Words at the table
A handful of words that keep coming up at a Korean table – in Hangul, in the official romanisation, and written the way an English speaker can approximate them. Romanisation and pronunciation are two different things: one follows a system, the other only wants you to be understood.
How to read it
- u in ‚rum‘, ‚nul‘
- The vowel ㅡ: teeth almost together, lips spread as in a smile – a dull, unrounded sound.
- aw
- The vowel ㅓ: an open o, further back than the o in ‚go‘.
- j
- Voiced, as in ‚jam‘.
- kk, dd, ss
- Tense consonants: held briefly, released hard, without a puff of air.
At the table
| Hangul | Revidierte Romanisierung | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 잘 먹겠습니다 | jal meokgetseumnida | chal mawk-ke-ssum-nee-da | Said before eating – literally ‚I will eat well‘, above all to whoever cooked or invited you. |
| 잘 먹었습니다 | jal meogeotseumnida | chal maw-gaw-ssum-nee-da | Said after eating – literally ‚I ate well‘. |
| 맛있어요 | masisseoyo | ma-shee-ssaw-yo | It tastes good. |
| 맛있게 드세요 | masitge deuseyo | ma-shit-ge duh-se-yo | Enjoy your meal – what a host says when serving. |
| 많이 드세요 | mani deuseyo | ma-nee duh-se-yo | Eat plenty – also from the host, in the sense of ‚help yourself‘. |
| 배불러요 | baebulleoyo | pae-bul-law-yo | I am full. |
| 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | kam-sa-ham-nee-da | Thank you (polite). |
| 건배 | geonbae | kawn-bae | Cheers! |
Kinds of dishes
| Hangul | Revidierte Romanisierung | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 반찬 | banchan | pan-chan | The small side dishes that come with every meal. |
| 찌개 | jjigae | chee-gae | A hearty stew, usually served in an earthenware pot. |
| 국 | guk | kook | Soup – usually lighter and clearer than jjigae, though the line is blurred. |
| 볶음 | bokkeum | paw-kkum | Something stir-fried. |
| 무침 | muchim | moo-chim | Vegetables dressed with seasoning, close to a salad. |
| 나물 | namul | na-mool | A seasoned vegetable or herb side dish, blanched or raw. |
| 전 | jeon | chawn | Pan-fried – the ingredients are often turned in egg or batter. |
| 구이 | gui | koo-ee | Grilled or roasted. |
| 찜 | jjim | chim | Braised or steamed. |
Ingredients
| Hangul | Revidierte Romanisierung | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 밥 | bap | pap | Cooked rice – and by extension ‚a meal‘. |
| 김치 | gimchi | kim-chee | Fermented vegetables; the most common kind is spiced napa cabbage. |
| 고추장 | gochujang | kaw-choo-jang | Fermented chilli paste, hot and slightly sweet. |
| 된장 | doenjang | twen-jang | Fermented soybean paste. |
| 간장 | ganjang | kan-jang | Soy sauce. |
| 고춧가루 | gochutgaru | kaw-choot-ga-roo | Korean chilli flakes. |
| 참기름 | chamgireum | cham-gee-rum | Toasted sesame oil. |
| 두부 | dubu | too-boo | Tofu. |
| 마늘 | maneul | ma-nul | Garlic. |
| 파 | pa | pa | Spring onion. |
Dishes
| Hangul | Revidierte Romanisierung | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 비빔밥 | bibimbap | pee-bim-bap | ‚Mixed rice‘ – a rice bowl with vegetables, egg and gochujang, often with meat. |
| 불고기 | bulgogi | pool-gaw-gee | ‚Fire meat‘ – thinly sliced marinated meat, usually beef. |
| 된장찌개 | doenjang-jjigae | twen-jang-chee-gae | Stew with soybean paste. |
| 잡채 | japchae | chap-chae | Glass noodles with vegetables, often with beef. |
| 해물파전 | haemul-pajeon | hae-mool-pa-jawn | A pancake with seafood and spring onion. |
| 떡볶이 | tteokbokki | ddawk-baw-kee | Rice cakes in a spicy sauce – hugely popular street food. |
| 호떡 | hotteok | haw-ddawk | A sweet filled pancake with sugar, cinnamon and nuts. |
| 팥빙수 | patbingsu | pat-bing-soo | Shaved ice, classically with sweet red beans, today with all kinds of toppings. |