포장해 주세요: Ordering Korean Takeout Without Freezing

포장해 주세요 [포장해 주세요] pojanghae juseyo means please wrap it to go, and it's how you order takeout at almost any Korean restaurant, snack bar or bakery. 포장 [포장] pojang is the key word — packing, to go — and on its own it's a complete answer when staff ask whether you're eating in.

Why is takeout harder than it looks?

Because the decision is usually asked of you, not offered by you. At a Korean counter the question eating here or taking it? often comes before you've said anything about takeout, fast and in one of several shapes. If you're waiting to hear take out, you won't — the word they use is 포장, or they skip it entirely and ask whether you're eating here.

The good news: once you know the question, the answer is one word. This post trains that one word first, then the follow-ups that almost always come next — how long it takes, and whether you want a bag.

What does the whole exchange sound like?

Six lines, three of them yours. Every line was written for this post; nobody will say it back to you word for word, but the shape will be the same.

1. You — 떡볶이 1인분 주세요. [떡뽀끼 이린분 주세요] tteokbokki irinbun juseyo.
One serving of tteokbokki, please.

2. Them — 드시고 가세요? [드시고 가세요] deusigo gaseyo?
Are you eating here?

3. You — 아니요, 포장해 주세요. [아니요 포장해 주세요] aniyo, pojanghae juseyo.
No, to go please.

4. Them — 네, 십 분 정도 걸려요. [네 십 뿐 정도 걸려요] ne, sip bun jeongdo geollyeoyo.
Sure, it'll take about ten minutes.

5. You — 네, 여기서 기다릴게요. [네 여기서 기다릴께요] ne, yeogiseo gidarilgeyo.
Okay, I'll wait here.

6. Them — 나오면 불러 드릴게요. [나오면 불러 드릴께요] naomyeon bulleo deurilgeyo.
I'll call you when it's ready.

Example audio is AI-generated.

Line 2 is the one to listen for. 드시고 가세요? literally asks will you eat and then go? — which is how Korean asks for here? Line 4 has a sound you won't guess from the spelling: 십 분 is said 십 뿐, because the ㅂ at the end of 십 tightens the next consonant. And lines 5 and 6 both end in -ㄹ게요, which is always said 께요.

Which line should you actually memorise?

Line 3 — and really, just its second half. Drill it in three pieces.

• 포장 [포장] pojang — to go. Two even syllables, no stress on either. The ㅇ at the end of 장 is the ng in song, not a hard g.
• 해 [해] hae — do. In fast speech the ㅎ here gets very light, almost 포장애. Both are fine; don't force a strong h.
• 주세요 [주세요] juseyo — please (for me).

Now all of it: 포장해 주세요 [포장해 주세요] . Then the short version, which works just as well as an answer to line 2: 포장이요 [포장이요] pojang-iyo — to go, please.

Say both out loud five times, then say line 3 as a reply to line 2 without pausing in between. That gap — the half-second where you translate the question — is exactly what makes people freeze at the counter.

What will they say back that isn't in the script?

Three things come up constantly, and none of them is in the six lines.

여기서 드시고 가세요? 포장이세요? [여기서 드시고 가세요 포장이세요] yeogiseo deusigo gaseyo? pojang-iseyo?

For here? Or to go? The same question as line 2, with both options spelled out. Sometimes you'll only hear the second half — 포장이세요? — as a single rising word. Answer 네 if you want it to go, or 먹고 갈게요 [먹꼬 갈께요] meokgo galgeyo — I'll eat here — if you don't.

봉투 필요하세요? [봉투 피료하세요] bongtu piryohaseyo?

Do you need a bag? Some places charge a little for one, so they'll ask. 네, 주세요 [네 주세요] if you want it; 아니요, 괜찮아요 [아니요 괜차나요] aniyo, gwaenchanayo if you don't. Listen for 봉투 — it's the only word you need to catch.

수저 넣어 드릴까요? [수저 너어 드릴까요] sujeo neoeo deurilkkayo?

Shall I put in a spoon and chopsticks? 수저 is the spoon-and-chopsticks set. Notice 넣어 is said 너어 — the ㅎ disappears before a vowel, so if you're listening for neoheo you'll miss it. If you're eating at home, 아니요, 괜찮아요 again.

What makes this sound rude without meaning to?

Borrowing the ending from dramas. Characters who are close friends or family say 포장해 줘 [포장해 줘] pojanghae jwo — the same request in 반말, the speech level for people you're close to. English speakers pick it up because it's shorter and it's what they hear most. At a counter, to a stranger, it sounds like you're talking down to the staff rather than asking.

주세요 is the safe default with anyone who serves you, of any age. The one-word 포장이요 is also fine — the -요 on the end keeps it polite.

Can you use the same script for other orders?

Yes. Line 1 is a slot: swap the food and the count, and everything else stays the same.

Then add 포장해 주세요. Notice two sound changes hiding in the table: 1인분 is said 이린분, because the ㄹ at the end of 일 slides into the next syllable — the same linking covered in Korean linking sounds — and 접시 is said 접씨, the same tightening as 십 뿐.

If you've already read how to ask for less spicy food, the two scripts join cleanly: 덜 맵게 해서 포장해 주세요 [덜 맵께 해서 포장해 주세요] deol maepge haeseo pojanghae juseyo — less spicy, to go.

How do you know you're ready?

When line 2 stops feeling like a question you need to decode. Play it, answer it out loud, and time the gap. The day you answer 포장이요 before you've consciously translated 드시고 가세요, you're ready for a real counter. You can't judge your own 포장 accurately from inside your head, so record it and compare it with the native version rather than trusting how it felt. If you understand far more than you can say back, that gap has a specific cause.

FAQ

Can I just say "takeout" in English?

At big coffee chains, 테이크아웃 [테이크아웃] is understood and even printed on menus. At a snack bar, a chicken place or a local restaurant, 포장 is the word people use, and it works everywhere.

Can I take my leftovers home?

Often, yes. Ask 남은 거 포장돼요? [나믄 거 포장돼요] nameun geo pojangdwaeyo? — can I get the rest to go? If the answer is no, they'll just say 안 돼요.

Is 포장해 주세요 polite enough?

Yes. -해 주세요 is the ordinary polite request form, and it's what Korean customers use themselves. You don't need anything more formal at a counter.