Korean for Asking for a Small Refill of One Banchan
Learn polite Korean patterns to ask for just a little more of one side dish at a banchan shop, without buying a full tray.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At a Korean banchan shop, you often buy side dishes by weight or as part of a set. If you enjoyed one particular side dish and want a bit more, you do not need to buy a whole new tray. This lesson teaches three practical patterns: 조금만 더 (a little more), 이거 하나만 (just this one), and the full request 이것만 조금 더 주세요 (please give me a little more of just this one). You will practice polite requests that work both when staff weigh your order and when you are choosing from set options. The focus is on clear, respectful phrasing that staff can act on immediately.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a small extra amount of one specific banchan using 조금만 더.
- point out one item with 이거 하나만 and make a polite request with 주세요.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
조금만 더 주세요.
Please give me just a little more.
jo-geum-man deo ju-se-yo
General polite request for a small additional amount. Use when the staff is already helping you and you want a bit more of something.
이거 하나만 주세요.
Please give me just this one.
i-geo ha-na-man ju-se-yo
Use while pointing at one specific banchan. 하나만 limits the request to a single item, so it is clear you are not asking for a full set.
이것만 조금 더 주세요.
Please give me a little more of just this one.
i-geot-man jo-geum deo ju-se-yo
The most precise request: 이것만 restricts to one dish, 조금 더 asks for a small amount. Works when buying by weight or choosing from a set.
이 반찬 조금만 더 주실 수 있어요?
Could you give me a little more of this side dish?
i ban-chan jo-geum-man deo ju-sil su i-sseo-yo
Softer, more indirect request using 주실 수 있어요. Useful when you are not sure if extra is possible and want to ask politely.
하나만 더 주세요.
Please give me just one more.
ha-na-man deo ju-se-yo
Use when the shop sells items by piece or as small units. It asks for one additional unit, not a full tray.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [item] + 조금만 더 주세요. 조금 means 'a little', 만 adds 'only/just', and 더 means 'more'. Together they soften the request to a small extra amount. For example, 김치 조금만 더 주세요 means 'Please give me just a little more kimchi.' If you want to limit it to one dish, add 이것만: 이것만 조금 더 주세요. The word 이것만 literally means 'only this one', so staff understand you are not asking for more of everything.
When to use it
Use these patterns when staff are already serving you, either at a by-weight counter or when you are choosing items from a set. If you are pointing at a dish, 이거 하나만 주세요 is clear and polite. If you want a small top-up rather than a new portion, 조금만 더 주세요 is better. When you are unsure whether extra is allowed, use the softer 이 반찬 조금만 더 주실 수 있어요? This asks 'could you' rather than 'please give', which gives staff room to explain the shop's practice.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어서 오세요. 뭐 드릴까요?
Welcome. What can I get for you?eo-seo o-se-yo. mwo deu-ril-kka-yo이거 하나만 주세요. 그리고 이것만 조금 더 주세요.
Please give me just this one. And please give me a little more of just this one.i-geo ha-na-man ju-se-yo. geu-ri-go i-geot-man jo-geum deo ju-se-yo네, 조금만 더 드릴게요. 이 정도면 될까요?
Okay, I'll give you just a little more. Is this amount okay?ne, jo-geum-man deo deu-ril-ge-yo. i jeong-do-myeon doel-kka-yo네, 좋아요. 감사합니다.
Yes, that's good. Thank you.ne, jo-a-yo. gam-sa-ham-ni-daA little context goes a long way
In Korean banchan shops, staff often decide how much extra they can give based on the shop's own practice. Using 조금만 더 and 하나만 shows you are asking for a small amount, not a free full portion. A polite tone and a slight bow when saying 주세요 are common. If the shop sells by weight, staff may simply add a little to the scale; if it sells sets, they may replace or add one small item. Always let staff confirm the amount rather than assuming it is free.
One thing to watch for
Using 많이 더 주세요 to ask for more, which sounds like you want a large amount.
Try this instead: Use 조금만 더 주세요 for a small extra amount. 많이 means 'a lot', so 많이 더 주세요 can sound demanding. For example, say 이것만 조금 더 주세요, not 이것만 많이 더 주세요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are pointing at one banchan and want just a little more of it. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
이것만 조금 더 주세요.
이것만 limits the request to one dish, 조금 더 asks for a small amount, and 주세요 makes it polite. You could also say 이거 하나만 조금 더 주세요, which is equally clear.
2You want to ask softly whether extra is possible for one side dish. What sentence fits?
Show a sample answer
이 반찬 조금만 더 주실 수 있어요?
주실 수 있어요 means 'could you give', which is softer than 주세요. This works well when you are unsure about the shop's practice.
3You only want one additional piece, not a full tray. Which phrase do you use?
Show a sample answer
하나만 더 주세요.
하나만 means 'just one', and 더 주세요 means 'give me more'. This is useful when items are sold by piece. If you are pointing, 이거 하나만 주세요 also works.
Use 조금만 더 for a small top-up, 이거 하나만 to point at one dish, and 이것만 조금 더 주세요 for the clearest polite request. Keep the amount small and let staff confirm what is possible.
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