Your K-Drama Tteokbokki Mission: Shopping List Unlocked!
Hello! Welcome to Maeil Hangul (매일한글), where we upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever watched a K-drama and suddenly craved the delicious, spicy-sweet tteokbokki (떡볶이) the characters were eating? You’re not alone! Lately in Korea, making tteokbokki at home has become a super popular trend, especially for a fun night in with friends.
But before you can cook, you need to shop! Today, we’re going to learn the essential Korean phrases you need to create a shopping list and buy ingredients like a local. Let’s get ready for our tteokbokki mission!
Core Expressions for Your Shopping List
Here are three key phrases that will turn you into a Korean grocery shopping pro.
1. 뭐가 필요해요? (What do we need?)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Mwoga pillyohaeyo?
- English Meaning: What do we need? / What is necessary?
- Detailed Explanation: This is the perfect question to start your shopping list. ‘뭐가’ means ‘what’ (as the subject), and ‘필요해요’ means ‘to need’. You can use this when planning to cook, pack for a trip, or prepare for any project with someone. It’s a polite and very common phrase.
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💡 Pronunciation Tip:
The letter ‘ㄱ’ (g/k) in ‘뭐가’ is pronounced like a soft ‘g’ as in ‘go’, not a hard ‘k’ as in ‘king’. In Korean, the sound of ‘ㄱ’ can change slightly depending on its position, but here at the beginning of a syllable, it’s a gentle [g] sound. Try saying “Mwo-ga” smoothly.
2. 떡 좀 주세요. (Please give me some rice cakes.)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Tteok jom juseyo.
- English Meaning: Please give me some rice cakes.
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Detailed Explanation: This is your magic phrase at any market or store! ‘떡’ means rice cake, ‘주세요’ is the polite way to say ‘please give me’, and ‘좀’ is a fascinating little word. While it literally means ‘a little’, Koreans add it to requests to make them sound softer and more polite. So, instead of “Give me rice cakes,” it feels more like, “Could I have some rice cakes, please?” You can replace ‘떡’ with any other item! (e.g., 양파 좀 주세요 – Please give me some onions).
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💡 Pronunciation Tip:
The double consonant ‘ㄸ’ in ‘떡’ [tteok] represents a “tense” sound. It’s stronger and sharper than the regular ‘ㄷ’ (d/t). To make this sound, don’t release any puff of air. It’s not “teok,” but a tight, sharp [tteok]. Practice makes perfect!
3. 이거 하나랑 저거 두 개. (One of this and two of that.)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Igeo hanarang jeogeo du gae.
- English Meaning: One of this and two of that.
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Detailed Explanation: This phrase is a game-changer when you’re pointing at things. ‘이거’ means ‘this thing’ (for something close to you), and ‘저거’ means ‘that thing’ (for something far from both you and the listener). ‘하나’ is ‘one’ and ‘두’ is ‘two’ (using native Korean numbers), and ‘개’ is a general counter for items. The particle ‘-(이)랑’ is a friendly, conversational way to say ‘and’.
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💡 Pronunciation Tip:
Listen closely to ‘하나랑’ [hanarang]. In writing, it’s ‘hana’ + ‘rang’, but when you say it, the ‘n’ sound from ‘나’ links to the next syllable, making it sound like [hanarang]. This linking rule, called ‘연음 (yeoneum)’, makes Korean sound smooth and connected. It’s why “영어” (yeong-eo) sounds like [yeo-ngeo].
Example Dialogue: Tteokbokki Shopping Mission!
Let’s see these phrases in a real conversation. Friends A and B are at a Korean supermarket.
A: 와, 떡볶이 만들자! 뭐가 필요해요?
(Wa, tteokbokki mandeulja! Mwoga pillyohaeyo?)
(Wow, let’s make tteokbokki! What do we need?)
B: 음… 떡, 어묵, 고추장이 필요해. 저기 떡이 있다!
(Eum… tteok, eomuk, gochujang-i pillyohae. Jeogi tteogi itda!)
(Hmm… We need rice cakes, fish cakes, and gochujang. The rice cakes are over there!)
A: (To the store clerk) 안녕하세요! 떡 좀 주세요. 그리고 이거 하나랑 저거 두 개 주세요.
(Annyeonghaseyo! Tteok jom juseyo. Geurigo igeo hanarang jeogeo du gae juseyo.)
(Hello! Please give me some rice cakes. And please give me one of this and two of that.)
B: 좋아! 이제 다 샀나?
(Joa! Ije da sanna?)
(Great! Did we buy everything now?)
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
In Korea, simply eating tteokbokki is fun, but making it together is a whole other experience. It’s a popular, affordable, and fun activity for friends or couples on a home date.
You’ll often see this in K-dramas! The scene where characters go to a market, playfully arguing over what to buy, is a classic. When the main character asks, “뭐가 필요해요?”, it often signals the beginning of a cute, collaborative scene.
Pro-tip: When you make tteokbokki, many Koreans love adding extra ingredients. The most popular are ramyeon noodles (this dish is called ‘라볶이’ – rabokki), cheese (‘치즈 떡볶이’), and a hard-boiled egg (‘계란’). So next time you’re shopping, you can add “치즈 좀 주세요!” to your list!
Let’s Practice!
Time to check what you’ve learned. You can do it!
- Fill in the blank: You are at the market and want to buy some kimchi. You politely say:
“김치 ___ 주세요.” (Gimchi ___ juseyo.) -
Make a sentence: How would you ask for “one apple and three oranges”? (Apple = 사과, Orange = 오렌지)
(Hint: One = 하나, Three = 셋)
You did an amazing job today! Now you’re ready to write your own shopping list and hit the Korean market.
Challenge: Try writing your own simple Korean shopping list in the comments below using the phrases we learned today!
