Order Tea Like a Local in Korea! 🍵
Introduction
Hello! This is [Daily Korean], here to upgrade your Korean skills! 👋
Do you love visiting cafes? In Korea, cafes are not just places to drink coffee; they are cultural hubs where people study, date, and relax! While “Ice Americano” is famous, Korean traditional teas (like Yuja-cha) are currently trending among the younger generation who care about health and wellness. This trend is often called “Halhal-maeul” (Grandma + Millennial) taste!
Today, we will learn how to order tea confidently in a Korean cafe. Whether you want it icy cold or steaming hot, you’ll be ready to order like a native after this post!
Key Expressions
Here are the 3 essential phrases you need to order tea in Korea.
1. 유자차 주세요 (Give me Yuja tea, please)
- Pronunciation: [Yuja-cha ju-se-yo]
- English Meaning: Please give me Citron tea.
- Detail: “Give me ~” is “~ 주세요 (ju-se-yo)”. You can replace “Yuja-cha” with any menu item! Yuja-cha is a sweet and tangy tea made from citron marmalade, very popular in winter.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- In Korean, when you say 주세요 (juseyo), try to say it smoothly without stopping.
- Intonation: Raise your tone slightly at the end to sound polite and friendly! 🎵
2. 따뜻한 걸로 주세요 (Please give me a hot one)
- Pronunciation: [Ttatteutan geollo juseyo]
- English Meaning: Please give me a hot one.
- Detail: In Korea, the staff will almost always ask “Hot or Ice?”. If you want a hot drink, use this phrase.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip (Important!):
- Look at the word 따뜻한 (ttatteut-han).
- It is NOT pronounced as written [ttat-tteut-han]. It is pronounced [따뜨탄 (tta-tteu-tan)].
- Why? This is a rule called ‘Aspiration’. The bottom consonant ‘ㅅ’ (t sound) meets the following ‘ㅎ’ (h sound) and they combine to make a strong ‘ㅌ’ (t) sound.
- So, say it softly: Tta-tteu-tan, not Ttat-tteut-han!
3. 얼음 많이 주세요 (Please give me lots of ice)
- Pronunciation: [Eoreum mani juseyo]
- English Meaning: Please give me lots of ice.
- Detail: Koreans love ice! If you order an iced drink and want it extra cold, say this. “Mani” means “a lot”.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
- ‘얼음’ is written as eol-eum, but pronounced [어름 (eo-reum)].
- Why? This is ‘Liaison’ (Linking). When a bottom consonant (like ㄹ) meets a vowel (like ㅇ), it moves over to the empty spot!
- Imagine the sounds sliding together: Eol-eum ➡️ Eo-reum. It sounds much more natural!
Real-Life Dialogue
Let’s see how these expressions work in a trendy cafe in Seoul!
(A: Cafe Staff / B: You)
A: 안녕하세요! 주문하시겠어요?
(Annyeonghaseyo! Jumun hasigess-eoyo?)
Hello! Would you like to order?B: 네, 유자차 하나 주세요.
(Ne, Yuja-cha hana juseyo.)
Yes, one Yuja tea, please.A: 따뜻한 걸로 드릴까요?
(Ttatteutan geollo deurilkkayo?)
Shall I give you a hot one?B: 아니요, 아이스로 주세요! 그리고 얼음 많이 주세요.
(Aniyo, aiseuro juseyo! Geurigo eoreum mani juseyo.)
No, please make it iced! And please give me lots of ice.A: 네, 알겠습니다.
(Ne, algetseumnida.)
Okay, understood.
Culture Tip & Trend Analysis 🇰🇷
Have you heard of “Eol-Juk-A” (얼죽아)?
It is a slang abbreviation for “얼어 죽어도 아이스 (Eoreo jugeodo ice)”, which translates to “I’d rather freeze to death than drink hot coffee!”
Even in the freezing Korean winter (below -10°C!), many young Koreans still order Iced Americano or Iced Tea.
* Latest Trend: Recently, a drink called “Ah-Shot-Chu” (아샷추) is viral. It stands for “Iced Tea with a Shot of Espresso”. It sounds strange, but the mix of sweet peach tea and bitter coffee is addictive!
* If you want to look like a trendy local, try ordering your tea “Iced” even in winter! 😎
Wrap-up & Quiz
Today we learned how to order tea and adjust the temperature (Hot/Ice) in Korean. Remember the Aspiration rule (t + h = T) for “Hot” and the Linking rule for “Ice”!
📝 Mini Quiz:
Fill in the blanks to complete the order!
- “Give me Green Tea, please.”
= 녹차 (Nokcha) _______ . - (You want it hot)
= _______ 걸로 주세요.
Answer in the comments below! I can’t wait to see your answers. See you in the next lesson! 👋
