What are common food words in Korean?

The 163 words below are every food and drink word on the TOPIK vocabulary lists, each with its reading and English meaning, beginner words first.

Which TOPIK levels are these words from?

156 from TOPIK I, 6 from TOPIK II Intermediate, 1 from TOPIK II Advanced. The level chip on each row says where the word sits, so you can stop at your level or read ahead. Beginner-level words carry a real example sentence; the rest show word, romanization and meaning, with their sentences in the app.

How do I learn food and drink words on my iPhone Lock Screen?

Install Lock&Learn Korean, then touch and hold your Lock Screen, tap Customize, tap the widget area and choose Lock&Learn Korean. Enable the level packs these words come from (Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Intermediate 1 and more). A word waits in hangul with its romanization; one tap reveals the meaning and a real sentence.

Is Lock&Learn Korean free?

Yes. The app is free on iOS: Beginner 1 is free, every other pack opens with a free preview, and another word unlocks daily. Lock&Learn+ is an optional upgrade that opens every pack at once, offered as a yearly plan or a one-time lifetime purchase.

Food in Korean: 163 Words with Romanization and Meanings, Free List

01 · The list

Food and drink,
level by level

Food and drink words in Korean: meals, dishes, ingredients, drinks, the verbs for eating and drinking, and the words you use in a restaurant. All from the TOPIK vocabulary lists with readings and meanings.

In Lock&Learn Korean these words sit in their level packs (Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2 and more), one per glance on the widget: a word waits in hangul with its romanization; one tap reveals the meaning and a real sentence. Beginner 1 is free; every other pack opens with a free preview and another word unlocks daily.

Type to filter by hangul, romanization or meaning. Flashcards hides the meaning until you tap a row; Shuffle deals the list in a new order.

163 words

Food in Korean: 163 words from the TOPIK lists, TOPIK I to TOPIK 5-6
Hangul	Romanization	Meaning	Level	Example
먹다	meokda	to eat	TOPIK I	아침을 먹어요.Achimeul meogeoyo.I eat breakfast.
물	mul	water	TOPIK I	물을 마셔요.Mureul masyeoyo.I drink water.
밥	bap	rice or meal	TOPIK I	아침밥을 먹어요.Achimbabeul meogeoyo.I eat breakfast.
마시다	masida	to drink	TOPIK I	물을 마셔요.Mureul masyeoyo.I drink water.
술	sul	alcohol	TOPIK I	술을 마셔요.Sureul masyeoyo.I drink alcohol.
커피	keopi	coffee	TOPIK I	커피를 마셔요.Keopireul masyeoyo.I drink coffee.
맛	mat	taste or flavor	TOPIK I	이 음식은 맛이 없어요.I eumsigeun masi eopseoyo.This food does not taste good.
음식	eumsik	food	TOPIK I	이 음식은 맛있어요.I eumsigeun masisseoyo.This food is delicious.
쌀	ssal	uncooked rice	TOPIK I	시장에서 쌀을 샀어요.Sijangeseo ssareul sasseoyo.I bought rice at the market.
재료	jaeryo	ingredients or material	TOPIK I	음식 재료를 샀어요.Eumsik jaeryoreul sasseoyo.I bought ingredients for food.
시키다	sikida	to order (food, etc.)	TOPIK I	피자를 시켜요.Pijareul sikyeoyo.I am ordering pizza.
잔	jan	a cup or glass	TOPIK I	커피 한 잔 마셔요.Keopi han jan masyeoyo.I drink a cup of coffee.
식사	siksa	a meal	TOPIK I	식사를 해요.Siksareul haeyo.I eat a meal.
맛있다	masitda	to be delicious	TOPIK I	이 음식이 맛있어요.I eumsigi masisseoyo.The food is really delicious.
고기	gogi	meat	TOPIK I	저는 고기를 좋아해요.Jeoneun gogireul joahaeyo.I like meat.
썰다	sseolda	to slice/chop	TOPIK I	고기를 썰어요.Gogireul sseoreoyo.I slice the meat.
소금	sogeum	salt	TOPIK I	소금을 조금 넣으세요.Sogeumeul jogeum neoeuseyo.Please add a little salt.
식당	sikdang	restaurant	TOPIK I	저는 식당에서 밥을 먹어요.Jeoneun sikdangeseo babeul meogeoyo.I eat at a restaurant.
끓이다	kkeurida	to boil (something)	TOPIK I	물을 끓여요.Mureul kkeuryeoyo.I am boiling water.
떡	tteok	korean rice cake	TOPIK I	친구와 떡을 먹어요.Chinguwa tteogeul meogeoyo.I am eating rice cake with a friend.
과일	gwail	a fruit	TOPIK I	과일을 먹어요.Gwaireul meogeoyo.I eat fruit.
요리	yori	cooking	TOPIK I
볶다	bokda	to stir fry	TOPIK I
식품	sikpum	groceries/food products	TOPIK I
굽다	gupda	to bake or grill	TOPIK I
기름	gireum	oil or fat	TOPIK I
우유	uyu	milk	TOPIK I
빵	ppang	bread	TOPIK I
쇠고기	soegogi	beef	TOPIK I
김치	gimchi	kimchi (spicy fermented vegetables)	TOPIK I
콩	kong	a bean	TOPIK I
설탕	seoltang	sugar	TOPIK I
점심	jeomsim	lunch	TOPIK I
음료	eumryo	beverage, drink	TOPIK I
술집	suljip	bar or pub	TOPIK I
달걀	dalgyal	egg	TOPIK I
종업원	jongeobwon	waiter or waitress	TOPIK I
라면	ramyeon	instant ramen noodles	TOPIK I
밀가루	milgaru	flour	TOPIK I
소주	soju	soju	TOPIK I
생선	saengseon	fish (for eating)	TOPIK I
카페	kape	cafe	TOPIK I
맥주	maekju	beer	TOPIK I
씹다	ssipda	to chew	TOPIK I
샌드위치	saendeuwichi	sandwich	TOPIK I
채소	chaeso	vegetables	TOPIK I
간장	ganjang	soy sauce	TOPIK I
야채	yachae	vegetables	TOPIK I
사과	sagwa	an apple	TOPIK I
반찬	banchan	side dish	TOPIK I
토마토	tomato	tomato	TOPIK I
감자	gamja	potato	TOPIK I
무	mu	radish	TOPIK I
국	guk	soup	TOPIK I
불고기	bulgogi	bulgogi (marinated beef)	TOPIK I
배추	baechu	napa cabbage / Chinese cabbage	TOPIK I
오렌지	orenji	orange (fruit)	TOPIK I
접시	jeopsi	plate, dish	TOPIK I
껌	kkeom	gum	TOPIK I
수박	subak	a watermelon	TOPIK I
음식점	eumsikjeom	a restaurant	TOPIK I
과자	gwaja	snack (cookie/candy)	TOPIK I
김	gim	dried seaweed	TOPIK I
돼지고기	dwaejigogi	pork	TOPIK I
막걸리	makgeolri	Korean rice wine	TOPIK I
주문	jumun	order (for food or goods)	TOPIK I
젓가락	jeotgarak	chopsticks	TOPIK I
식빵	sikppang	bread (specifically loaf bread/sliced bread)	TOPIK I
찬물	chanmul	cold water	TOPIK I
달다	dalda	to be sweet	TOPIK I
된장	doenjang	doenjang (soybean paste)	TOPIK I
메뉴	menyu	menu	TOPIK I
자장면	jajangmyeon	jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles)	TOPIK I
한잔	hanjan	a cup (of a beverage)	TOPIK I
참외	chamoe	Korean melon	TOPIK I
주스	juseu	juice	TOPIK I
콜라	kolra	cola	TOPIK I
두부	dubu	tofu	TOPIK I
식사하다	siksahada	to eat a meal	TOPIK I
고프다	gopeuda	to be hungry (always used with 배가)	TOPIK I
레스토랑	reseutorang	restaurant	TOPIK I
배고프다	baegopeuda	to be hungry	TOPIK I
고추장	gochujang	red chili paste	TOPIK I
국수	guksu	noodles	TOPIK I
맵다	maepda	to be spicy	TOPIK I
식초	sikcho	vinegar	TOPIK I
햄버거	haembeogeo	hamburger	TOPIK I
찌개	jjigae	a korean stew	TOPIK I
잡수시다	japsusida	to eat honorific	TOPIK I
계란	gyeran	a chicken egg	TOPIK I
오이	oi	cucumber	TOPIK I
음료수	eumryosu	drink, beverage	TOPIK I
닭고기	dakgogi	chicken meat	TOPIK I
숟가락	sutgarak	a spoon	TOPIK I
김밥	gimbap	kimbap (seaweed rice roll)	TOPIK I
바나나	banana	banana	TOPIK I
딸기	ttalgi	a strawberry	TOPIK I
볶음밥	bokkeumbap	fried rice dish	TOPIK I
초콜릿	chokolrit	chocolate	TOPIK I
피자	pija	pizza	TOPIK I
간식	gansik	snack	TOPIK I
감	gam	persimmon fruit	TOPIK I
수저	sujeo	spoon and chopsticks	TOPIK I
인삼	insam	ginseng	TOPIK I
포도	podo	grape	TOPIK I
배부르다	baebureuda	to be full	TOPIK I
송편	songpyeon	rice cake steamed on pine needles	TOPIK I
싱겁다	singgeopda	to taste bland	TOPIK I
상추	sangchu	lettuce	TOPIK I
카레	kare	curry	TOPIK I
귤	gyul	tangerine	TOPIK I
된장찌개	doenjangjjigae	soybean paste stew	TOPIK I
중국집	junggukjip	Chinese restaurant	TOPIK I
튀김	twigim	deep-fried food / frying	TOPIK I
갈비	galbi	ribs (meat)	TOPIK I
삼계탕	samgyetang	ginseng chicken soup	TOPIK I
냉면	naengmyeon	cold noodle dish	TOPIK I
떡볶이	tteokbokki	spicy rice cakes	TOPIK I
비빔밥	bibimbap	mixed rice dish	TOPIK I
아이스크림	aiseukeurim	ice cream	TOPIK I
요리하다	yorihada	to cook	TOPIK I
칼국수	kalguksu	knife-cut noodles	TOPIK I
홍차	hongcha	black tea	TOPIK I
맛없다	maseopda	to taste bad	TOPIK I
김치찌개	gimchijjigae	spicy kimchi stew	TOPIK I
녹차	nokcha	green tea	TOPIK I
만두	mandu	dumplings	TOPIK I
떡국	tteokguk	sliced rice cake soup	TOPIK I
사탕	satang	candy	TOPIK I
한식	hansik	korean food	TOPIK I
설렁탕	seolreongtang	beef and rice soup	TOPIK I
양식	yangsik	western food	TOPIK I
갈비탕	galbitang	beef rib soup	TOPIK I
일식	ilsik	japanese food	TOPIK I
돈가스	dongaseu	pork cutlet	TOPIK I
미역국	miyeokguk	seaweed soup	TOPIK I
분식	bunsik	flour-based food (e.g., tteokbokki, gimbap)	TOPIK I
빵집	ppangjip	a bakery shop	TOPIK I
사이다	saida	cider (lemon-lime soda)	TOPIK I
삼겹살	samgyeopsal	pork belly meat	TOPIK I
소고기	sogogi	beef	TOPIK I
순두부찌개	sundubujjigae	soft tofu stew	TOPIK I
스파게티	seupageti	spaghetti	TOPIK I
시다	sida	to be sour acidic	TOPIK I
양식집	yangsikjip	western food restaurant	TOPIK I
우동	udong	udon noodles	TOPIK I
인분	inbun	serving of food	TOPIK I
일식집	ilsikjip	Japanese restaurant	TOPIK I
잡채	japchae	stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables	TOPIK I
짬뽕	jjamppong	spicy seafood noodles	TOPIK I
치킨	chikin	fried chicken	TOPIK I
커피숍	keopisyop	coffee shop	TOPIK I
케이크	keikeu	cake	TOPIK I
탕수육	tangsuyuk	sweet and sour pork	TOPIK I
튀기다	twigida	to deep fry	TOPIK I
한식집	hansikjip	Korean restaurant	TOPIK I
고추	gochu	red chili pepper / chili pepper	TOPIK 3-4
파	pa	green onion; scallion	TOPIK 3-4
고춧가루	gochutgaru	red pepper powder	TOPIK 3-4
매운탕	maeuntang	spicy fish stew	TOPIK 3-4
조림	jorim	braised dish (usually meat, fish, or vegetables)	TOPIK 3-4
후추	huchu	black pepper	TOPIK 3-4
미역	miyeok	brown seaweed	TOPIK 5-6

Word lists: the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL) learner vocabulary and the 2015 TOPIK vocabulary list, as compiled in combined_korean_vocabulary_list. English senses adapted from Kengdic by Joe Speigle (MPL 2.0). Revised Romanization is generated; example sentences are original Lock&Learn content.

Food in Korean: 163 words with readings, free to read.

Food and drink,
level by level

Asked and
answered

Master Korean,
one glance at a time.

Food in Korean: 163 words with readings, free to read.

Food and drink,level by level

Asked andanswered

Master Korean,one glance at a time.

Food and drink,
level by level

Asked and
answered

Master Korean,
one glance at a time.