Pointing at pictures works until you need to ask whether a dish contains shrimp. A screenshot-ready list of Korean phrases for ingredients, allergies and "no spicy, please".
Pointing at the pictures on a menu works fine, right up until you need to ask "Does this have shrimp in it?" Ski resort cafeterias are busy at lunchtime, and staff may not speak much English. Take a screenshot of the phrases below and keep them on your phone.
The key ending is deureo isseoyo?, meaning "is it in there?"
| You want to say | Korean | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Does this have meat? | 고기 들어 있어요? | gogi deureo isseoyo? |
| Does this have pork? | 돼지고기 들어 있어요? | dwaeji-gogi deureo isseoyo? |
| Does this have seafood? | 해물 들어 있어요? | haemul deureo isseoyo? |
If the answer is ne (네), it does. If it is ani-yo (아니요), it doesn't.
Add ppaego juseyo, "please leave out", after the ingredient.
| You want to say | Korean | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| No meat, please | 고기 빼고 주세요 | gogi ppaego juseyo |
| No ham, please | 햄 빼고 주세요 | haem ppaego juseyo |
| Not spicy, please | 안 맵게 해 주세요 | an maepge hae juseyo |
The last one is very useful with children. Bear in mind that some dishes come pre-made, and the sauce or broth may still contain meat even when the pieces are removed.
The pattern is the food followed by allereugi isseoyo, "I have an allergy".
| Allergy | Korean | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut | 땅콩 알레르기 있어요 | ttangkong allereugi isseoyo |
| Shrimp | 새우 알레르기 있어요 | sae-u allereugi isseoyo |
| Egg | 계란 알레르기 있어요 | gyeran allereugi isseoyo |
| Dairy | 우유 알레르기 있어요 | uyu allereugi isseoyo |
Hot water is tteugeoun mul (뜨거운 물), tissue or napkin is hyuji (휴지), and a receipt is yeongsujeung (영수증). "Thank you" is gamsahamnida (감사합니다).
If your allergy is severe, don't rely on spoken Korean in a noisy cafeteria. Print a card in Korean that names the allergen, says it is dangerous, and asks the kitchen to check the sauce and stock as well. Show it to the cook, not just the cashier. Our dietary restrictions guide has more on ordering safely, and the convenience store label guide shows how to read packaged food.