Korean · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 8 of 12
Food and shopping
장보기Jangbogi
Buy food at a Korean market: ask what there is, use counters for bags and bottles, say “and” with 하고, and ask for the total.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask for food with 있어요? and 주세요
- Count things with 개, 병 and 봉지
- Understand prices per item with 에
- Join nouns with 하고 and ask for the total
Listen
Jang Mira buys fruit, milk and eggs from Mrs Shin at her stall in a neighbourhood market in Suwon. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Mrs Shin
어서 오세요. 사과가 싱싱해요.
Eoseo oseyo. Sagwaga singsinghaeyo.
Welcome. The apples are fresh.
Mira
사과 얼마예요?
Sagwa eolmayeyo?
How much are the apples?
Mrs Shin
한 봉지에 오천 원이에요.
Han bongjie ocheon wonieyo.
5,000 won a bag.
Mira
한 봉지 주세요. 딸기도 있어요?
Han bongji juseyo. Ttalgido isseoyo?
One bag, please. Do you have strawberries too?
Mrs Shin
아니요, 딸기는 없어요.
Aniyo, ttalgineun eopseoyo.
No, I don't have any strawberries.
Mira
우유 한 병하고 계란 열 개 주세요.
Uyu han byeonghago gyeran yeol gae juseyo.
A bottle of milk and ten eggs, please.
Mrs Shin
여기 있어요. 봉투 필요해요?
Yeogi isseoyo. Bongtu piryohaeyo?
Here you are. Do you need a bag?
Mira
네. 아, 사과 한 봉지 더 주세요. 다 해서 얼마예요?
Ne. A, sagwa han bongji deo juseyo. Da haeseo eolmayeyo?
Yes. Oh, and one more bag of apples, please. How much is that altogether?
Mrs Shin
다 해서 만 육천 원이에요.
Da haeseo man yukcheon wonieyo.
That's 16,000 won altogether.
Mira
여기 있어요. 감사합니다.
Yeogi isseoyo. Gamsahamnida.
Here you are. Thank you.
Understand
No plural needed
Korean nouns usually don't change for the plural. (sagwa) is “apple” or “apples”: (sagwaga singsinghaeyo), the apples are fresh. With a number, the noun stays the same too: (sagwa se gae), three apples.
There is a plural ending, 들, but it's used mainly for people: (chingudeul), friends. Don't add it to food or things you count.
Counters, and 에 for “per”
Remember the order: thing, number, counter. Besides (gae) for items, you need (byeong) for bottles and (bongji) for bags of something. Numbers before these counters are native Korean; prices stay Sino-Korean. Loose fruit and vegetables are also sold by the kilo, (killo). It is a borrowed unit, so it takes Sino-Korean numbers: (il killo), one kilo; (i killo), two kilos.
에 after an amount means “per”: (han gaee cheon won) is 1,000 won each, (han bongjie ocheon won) is 5,000 won a bag.
| Counter | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (gae) | things, pieces | (gyeran yeol gae), ten eggs |
| (byeong) | bottles | (uyu han byeong), a bottle of milk |
| (bongji) | bags (of something) | (sagwa du bongji), two bags of apples |
| (killo) | kilos (Sino-Korean numbers) | (ttalgi il killo), a kilo of strawberries |
And, with: 하고, 와 / 과; more: 더
To join two nouns, put 하고 (and) after the first one: (uyuhago gyeran), milk and eggs. It's the same after a consonant or a vowel. Between sentences, use (geurigo), as in chapter 6. 하고 also means “with”: (chinguhago gayo), I'm going with a friend.
Two other particles do the same jobs. In writing and formal speech, use 와 after a vowel and 과 after a consonant: (uyuwa gyeran), (gyerangwa uyu). That's why chapter titles say (gajokgwa chingu), family and friends. Among friends you'll hear 랑 after a vowel and 이랑 after a consonant: (uyurang gyeran).
(deo) means “more”: (han bongji deo juseyo), one more bag, please. At the end, ask (da haeseo eolmayeyo?), how much is it altogether?
- 사과하고 우유를 사요.Sagwahago uyureul sayo.I buy apples and milk.
- 계란 있어요?Gyeran isseoyo?Do you have eggs?
- 사과 한 개 더 주세요.Sagwa han gae deo juseyo.One more apple, please.
More in the grammar: More particles: 도, 만, 의, 하고, 보다, 부터/까지, 한테 · Numbers, counters, time and dates
New words
- 사과sagwaapple
- 싱싱해요singsinghaeyoit's fresh · for fruit, vegetables and fish
- 봉지bongjibag (counter); small plastic bag
- 딸기ttalgistrawberry
- 우유uyumilk
- 병byeongbottle (counter)
- 하고hagoand (between nouns)
- 계란gyeranegg · (dalgyal) means the same.
- 봉투bongtucarrier bag · Big supermarkets don't give free bags, so bring your own or buy one.
- 필요해요piryohaeyoneed; it's needed · (bongtu piryohaeyo?), Do you need a bag?
- 더deomore
- 다 해서da haeseoaltogether, in total
- 킬로killokilo · with Sino-Korean numbers: (il killo), one kilo
- 사요sayobuy · from (sada), to buy
Practise
1.How do you ask for three apples?
2.Put the words in order to ask for a bottle of milk.
Tap the words below in the right order.A bottle of milk, please.
3.Match the Korean with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.The seller wants to say the apples are 1,000 won each. What does she say?
5.Put the words in order: say you buy apples and strawberries.
Tap the words below in the right order.I buy apples and strawberries.
6.You'd like one more bag of apples. What do you say?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
딸기 있어요?
Ttalgi isseoyo?
Do you have strawberries?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.