Korean Drink WordsDrinks & beverages with romanization — free list

The Korean word for beverage is 음료 (eumnyo), and the verb to drink is 마시다 (masida). You'll hear 물 (water), 커피 (coffee) and 차 (tea) every day, plus Korean favourites like 소주 (soju) and 막걸리 (makgeolli). This free list covers 24 common drinks with romanization.

KoreanRomanizationMeaning
음료 eumnyo beverage / drink
mul water
커피 keopi coffee
cha tea
녹차 nokcha green tea
우유 uyu milk
주스 juseu juice
콜라 kolla cola
사이다 saida lemon-lime soda (Sprite-type)
탄산음료 tansan eumnyo carbonated drink
sul alcohol / alcoholic drink
맥주 maekju beer
소주 soju soju (Korean spirit)
막걸리 makgeolli makgeolli (milky rice wine)
와인 wain wine
보리차 boricha barley tea
식혜 sikhye sweet rice drink (sikhye)
아메리카노 amerikano Americano (espresso + water)
라떼 latte latte
스무디 seumudi smoothie
생수 saengsu bottled mineral water
음료수 eumnyosu soft drink / bottled drink
얼음 eoeum ice
마시다 masida to drink

💡 Good to know

Korean alcohol vocabulary is essential for social situations: 술 (sul) means alcohol in general, 소주 is the iconic Korean spirit, 맥주 is beer, and 막걸리 is milky rice wine. To order, say 주세요 after the item: 아메리카노 주세요.

Lesson: Ordering food →Lesson: Gatherings & drinks →

FAQ

How do you say water in Korean?
Water is 물 (mul). To ask for water, say 물 주세요 (mul juseyo) — 'please give me water'.
How do you order a drink in Korean?
Say the drink name followed by 주세요: 커피 주세요 (coffee please) or 아메리카노 주세요. You can also ask 뭐 마실래요? (What would you like to drink?).
What is soju in Korean?
소주 (soju) is Korea's most popular spirit, distilled from grain. It's usually drunk neat in small glasses. 건배! (geonbae) means cheers.
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)