How to Order Coffee in Korea: A Practical Guide to Korean Cafés
How to Order Coffee in Korea: A Practical Guide to Korean Cafés
Ordering your first coffee in Korea can be surprisingly confusing.
You recognize “Americano” on the menu, but then the staff asks a question in Korean. Was that hot or iced? For here or to go? What size? And why does everyone around you seem to answer in two seconds?
The good news is that Korean cafés are actually quite easy to use once you recognize a handful of words and questions.
You do not need to speak fluent Korean. In many cases, one drink name, one temperature word, and 주세요 are enough.
The Simplest Way to Order Coffee in Korean
Suppose you want an iced Americano.
You can simply say:
아이스 아메리카노 하나 주세요.
Aiseu amerikano hana juseyo.
One iced Americano, please.
That single sentence contains almost everything you need:
아이스 = iced
아메리카노 = Americano
하나 = one
주세요 = please give me / I'd like
If you remember only one café sentence from this guide, make it this pattern:
[drink] + 하나 주세요.
Hot or Iced?
This is probably the most common question you will hear when ordering coffee in Korea.
The staff may ask:
뜨거운 걸로 드릴까요, 아이스로 드릴까요?
Would you like it hot or iced?
Or they may simply say:
뜨거운 거요? 아이스요?
Hot or iced?
You do not need to answer with a complete sentence.
Simply say:
아이스로 주세요.
Aiseuro juseyo.
Iced, please.
or:
따뜻한 걸로 주세요.
Ttatteuthan geollo juseyo.
Hot, please.
In cafés, you will also hear the English loanword 핫 (hat), especially in menu labels, although everyday spoken Korean may use expressions such as 뜨거운 or 따뜻한 depending on the situation.
The Coffee Names Are Easier Than You Think
Many Korean café drink names come directly from English or other familiar coffee terms.
| Korean | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 아메리카노 | amerikano | Americano |
| 카페라떼 | kape latte | caffè latte |
| 카푸치노 | kapuchino | cappuccino |
| 카페모카 | kape moka | caffè mocha |
| 에스프레소 | eseupeureso | espresso |
| 바닐라 라떼 | banilla latte | vanilla latte |
| 콜드브루 | koldeubeuru | cold brew |
Even if you cannot read Hangul quickly yet, you may recognize the sound once you hear the word.
A Korean Café Word You Will Hear Everywhere: 아아
Koreans often shorten words in casual conversation, and coffee has produced one particularly famous abbreviation:
아아
a-a
아이스 아메리카노 = iced Americano
You may hear someone say:
난 아아 마실게.
I'll have an iced Americano.
There is also:
뜨아
tteu-a
뜨거운 아메리카노 = hot Americano
These are casual abbreviations. A beginner does not need to use them when ordering. Saying 아이스 아메리카노 주세요 is completely natural and much easier.
For Here or To Go?
After you order, you may hear:
드시고 가세요?
Deusigo gaseyo?
Are you having it here?
or:
포장이세요?
Pojang-iseyo?
Is it to go?
For takeout, say:
포장이요.
Pojang-iyo.
To go, please.
If you are staying:
먹고 갈게요.
Meokgo galgeyo.
I'll have it here.
For drinks, you may also naturally hear or use:
마시고 갈게요.
Masigo galgeyo.
I'll drink it here.
What Does 포장 Mean?
You may recognize 포장 from Korean restaurants.
It means packaging or takeout, and it is one of the most useful food-and-drink words to learn before visiting Korea.
The same word works in cafés, restaurants, bakeries, and many food shops.
If you want to understand more restaurant words such as 1인분, 구이, 볶음 and 찌개, see:
How to Read Korean Menus: 35 Essential Food Words Every Traveler Should Know
How Do You Order Two Drinks?
For one drink:
아메리카노 하나 주세요.
One Americano, please.
For two:
아메리카노 두 잔 주세요.
Amerikano du jan juseyo.
Two Americanos, please.
Here, 잔 (jan) is a counter used for cups or glasses of drinks.
You may also hear customers use 한 잔 for one cup and 두 잔 for two.
What Size?
Size names depend on the café.
Large chains may use English-style names such as:
스몰 — small
미디엄 — medium
라지 — large
Other cafés use their own size names or simply offer one standard size.
If the staff asks:
사이즈는 어떻게 하세요?
What size would you like?
you can answer simply:
라지로 주세요.
Large, please.
Do not worry about memorizing a universal Korean café size system. There isn't one. Check the menu in front of you.
How to Ask for Decaf
Look for:
디카페인
dikapein
decaf
You can ask:
디카페인 돼요?
Dikapein dwaeyo?
Can you make it decaf?
If it is available:
디카페인으로 주세요.
Dikapeineuro juseyo.
Decaf, please.
Availability varies by café and by drink.
Changing the Milk
Larger cafés increasingly offer alternative milk options, although availability varies.
Useful words include:
우유 — milk
두유 — soy milk
오트밀크 — oat milk
If you want to ask whether oat milk is available:
오트밀크 있어요?
Oteumilkeu isseoyo?
Do you have oat milk?
If you have a serious food allergy, however, do not rely only on a memorized phrase or assume that changing the milk removes all cross-contact risk. Explain the allergy clearly and confirm with the café.
Less Sweet, Please
Many specialty drinks already contain syrup or sweetened ingredients.
A useful request is:
덜 달게 해 주세요.
Deol dalge hae juseyo.
Please make it less sweet.
Or you can ask:
시럽 빼 주세요.
Sireop ppae juseyo.
Please leave out the syrup.
Not every drink can be adjusted in the same way, so the staff may tell you that a particular option is not possible.
Where Is My Drink?
At many cafés, you pay when you order and then wait for your drink.
Depending on the café, you might receive:
- a receipt with an order number
- a vibrating pager
- a number displayed on a screen
- your name or order called aloud
At smaller cafés, the staff may simply announce the drink.
Listen for the name of what you ordered:
아이스 아메리카노 나왔습니다.
Your iced Americano is ready.
The verb 나오다 literally has meanings such as “to come out,” but in this situation it tells you that the order is ready.
Do You Tip at a Korean Café?
Normally, no.
Percentage-based tipping is not part of ordinary café culture in Korea. You generally pay the amount shown at the register or kiosk.
The same basic principle applies at most everyday restaurants. For more practical dining customs, see:
Korean Restaurant Etiquette: 15 Things First-Time Visitors Should Know
What About Café Kiosks?
Some cafés use touchscreen kiosks instead of taking every order at the counter.
The exact screen varies, but these words can help:
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 주문하기 | Order |
| 매장 | For here / in store |
| 포장 | Takeout |
| 결제 | Payment |
| 선택 | Select |
| 취소 | Cancel |
Many kiosks offer an English-language option, but not all do. Recognizing 매장, 포장 and 결제 is particularly useful.
A Realistic Café Conversation
Here is the kind of short conversation you might actually have.
Staff: 주문하시겠어요?
Are you ready to order?
You: 아이스 아메리카노 하나 주세요.
One iced Americano, please.
Staff: 드시고 가세요? 포장이세요?
For here or to go?
You: 포장이요.
To go, please.
Staff: 4,500원입니다.
That's 4,500 won.
That may be the entire conversation.
Notice that you did not need complicated grammar. You needed to recognize the question and give a short answer.
Eight Café Words Worth Saving
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 아이스 | iced |
| 포장 | takeout |
| 매장 | in store / for here |
| 디카페인 | decaf |
| 우유 | milk |
| 시럽 | syrup |
| 결제 | payment |
| 잔 | counter for cups/glasses |
Three Sentences Are Enough for Your First Café
If everything else in this guide feels like too much, remember these:
아이스 아메리카노 하나 주세요.
One iced Americano, please.
포장이요.
To go, please.
감사합니다.
Thank you.
With those three expressions, you can successfully order one of the most common drinks in Korea and leave with your coffee.
Everything else can come later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I order an iced Americano in Korean?
Say 아이스 아메리카노 하나 주세요 (aiseu amerikano hana juseyo), meaning “One iced Americano, please.”
What does 아아 mean in Korea?
아아 is a casual abbreviation of 아이스 아메리카노, or iced Americano. You may hear Koreans use it when talking with friends or coworkers.
How do I say “to go” in Korean?
Say 포장이요 or 포장해 주세요. 포장 is the common word used for takeout.
How do I ask for decaf coffee?
Ask 디카페인 돼요?, meaning “Can you make it decaf?” If it is available, you can say 디카페인으로 주세요.
Do Korean cafés have English menus?
Many major chains and cafés in areas popular with international visitors provide some English, and many kiosks have a language option. Smaller cafés vary, so knowing a few Korean words is still useful.
Do I tip at cafés in Korea?
Normally, no. An additional percentage-based tip is not generally expected at an ordinary Korean café.
Your First Korean Café Does Not Need to Be Complicated
The first time someone asks 드시고 가세요? 포장이세요?, it may sound impossibly fast.
After you recognize what the question means, however, the entire interaction becomes simple: choose your drink, say whether you want it hot or iced, tell them whether you are staying or taking it away, and pay.
That is a useful way to approach practical Korean in general. You do not need to understand every word around you. Learn to recognize the few words that change what you need to do next.
Then use them in real life.
Eating and Drinking in Korea
Start with these guides if you are preparing for your first trip:
How to Read Korean Menus: 35 Essential Food Words Every Traveler Should Know
Korean Restaurant Etiquette: 15 Things First-Time Visitors Should Know