Korean for Packing Banchan Without Leaks: Asking for Leak-Proof Containers
Learn to say 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요 and ask Korean staff for a double lid, a plastic bag, or a separate box so liquid banchan does not leak onto your books.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
You have just bought wet banchan such as kimchi or mu-jorim, and it is going into the same bag as your books. In Korean shops, staff usually pack side dishes quickly, so you need one clear request that tells them the problem is liquid leaking, not the food itself. This lesson teaches the noun 국물 (broth or liquid from food), the verb 새요 (it leaks), and the polite request 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요. You will also learn how to ask for a double lid, a plastic bag, or a separate box for liquid sides. The focus is speaking politely at the counter, not memorizing shop policy.
By the end, you can…
- say 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요 to ask for leak-proof packing.
- ask for a double lid, a plastic bag, or a separate box for liquid banchan.
- understand and respond when staff ask whether I want a bag or a box.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요.
Please pack it so the liquid does not leak.
guk-mul an sae-ge po-jang-hae ju-se-yo
The main request at the counter. Use it when wet banchan will share a bag with books or clothes.
뚜껑을 두 개로 해 주세요.
Please make it two lids.
ttu-kkeong-eul du gae-ro hae ju-se-yo
Ask for a double lid when the container has a liquid side dish such as kimchi or mu-jorim.
비닐봉지 하나 더 주세요.
Please give me one more plastic bag.
bi-nil-bong-ji ha-na deo ju-se-yo
Use this to wrap the container or separate it from your books inside your bag.
국물 있는 건 따로 포장해 주세요.
Please pack the liquid items separately.
guk-mul in-neun geon tta-ro po-jang-hae ju-se-yo
Use this when you have both dry and wet banchan and want the wet ones in their own box or bag.
봉지에 같이 넣지 말아 주세요.
Please do not put it in the same bag.
bong-ji-e ga-chi neo-ji ma-ra ju-se-yo
A polite negative request. Use it when you want the banchan kept away from books or other items.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 안 새게 means 'so that it does not leak.' 안 comes before the verb 새다 (to leak), and -게 makes it an adverb phrase. Put it before 포장해 주세요: 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요. You can also use the same shape with other problems: 국물 안 흐르게 포장해 주세요 (please pack it so the liquid does not run). If you want to name the container, say 이 통에 국물 안 새게 담아 주세요 (please put it in this container so the liquid does not leak).
When to use it
Use these requests when you are buying banchan by weight and the staff member is about to close the lid. Say 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요 first, then add one specific item: 뚜껑을 두 개로 해 주세요, 비닐봉지 하나 더 주세요, or 국물 있는 건 따로 포장해 주세요. If the shop is busy, one clear request is enough. Do not assume every shop has the same boxes or bags; ask politely and accept what they can do.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
이 김치 국물이 책에 묻을까 봐 걱정돼요. 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요.
I am worried the kimchi liquid will get on my books. Please pack it so the liquid does not leak.i gim-chi guk-mul-i chae-ge mu-teul-kka bwa geok-jeong-dwae-yo. guk-mul an sae-ge po-jang-hae ju-se-yo네, 뚜껑을 두 개로 해 드릴까요?
Yes, shall I use two lids for you?ne, ttu-kkeong-eul du gae-ro hae deu-ril-kka-yo네, 그리고 비닐봉지 하나 더 주세요. 책이랑 같이 넣지 않게요.
Yes, and please give me one more plastic bag. So it is not put in together with my books.ne, geu-ri-go bi-nil-bong-ji ha-na deo ju-se-yo. chae-gi-rang ga-chi neo-chi an-ke-yo알겠습니다. 국물 있는 건 따로 포장해 드릴게요.
Understood. I will pack the liquid items separately for you.al-get-seum-ni-da. guk-mul in-neun geon tta-ro po-jang-hae deu-ril-ge-yoA little context goes a long way
In Korean shops, staff often pack banchan quickly and may not ask about leaks unless you mention it. The polite request form -아/어 주세요 is safe with staff you do not know. If you are close to the owner, -아/어 주실 수 있어요? is also fine. Do not treat a double lid or a separate box as a guaranteed service; ask and accept the shop's answer.
One thing to watch for
Saying 국물 새지 마세요, which sounds like a command to the liquid or to the staff.
Try this instead: Use the polite request 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요. The -게 form describes the result you want, and 주세요 makes it a request to the staff.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask staff to pack kimchi so the liquid does not leak?
Show a sample answer
국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요.
This uses 안 새게 before 포장해 주세요. You can also add 김치를 before it: 김치 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요.
2You want two lids for a liquid side dish. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
뚜껑을 두 개로 해 주세요.
두 개로 해 주세요 means 'please make it two.' You can also say 뚜껑 두 개 주세요, which is shorter but still polite.
3You do not want the banchan in the same bag as your books. What polite request fits?
Show a sample answer
봉지에 같이 넣지 말아 주세요.
같이 넣지 말아 주세요 means 'please do not put it in together.' You can also say 책이랑 따로 넣어 주세요, which asks for separate packing.
Say 국물 안 새게 포장해 주세요 first, then add one clear request: 뚜껑을 두 개로 해 주세요, 비닐봉지 하나 더 주세요, or 국물 있는 건 따로 포장해 주세요.
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