Learn Basic Korean for Travel: How to Order Coffee at a Cafe Like a Local

1. Your First Step to Ordering Coffee in Korean

Imagine this: you’ve just landed in Seoul, the city buzzing with energy, and you step into a cozy cafe to take it all in. The only thing between you and a great cup of coffee is a menu written entirely in Korean. This is exactly why learning how to order a drink is one of the most practical first steps you can take. It’s a simple, low-pressure interaction that helps build real confidence fast.

This guide is designed for absolute beginners. You don’t need to know how to read Hangul to get started. While learning Hangul is the best long-term option, we use easy-to-read Romanization to help travelers pronounce key phrases with confidence and order naturally at the counter.

Because Romanization doesn’t always match real Korean pronunciation, this post works together with the short video so you can hear how each phrase actually sounds. Together, they give you the exact phrases, essential vocabulary, and practical tips you need to order coffee in a Korean cafe smoothly and confidently.

2. Watch & Listen: How to Order Coffee

The best way to learn a new language is to hear it spoken naturally. This video is part of our "Everyday Korean" series, which focuses on practical, real-life situations you'll encounter on your travels.

Watch the short video below and practice listening to the conversation first.

3. Full Dialogue Breakdown: What You'll Hear and Say

Now that you've heard the conversation, let's break it down line by line. This section deconstructs the entire dialogue from the video. For each line, you'll see the original Korean (Hangul), the Romanized pronunciation to help you speak, and the English meaning.

Employee: Welcome! What can I get for you?

Korean (Hangul): 어서 오세요. 뭐 드릴까요?

Romanization: Eo-seo o-se-yo. Mwo deu-ril-kka-yo?

You: One Americano, please.

Korean (Hangul): 아메리카노 하나 주세요.

Romanization: A-me-ri-ka-no ha-na j-use-yo.

Usage Tip: This pattern, "[Item] + 하나 주세요 (ha-na ju-se-yo)", is the most useful phrase for ordering one of anything in Korea.

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Employee: Iced or hot?

Korean (Hangul): 아이스로 드릴까요 따뜻한 걸로 드릴까요?

Romanization: A-i-seu-ro deu-ril-kka-yo tta-tteu-than geol-lo deu-ril-kka-yo?

You: Iced, please.

Korean (Hangul): 아이스로 주세요.

Romanization: A-i-seu-ro ju-se-yo.

Usage Tip: To ask for it hot, you can simply say "따뜻한 걸로 주세요 (Ta-tteu-than geol-lo ju-se-yo)".

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Employee: For here or to go?

Korean (Hangul): 여기서 드세요, 테이크 아웃 하세요?

Romanization: Yeo-gi-seo deu-se-yo, te-i-keu a-ut ha-se-yo?

You: To go, please.

Korean (Hangul): 테이크 아웃 할게요.

Romanization: Te-i-keu a-ut hal-ge-yo.

Usage Tip: To say you'd like to have it in the café, you can say '여기서 마실게요' (Yeo-gi-seo ma-sil-ge-yo), which means 'I'll drink it here.'

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Employee: Okay. Please wait a moment.

Korean (Hangul): 네, 알겠습니다. 조금만 기다려 주세요.

Romanization: Ne, al-ge-sseum-ni-da. Jo-geum-man gi-da-ryeo ju-se-yo.

By familiarizing yourself with these key phrases, you're already prepared for your first cafe visit. Next, let's look at the most important words from this conversation.

4. Key Vocabulary & Expressions

Mastering a few key words from our dialogue will help you understand what's being asked and allow you to build your own simple phrases. Notice how '주세요' (ju-se-yo) can be attached to almost any item you want to order.

Korean (Hangul)	Romanization	Meaning
하나	ha-na	One
주세요	ju-se-yo	Please give me
아이스	a-i-seu	Iced
따뜻한 거	tta-tteu-than geo	Hot thing / Hot one
여기	yeo-gi	Here
테이크 아웃	te-i-keu a-ut	Take out / To go
네	ne	Yes

Knowing the language is one thing, but understanding the local customs will make your experience even smoother.

5. Real Travel Tips for Korean Cafes

Knowing the phrases is only half the battle. To truly feel like a local, it helps to understand the culture and flow of a typical Korean café. Here are a few practical tips to ensure a smooth and pleasant experience.

• Order and Pay at the Counter: In many Korean cafes, staff do not guide you to a seat. Customers usually check for available seating first, then go to the counter to order and pay. After ordering, you are often given a pager. When it buzzes, you return to the counter to pick up your drink. Once you finish your coffee, it is also common to bring your cup back to the counter or clear your table yourself.

• "Americano" is King: While you can find lattes, cappuccinos, and a variety of other drinks, the absolute default coffee order in Korea is an Americano, either hot or iced (ah-ah for "iced Americano" is a popular abbreviation). This is so common you could even shorten your order to '아아 하나 주세요' (Ah-ah hana juseyo) and be perfectly understood.

• No Tipping Required: Tipping is not a part of the culture in Korea. The price you see on the menu is the final price you pay, so there's no need to leave anything extra.

Now that you have the language and the cultural context, it's time to put your knowledge to the test.

6. Practice Your Korean

The best way to make these new phrases stick is to practice them. Here are a few simple exercises to help you build confidence before you even step foot in a cafe.

1. Situation Prompt 1: You walk into a cafe and want to order one latte(라떼 Ra-tte). Based on the dialogue pattern, what would you say?

2. Fill-in-the-Blank: The employee asks if you want your drink iced or hot. You want it hot. You would say: _____________ juseyo.

3. Situation Prompt 2: The employee asks if you want your coffee for here or to go. You want to stay in the café. What would you say? (Hint: The phrase means 'I'll drink it here.')

Answers: 

1. 라떼 하나 주세요. (Ra-tte ha-na ju-se-yo) Please give me one latte.

2. 따뜻한 걸로 (Ta-tteu-than geol-lo)

3. 여기서 마실게요 (Yeo-gi-seo ma-sil-ge-yo)

7. Keep Learning with Everyday Korean

Congratulations! You now have all the tools you need to walk into any cafe in Korea and order your favorite drink. Learning just a few essential phrases like these can completely transform your travel experience, opening doors to friendly interactions and making you feel more connected to the culture.

This lesson is part of the "Everyday Korean" series, which is dedicated to teaching practical, simple Korean for the real-life situations you'll face as a traveler.

Keep practicing, and you'll be ordering like a local in no time. I use dialogues like this to help beginners get used to real Korean situations.

— Talkhey

TalkHey aims to be the go-to online platform for teens and adults worldwide who want to learn Korean, helping them confidently achieve their language goals through personalized and flexible lessons, whether they're just starting or looking to master advanced skills.