Korean for Buying Banchan in Small Portions at a 반찬가게
Learn polite Korean to ask a banchan shop for a one-person portion, point at trays, and check which side dishes keep well in the fridge.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At a Korean banchan shop (반찬가게), side dishes are usually sold by weight or by tray, and trays are often sized for a family. If you are cooking for one, you need a few polite, reusable phrases: 한 인분 (one portion), 조금만 (just a little), and the full request 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요 (please give me only as much as one person will eat). This lesson keeps you in polite spoken Korean (해요체) and focuses on the exact moment you point at a tray and ask for less. You will also learn how to ask which items keep well in the fridge, so you do not buy more than you can finish.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a one-person amount of banchan using 한 인분 and 조금만.
- point at a tray and request only as much as one person will eat.
- ask which side dishes keep well in the refrigerator.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
한 인분이요.
One portion, please.
han in-bun-i-yo
Use when the shop sells by portion. It is short, polite, and clear while pointing at the tray you want.
조금만 주세요.
Please give me just a little.
jo-geum-man ju-se-yo
Use when portions are not marked. 조금만 softens the request; it does not mean a free sample.
한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요.
Please give me only as much as one person will eat.
han sa-ram meo-geul man-keum-man ju-se-yo
The key request for a single diner. Say it while indicating the tray so staff know which item you mean.
이거 한 인분만 주세요.
Please give me just one portion of this.
i-geo han in-bun-man ju-se-yo
Use with pointing. 이거 (this) replaces the dish name when you do not know it yet.
이거 냉장고에 오래 보관해도 돼요?
Can this be kept in the fridge for a long time?
i-geo naeng-jang-go-e o-rae bo-gwan-hae-do dwae-yo
Ask before buying a larger amount. It asks about keeping quality, not a promise about exact days.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요 combines 한 사람 (one person), 먹을 만큼 (as much as [someone] will eat), and 만 (only). The final 만 limits the amount, so the sentence means “only as much as one person will eat.” You can swap the person: 두 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요 (please give me only as much as two people will eat). If you already know the dish name, put it first: 콩나물 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요. The verb 주세요 stays at the end and keeps the request polite.
When to use it
Use 한 인분이요 when the shop already sells set portions, and 조금만 주세요 when you are pointing at a large tray and want less. Use 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요 when you need to be precise because the tray is clearly family-sized. For fridge questions, say 이거 냉장고에 오래 보관해도 돼요? while pointing. Staff may answer with a dish name and a short phrase; listen for 며칠 (how many days) or 바로 (right away). If you are unsure, ask 다시 물어봐도 돼요? (may I ask again?) rather than guessing.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저기요, 이거 한 인분이요.
Excuse me, one portion of this, please.jeo-gi-yo, i-geo han in-bun-i-yo네, 이거는 한 인분이 이천 원이에요.
Yes, one portion of this is 2,000 won.ne, i-geo-neun han in-bun-i i-cheon won-i-e-yo아, 그럼 조금만 주세요. 한 사람 먹을 만큼만요.
Ah, then please give me just a little. Only as much as one person will eat.a, geu-reom jo-geum-man ju-se-yo. han sa-ram meo-geul man-keum-man-yo네, 알겠어요. 이거 냉장고에 이틀 정도는 괜찮아요.
Okay, I understand. This is fine in the fridge for about two days.ne, al-get-eo-yo. i-geo naeng-jang-go-e i-teul jeong-do-neun gwaen-chan-a-yoA little context goes a long way
At many banchan shops, staff expect you to point and state an amount rather than browse silently. 한 인분 and 조금만 are polite and normal in everyday speech; adding 주세요 or -이요 keeps the tone courteous. Prices and how long a dish keeps vary by shop and by dish, so treat any number you hear as that shop’s current answer, not a fixed rule. If a shop only sells full trays, you can politely ask 한 인분은 안 돼요? (is one portion not possible?) and accept the answer.
One thing to watch for
Saying 조금 주세요 alone while pointing at a large tray, which can sound like you want a free taste or an unclear amount.
Try this instead: Use 조금만 주세요 with 만 to limit the amount, or be explicit: 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요. For example, 이거 조금만 주세요 is clearer and more polite than 이거 조금 주세요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You want only one person’s amount of the spinach side dish. What do you say while pointing?
Show a sample answer
시금치 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요.
This names the dish and uses the full limiting pattern. You could also say 이거 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요 if you do not know the dish name.
2The shop sells by portion, and you want one portion of the tofu. What is a natural polite request?
Show a sample answer
두부 한 인분이요.
한 인분이요 is the standard short request when portions are already set. 두부 한 인분 주세요 is also acceptable and slightly more explicit.
3You are not sure whether the potato side dish keeps well. What question do you ask?
Show a sample answer
이거 냉장고에 오래 보관해도 돼요?
This asks about keeping quality without demanding a guarantee. You can replace 이거 with 감자조림 if you know the dish name.
Point at the tray, limit the amount with 한 인분, 조금만, or 한 사람 먹을 만큼만 주세요, and ask 이거 냉장고에 오래 보관해도 돼요? before buying more than you can finish.
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