Trying local foods is one of the most exciting parts of traveling. It is possible that local food is not to your taste, however, or it contains ingredients that you cannot eat. Today, we are going to learn Korean words and phrases to express your intolerances and preferences for foods.
저는 OO 알레르기가 있어요. [I HAVE AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO XXX]
If you have an allergic reaction to some ingredients, you can say, "저는 OO 알레르기가 있어요." The word 알레르기 comes from the German word "allergie."
저는 새우 알레르기가 있어요. [I HAVE AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO SHRIMP]
WORDS FOR COMMON ALLERGENS
Here are words for common allergens:
저는 OO을(를) 못 먹어요. [I CANNOT EAT XXX]
If you cannot eat something, you can say “저는 OO을(를) 못 먹어요.”
저는 매운 음식을 못 먹어요. [I CANNOT EAT SPICY FOODS]
저는 닭발을 못 먹어요. [I CANNOT EAT CHICKEN FEET]
WORDS FOR UNIQUE KOREAN FOODS
Here are words for unique Korean foods, which many foreigners cannot eat:
저는 OO을(를) 좋아해요. [I LIKE XXX]
You can say “저는 OO을 좋아해요” when you like a specific food.
저는 삼겹살을 좋아해요.
저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요.
Words for popular Korean foods
Here are words for popular Korean foods:
저는 OO이(가) 좋아요. [XXX IS GOOD FOR ME]
The meaning of 저는 OO이(가) 좋아요 is similar to 저는 OO을(를) 좋아해요. Please note that 좋아요 is an adjective while 좋아해요 is a verb.
저는 소고기가 좋아요. [beef is good for me]
저는 달콤한 음식이 좋아요. [sweet food is good for me]
저는 OO을(를) 싫어해요. [I DO NOT LIKE XXX]
You can say “저는 OO을(를) 싫어해요” when you do not like a specific food.
저는 오리 고기를 싫어해요. [I do not like duck meat]
저는 매운 음식을 싫어해요. [I do not like spicy foods]
저는 OO이(가) 싫어요. [XXX IS NOT GOOD FOR ME]
The meaning of 저는 OO이(가) 싫어요 is similar to 저는 OO을(를) 싫어해요. Please note that 싫어요 is an adjective while 싫어해요 is a verb.
저는 닭고기가 싫어요. [chicken is not good for me]
저는 단 음식이 싫어요. [sweet food is not good for me]
저는 A보다는 B이(가) 더 좋아요. [I PREFER B TO A]
If you want to express a preference for foods, you can say "저는 A보다는 B이(가) 더 좋아요.”
저는 돼지고기보다는 소고기가 더 좋아요. [I prefer beef to pork]
저는 찌개보다는 구이가 더 좋아요. [I prefer bbq to soup]
저는 채식주의자에요. [I AM A VEGETARIAN]
If you want to let people know you are a vegetarian, you can say, "저는 채식주의자에요.”
저는 채식주의자에요. [I AM A VEGETARIAN]
저는 날생선을 안 먹어요. [I DO NOT EAT RAW FISH]
Many Korean foods include raw seafood, sometimes even live octopus. If you are not into it, you can say, "저는 날생선을 안 먹어요.”
저는 날생선을 안 먹어요. [I DO NOT EAT RAW FISH]
Words for raw seafoods
Here are words for raw seafoods:
저는 술을 안 마셔요. [I do not drink alcoholic beverages]
Koreans love to drink. If you have dinner with them, they will likely ask you to drink together. If you do not or cannot drink alcoholic beverages, you can say, "저는 술을 안 마셔요.”
저는 오늘 술 안 마셔요. [I do not drink today]
저는 보드카 안 마셔요 [I cannot drink vodka]
Words for alcoholic beverages
Here are words for alcoholic beverages:
저는 고기를 안 먹어요. [I do not eat meat]
Most Korean foods contain meat. If you do not eat meat, you can say, "저는 고기를 안 먹어요.”
저는 고기를 안 먹어요.
저는 양고기를 안 먹어요.
Words for different kinds of meat
To indicate different kinds of meat, you can add 고기 (meat) after the name of an animal.
Conclusion
Today we learned 11 expressions to talk about your preferences and intolerance for foods. I hope these expressions will help you try new Korean foods at local Korean restaurants, or when you visit Korea next time!
For more useful Korean vocabulary, check out:
