Korean for English speakers Supermarket · Lesson 1

Making tteokbokki

Make tteokbokki in Korean — 떡볶이에 뭐가 필요해요? (What do you need for tteokbokki?) — listing with -하고.

Conversation

  1. Cassian Cassian

    떡볶이에 뭐가 필요해요?

    Tteokbokkie mwoga piryohaeyo?

    What do we need for tteokbokki?

    Tip: <뭐> = what <N이/가 필요해요> = verb "to need N" (in present tense)

  2. Kyle Kyle

    떡하고, 어묵하고, 고추장, 간장, 음... 마늘하고 파, 그리고 또 ...

    Tteokago, eomukago, gochujang, ganjang, eum... maneulhago pa, geurigo tto ...

    Rice cake, fish cake, gochujang, soy sauce, um... garlic, green onion, and then...

    Tip: <떡> = rice cake <어묵> = fish cake <고추장> = korean chili paste (gochujang) <간장> = soy sauce <마늘> = garlic <파> = green onion <하고> = particle to connect two nouns (A하고 B = A and B) <그리고 또> = and then

  3. Cassian Cassian

    양배추?

    Yangbaechu?

    Cabbage?

    Tip: <양배추> = cabbage (western-style). Note: really, for tteokbokki, you would use an eastern-style cabbage called "배추". In English, this is called nappa, winter or chinese leaf cabbage.

  4. Kyle Kyle

    오, 네! 양배추도 꼭 필요해요.

    O, ne! Yangbaechudo kkok piryohaeyo.

    Oh, yes! We need cabbage too.

    Tip: <꼭> = really, by all means [Note] <꼭 필요해요> = adjective "to be indispensable" or verb "to need absolutely"

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What is 떡볶이?

Spicy rice cake dish — Korean comfort food. 떡 (rice cake) + 볶다 (stir-fry). Often eaten as street food.

What does -하고 mean?

'And / with' — connects nouns. 떡하고 어묵 = 'rice cake and fish cake'. Conversational/casual.

Common Korean ingredients?

고추장 (gochujang, red pepper paste), 간장 (soy sauce), 마늘 (garlic), 파 (green onion), 어묵 (fish cake).

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Korean lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

Next lesson in Supermarket Often or sometimes →