Korean for Asking About Today's Special: Ordering Daily Offers at Cafés and Restaurants
Learn to ask 'What is today's special?' in Korean, understand the reply, and order a daily offer politely using 오늘의 특별 메뉴 and related patterns.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you walk into a Korean café or restaurant, the menu may list a daily special that is not on the regular menu. This lesson teaches you a focused set of phrases to ask what today's special is, understand the answer, and respond naturally. You will use the pattern 오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? and learn how to catch key words such as 오늘 (today), 특별 (special), and 메뉴 (menu). The lesson stays on daily offers, so you can use it immediately without needing to discuss general recommendations.
By the end, you can…
- ask what today's special is in Korean.
- understand a short answer naming a daily offer and its price.
- order today's special politely.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요?
What is today's special menu?
o-neur-ui teuk-byeol me-nyu-ga mwo-ye-yo?
Polite and common in cafés and restaurants. Use this when you want to know the daily offer.
오늘 뭐가 특별해요?
What is special today?
o-neul mwo-ga teuk-byeol-hae-yo?
A slightly more general way to ask about today's special. It can also mean 'What's special about today?' so context matters.
오늘의 특별 메뉴는 이거예요.
Today's special menu is this one.
o-neur-ui teuk-byeol me-nyu-neun i-geo-ye-yo.
A common reply when a staff member points to a menu item or a sign.
그거 주세요.
Please give me that one.
geu-geo ju-se-yo.
Use this to order the special after it has been pointed out or named.
오늘의 특별 메뉴는 얼마예요?
How much is today's special menu?
o-neur-ui teuk-byeol me-nyu-neun eol-ma-ye-yo?
Ask this if the price is not clearly displayed.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The key pattern is 오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? Here 오늘의 means 'of today' or 'today's'. 특별 메뉴 means 'special menu'. The particle 가 marks the subject of the question, and 뭐예요? means 'what is it?'. You can replace 특별 메뉴 with other nouns, for example 오늘의 수프가 뭐예요? ('What is today's soup?') or 오늘의 디저트가 뭐예요? ('What is today's dessert?'). If you want to ask about a drink, say 오늘의 음료가 뭐예요? The pattern stays the same, so you only need to change the noun before 가.
When to use it
Use 오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? when you are at a café or restaurant and see a sign or menu section for a daily special. It is polite and works with staff you do not know. If the staff replies with a name you do not know, you can ask 다시 말씀해 주세요 ('Please say it again') or 천천히 말씀해 주세요 ('Please speak slowly'). If they point to an item, you can say 그거 주세요 ('Please give me that one'). For a price question, use 오늘의 특별 메뉴는 얼마예요? This keeps the conversation focused on the daily offer.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어서 오세요. 뭐 드릴까요?
Welcome. What can I get you?eo-seo o-se-yo. mwo deu-ril-kka-yo?오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요?
What is today's special menu?o-neur-ui teuk-byeol me-nyu-ga mwo-ye-yo?오늘의 특별 메뉴는 불고기 덮밥이에요.
Today's special menu is bulgogi rice bowl.o-neur-ui teuk-byeol me-nyu-neun bul-go-gi deop-ba-bi-e-yo.그거 주세요.
Please give me that one.geu-geo ju-se-yo.A little context goes a long way
In many Korean cafés and restaurants, the daily special is written on a small board or listed separately from the regular menu. Staff may say 오늘의 특별 메뉴는 ...이에요/예요. The polite request 주세요 is safe in most service situations. If you are with older people or in a formal setting, you may hear 주시겠어요? instead, which is more polite. Tipping is not usual in most Korean food service, so you do not need to ask about it.
One thing to watch for
Saying 오늘 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? and expecting it to mean only 'What is today's special menu?'
Try this instead: 오늘 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? can be understood, but the clearer daily-offer pattern is 오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? The particle 의 shows possession: 'today's special menu'. Use 오늘의 when you mean the special of today, for example 오늘의 특별 메뉴는 김치찌개예요 ('Today's special is kimchi stew').
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'What is today's special menu?' politely?
Show a sample answer
오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요?
This uses 오늘의 ('today's'), 특별 메뉴 ('special menu'), the subject particle 가, and 뭐예요? ('what is it?'). 오늘 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? is also understandable, but 오늘의 is clearer for a daily offer.
2The staff says 오늘의 특별 메뉴는 비빔밥이에요. What is today's special?
Show a sample answer
비빔밥 (bibimbap).
The key word is 비빔밥, which comes before 이에요. The sentence means 'Today's special menu is bibimbap.' If you did not catch it, you can ask 다시 말씀해 주세요.
3You want to order the special that the staff pointed to. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
그거 주세요.
그거 means 'that one' and 주세요 means 'please give me'. This is a polite and natural way to order. You can also say 이거 주세요 if the item is closer to you.
Ask 오늘의 특별 메뉴가 뭐예요? to find the daily offer, listen for the item name before 이에요/예요, and order with 그거 주세요.
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