Meaning
Requesting a single cup of coffee.
Cultural Background
The 'Service' culture: Sometimes if you are a regular, the owner might give you a small snack for free. They will say '서비스예요' (It's service). The 'Pali-pali' culture: Koreans expect their coffee fast. You will see people standing near the pickup counter immediately after ordering. Cafe Study Culture: It is very common for students to spend 4-5 hours in a cafe with just one cup of coffee. This is called 'Cagong'. Company Hierarchy: Often the youngest member of a team will take the coffee orders for everyone and carry them back to the office.
Add 'Ice'
If you want it cold, say '아이스 커피' (A-i-seu keopi).
Don't say 'Kopi'
In Korean, 'Kopi' ({코피|鼻血}) means nosebleed. Make sure to use the 'eo' sound: Keo-pi.
Meaning
Requesting a single cup of coffee.
Add 'Ice'
If you want it cold, say '아이스 커피' (A-i-seu keopi).
Don't say 'Kopi'
In Korean, 'Kopi' ({코피|鼻血}) means nosebleed. Make sure to use the 'eo' sound: Keo-pi.
The 'Yeogi-yo' trick
Say '여기요' (Yeogiyo - Over here) before the phrase to get the waiter's attention politely.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct counter for a cup of coffee.
커피 한 ___ 주세요.
'잔' is the counter for cups/glasses. '개' is for general objects, '명' for people, and '마리' for animals.
Which number form is correct when followed by the counter '잔'?
커피 ___ 잔 주세요.
The native number '하나' changes to '한' when it precedes a counter.
Complete the dialogue at a cafe.
점원: 주문하시겠어요? 손님: 네, ________________.
'주세요' is the standard polite way to order.
Match the phrase to the correct formality level.
커피 한 잔 줘.
Dropping the '-yo' makes the phrase informal (banmal).
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercises커피 한 ___ 주세요.
'잔' is the counter for cups/glasses. '개' is for general objects, '명' for people, and '마리' for animals.
커피 ___ 잔 주세요.
The native number '하나' changes to '한' when it precedes a counter.
점원: 주문하시겠어요? 손님: 네, ________________.
'주세요' is the standard polite way to order.
커피 한 잔 줘.
Dropping the '-yo' makes the phrase informal (banmal).
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsYes, it's understood, but adding 'han jan' (one cup) makes you sound much more fluent and natural.
Just replace '커피' with '라떼' (Latte): '라떼 한 잔 주세요'.
It's okay, but '부탁드립니다' (butak-deurimnida) is safer for a very high-ranking boss.
Native Korean numbers change form when they are used as adjectives before a counter.
Related Phrases
물 한 잔 주세요
similarPlease give me a glass of water.
커피 드릴까요?
contrastShall I give you some coffee?
차 한 잔 하실래요?
builds onWould you like to have a cup of tea?
커피 한 잔의 여유
specialized formThe leisure of a cup of coffee.
