In Lesson 5, we learned some polite expressions that Koreans use every day.

Do you remember these two expressions?

천천히 말해 주세요.
Please speak slowly.

다시 한 번 말해 주세요.
Please say it again.

Both expressions end with 주세요.

Today, we’re going to learn more about this useful expression.

You can use 주세요 (juseyo) when ordering food, asking for something, or asking someone to do something.

If you visit Korea, you’ll probably use 주세요 quite often

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Lesson Goal: using 주세요(Juseyo)

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Ask for something politely using 주세요.
• Ask someone to do something.
• Order drinks and food using 잔 and 인분.
• Use simple Korean expressions at cafés and restaurants.

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How to Use 주세요

There are two common ways to use 주세요.

1. Noun + 주세요

When you want something, you can put 주세요 after a noun.

For example:

Korean	English
물 주세요.	Water, please.
커피 주세요.	Coffee, please.
불고기 주세요.	Bulgogi, please.

If you know the Korean word for what you want, just add 주세요.

For example, when you’re at a café, you can say:

커피 주세요.
Coffee, please.

You don’t need to add another word for “please.” 주세요 already makes it a polite request.

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2. Verb + 아/어 주세요

You can also use 주세요 when you want someone to do something.

In this case, the verb changes a little before 주세요.

Basic Verb	Korean	English
읽다(to read)	읽어 주세요.	Please read it.
말하다(to speak)	말해 주세요.	Please speak
기다리다(to wait)	기다려 주세요.	Please wait.

Why does the verb change?

In Korean, we use the -아/어 form of a verb before 주세요 when asking someone to do something.

For example:

읽다 → 읽어 주세요.
Please read it.

말하다 → 말해 주세요.
Please speak.

Do you remember 천천히 말해 주세요 from Lesson 5?

Now you can see how it works. 말하다 changes to 말해, and then we add 주세요.

We’ll learn more about verb changes in other lessons. For now, remember the difference:

Noun + 주세요: Ask for something.

Verb + 아/어 주세요: Ask someone to do something.

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A Small Tip: 물 주세요 vs 물 좀 주세요

You may also hear Koreans say:

물 좀 주세요.
Some water, please.

Here, 좀[jom] means “a little” or “some,” but it can also make a request sound a little softer.

Both 물 주세요 and 물 좀 주세요 are natural.

You don’t have to use 좀 every time, but it’s a useful word to recognize when listening to Korean.

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Today’s Key Vocabulary

Today, we will learn some Korean numbers and two useful counters:

1. Korean Numbers

In Korean, we use special counting words called counters. For example, 잔 is used for drinks, and 인분 is used for servings of food.

Korean also has two number systems: Pure Korean numbers and Sino-Korean numbers.

Here’s a quick look at numbers 1 to 10.

Notice that the first four Pure Korean numbers change when they come before a counter.

하나 becomes 한, 둘 becomes 두, 셋 becomes 세, and 넷 becomes 네.

Let’s see how we use these numbers when ordering.

2. 잔[jan] — Counting Drinks

잔 is a counter for drinks.

We use Pure Korean numbers with 잔.

For example:

Korean	English
한 잔	one cup/glass
두 잔	two cups/glasses
세 잔	three cups/glasses
네 잔	four cups/glasses

For example:

커피 한 잔 주세요.
One coffee, please.

차 두 잔 주세요.
Two cups of tea, please.

아이스 아메리카노 세 잔 주세요.
Three iced Americanos, please.

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3. 인분[inbun]-Ordering Servings of Food

When ordering food by the serving at a Korean restaurant,

we use 인분.

For restaurant orders, we use Sino-Korean numbers with 인분.

Korean	English
일 인분	one serving
이 인분	two servings
삼 인분	three servings
사 인분	four servings

For example:

불고기 이 인분 주세요.
Two servings of bulgogi, please.

삼겹살 삼 인분 주세요.
Three servings of pork belly, please.

So, remember these two patterns when ordering:

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A Little Story About 주세요

In Korea, 주세요 is one of the expressions parents teach their young children.

After learning words like 엄마 (Mom), 아빠 (Dad), and 맘마 (food), children begin learning how to ask for things.

When a child wants something, parents often encourage them to say:

주세요.

Some parents also teach their children to put their two hands together when asking.

And after receiving something, they learn to say:

감사합니다.
Thank you.

I like this little example because it shows how we use 주세요 in everyday life. It’s a simple expression, but we use it from a very young age.

And now you’re learning it too!

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Let’s Read the Dialogues1

Let’s see how you can use 주세요 at a café and a restaurant.

Dialogue 1. At a Café

Imagine you’re visiting a café in Korea and want to order an iced Americano.

Korean	English
바리스타: 안녕하세요. 어서 오세요.	Barista: Hello. Welcome.
손님: 아아 한 잔 주세요.	Customer: One iced Americano, please.
바리스타: 네, 알겠습니다.	Barista: Sure.

Korean Culture Tip: What Is 아아?

You may hear people say 아아 at Korean cafés.

아아 is short for 아이스 아메리카노 (iced Americano).

Koreans sometimes shorten long words in everyday conversation.

So instead of saying 아이스 아메리카노, you may hear 아아.

If you want one iced Americano, you can say:

아아 한 잔 주세요.

Of course, you can also use the full name, 아이스 아메리카노.

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Dialogue 2. At a Restaurant

Now imagine you’re at a Korean restaurant and want two servings of bulgogi.

Korean	English
식당 종업원: 어서 오세요.	Server: Welcome.
손님: 불고기 이 인분 주세요.	Customer: Two servings of bulgogi, please.
식당 종업원: 네, 조금만 기다려 주세요.	Server: Sure. Please wait a moment.
손님: 네, 감사합니다.	Customer: Okay. Thank you.

Did you notice the two different uses of 주세요?

The customer says:

불고기 이 인분 주세요.
Two servings of bulgogi, please.

The server says:

조금만 기다려 주세요.
Please wait a moment.

In the first sentence, the customer is asking for food. In the second, the server is asking the customer to wait.

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A Few Tips for Korean Restaurants

Before you visit a restaurant in Korea, there are two more things I’d like to share.

1. Look for a Button on the Table

In many Korean restaurants, you’ll see a small button on the table.

It’s a call button for the server.

When you need something, you can press it and wait for the server to come.

If there’s no button, you can say:

저기요!
Excuse me!

We learned this expression in Lesson 5.

2. Asking for More Side Dishes

When you eat at a Korean restaurant, you’ll often get small side dishes called 반찬 (banchan).

Many restaurants offer free refills of basic side dishes, although this depends on the restaurant.

If you’d like more, you can say:

반찬 더 주세요.
More side dishes, please.

Here, 더 means “more.”

You can also say:

물 더 주세요.
More water, please.

These are simple expressions you can use at a restaurant.

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Great Job!

Today, you learned how to use 주세요 when asking for something or asking someone to do something.

You also learned how to order drinks with 잔 and servings of food with 인분.

Next time you visit a Korean café or restaurant, try remembering one of these expressions:

커피 한 잔 주세요.
One coffee, please.

불고기 이 인분 주세요.
Two servings of bulgogi, please.

You don’t need a long sentence to make a simple request in Korean.

See you in the next lesson!