Korean Phrases for the Convenience Store in Korea
Korean convenience stores — GS25, CU, 7-Eleven — are built for quick, silent transactions. The staff expects you to grab what you need and tap your card. But two moments still require words: heating your food and asking for a bag. 데워 주세요 (daewo juseyo), "Please heat this up," and 봉투 주세요 (bongtu juseyo), "Please give me a bag," cover those moments every time.
- Heat your food: 데워 주세요 (daewo juseyo), "Please heat this up."
- Ask for a bag: 봉투 주세요 (bongtu juseyo), "Please give me a bag."
- Check the price: 이거 얼마예요? (igeo eolmayeyo?), "How much is this?"
- Pay by card: 카드 되요? (kadeu dwaeyo?), "Do you accept card?"
How do you heat food at a Korean convenience store?
Most Korean convenience stores have a microwave near the register or along the side wall. Pick up any packaged food labeled 전자레인지 (jeonjareinje) — "microwave" — and ask the cashier or just take it to the machine yourself.
If you are not sure where the microwave is, ask the cashier:
전자레인지 어디예요? — jeonjareinje eodiyeyo? — "Where is the microwave?"
If you want the cashier to heat it for you at the counter, hand over the package and say:
이거 데워 주세요. — igeo daewo juseyo. — "Please heat this up."
They will punch in the time and hand it back warm. No fumbling with buttons.
Practice this out loud with SULSUL — the app says it, you repeat it →
What do you say at the checkout counter?
The register interaction is short. Hand over your items, the cashier scans them, and you pay. If you need anything, say it before you tap your card.
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| Need a bag | 봉투 주세요 (bongtu juseyo) |
| Check price | 이거 얼마예요? (igeo eolmayeyo?) |
| Pay by card | 카드 되요? (kadeu dwaeyo?) |
| Get a receipt | 영수증 주세요 (yeongsujeung juseyo) |
봉투 (bongtu) costs a small fee at most Korean convenience stores. If you have your own bag, you do not need to say anything — just place it on the counter.
You: 이거 데워 주세요. — igeo daewo juseyo. — "Please heat this up."
Them: 전자레인지 저기 있어요. — jeonjareinje jeogi isseoyo. — "The microwave is over there."
You: 아, 알겠어요. 봉투도 주세요. — a, algessoyo. bongtudo juseyo. — "Oh, got it. A bag too, please."
How do you find a product or ask for something specific?
Korean convenience stores stock a lot in a small space. If you cannot find what you are looking for, point to your phone or describe it simply:
이런 거 있어요? — ireon geo isseoyo? — "Do you have something like this?"
Show a photo on your phone if you have one — it is faster than trying to say the Korean product name on the fly. If they have it, they will point or walk you to it. If they do not, you will hear 없어요 (eopseoyo), "We don't have it," and you can try the one across the street.
For specific requests, these work:
- 물 어디 있어요? (mul eodi isseoyo?) — "Where is the water?"
- 계란 있어요? (gyeran isseoyo?) — "Do you have eggs?"
- ATM 있어요? (ATM isseoyo?) — "Is there an ATM?"
Why does speaking Korean matter more at the convenience store than at a big supermarket?
Large supermarkets have self-checkout and clear signage. Convenience stores are tight, fast-moving, and the staff stands one meter away from you the whole time. Pointing and smiling works at the airport gift shop. At a Korean convenience store at midnight when your ramyeon is getting cold, it does not.
데워 주세요 and 봉투 주세요 are short enough to say without thinking. That is exactly the point — the phrases you reach for first when you are tired or hungry have to be automatic. If you are still working through the basics of asking for things politely, the post on politely asking for help in Korean gives you the framework behind these phrases.
Say it out loud, not just in your head
Reading 봉투 주세요 while the cashier is waiting is not the same as saying it before they hand you your items.
SULSUL is a speaking gym for exactly that moment: pick a survival pattern, say it out loud, get an instant fix from the AI pronunciation coach, then run the real situation as a mission. The 100-pattern PDF workbook comes along as a bonus.
