Ordering jjajamyon (짜장면) in Korean

Verb conjugation:

           In Korean, verbs change their endings depending on the tense and politeness level. For example, the verb “jumunhada” (주문하다) meaning “to order” is conjugated differently based on the tense and politeness level. In this dialogue, it is conjugated as “jumunhago sip-eunde yo” (주문하고 싶은데요) which means “I would like to order”. 

• Honorific language:

  Korean has a complex honorific system that reflects social hierarchy and respect. In this dialogue, the customer uses polite language when speaking to the waiter, using the formal ending “-yo” (요) to show respect. Meanwhile, the waiter uses the standard polite form of language with the customer.

   

• Noun + -이에요:

  This grammar pattern is used to introduce a noun as the topic of the sentence. In the dialogue, the waiter introduces “jjajangmyeon” (짜장면) as a popular menu item by saying “Igeos-eun uliui ingi menyu-in jjajangmyeon-ida” (이것은 우리의 인기 메뉴인 짜장면이에요), which translates to “This is our popular menu, Jjajangmyeon”.

• -을/를 주세요:

This phrase is used when making a request or order. It is a polite way of saying “Please give me…” or “Please bring me…”. In the dialogue, the customer uses it to ask for a Coke by saying “Kolla juseyo” (콜라 주세요).

• -면 되다:

  This grammar pattern is used to express “it’s enough” or “it’s sufficient”. In the dialogue, the customer replies “aniyo, geunyang geugeos juseyo” (아니요, 그냥 그것 주세요), which means “No, just that please” or “It’s enough with just that.”