

I usually have bread in the morning.

Saying What You Like

Use '~을/를 좋아해요' (eul/reul joahaeyo) for foods you like, and '~을/를 먹고 싶어요' (eul/reul meokgo sipeoyo) for foods you want to eat.

💡 Tip: '밥' (bap) means 'cooked rice,' but it also means 'a meal' in general. That's why '밥 먹었어요?' (Bap meogeosseoyo?) literally 'Did you eat rice?' works as a casual 'How are you?' greeting.

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