How to Welcome Guests and Offer Food or Drinks Politely in Korean
Learn beginner Korean phrases to welcome someone into your home and politely offer food or drinks, including 'Make yourself at home' and 'Would you like something to drink?'
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
When someone visits your home in Korea, a few set phrases do most of the work. In this lesson you will learn how to invite a guest in, tell them to relax, and offer something to eat or drink. Korean politeness here depends on verb endings rather than pronouns, so you will practise the polite -세요 ending and the polite suggestion pattern -ㄹ래요? You will also learn the common fixed expression for 'Make yourself at home'. Everything is taught in Hangul with Revised Romanization so you can read and say each line.
By the end, you can…
- welcome a guest at the door and invite them inside in polite Korean.
- tell a guest to relax using a natural Korean equivalent of 'Make yourself at home'.
- offer a drink or food politely using two different question patterns.
- respond politely when a guest accepts or declines an offer.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
어서 오세요.
Welcome. / Come on in.
eo-seo o-se-yo
The standard friendly greeting when a guest arrives at your door. It is polite and works for friends, neighbours and most visitors.
들어오세요.
Please come in.
deu-reo-o-se-yo
Said as you step aside at the doorway. The -세요 ending makes it a polite invitation, not a command.
편하게 계세요.
Make yourself at home. / Relax.
pyeon-ha-ge gye-se-yo
A natural equivalent of 'Make yourself at home'. 계세요 is the polite form of 있다 ('to be, to stay'), so this literally means 'Please stay comfortably'. Said after the guest has entered, often while pointing to a seat.
뭐 마실래요?
Would you like something to drink?
mwo ma-sil-lae-yo
Casual-polite and very common between friends and close guests. Literally 'What do you want to drink?' but it functions as a friendly offer.
차 드릴까요?
Shall I give you some tea? / Would you like some tea?
cha deu-ril-kka-yo
A more formal, softer offer using the verb 드리다, the humble form of 'to give'. Use this with older guests or people you have just met.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Two patterns cover most offers. The first is the polite question ending -ㄹ래요? attached to a verb stem: 마시다 ('to drink') becomes 마실래요? ('Would you like to drink?'), and 먹다 ('to eat') becomes 먹을래요? ('Would you like to eat?'). This is friendly and common with people you know well. The second is -ㄹ까요? with the humble verb 드리다: 차 드릴까요? ('Shall I give you tea?') and 커피 드릴까요? ('Shall I give you coffee?'). This sounds more careful and respectful, so it suits older guests or a first visit.
When to use it
Use 어서 오세요 the moment your guest arrives, then 들어오세요 as you invite them through the door. Once they are inside, say 편하게 계세요 and gesture to a seat. For the offer itself, choose your pattern by relationship: 뭐 마실래요? is fine for friends and people your age, while 차 드릴까요? or 커피 드릴까요? is safer with elders, teachers or new acquaintances. If the guest accepts, you can answer 네, 잠시만 기다리세요 ('Yes, please wait a moment') and then bring the drink. If they decline, saying 네, 알겠어요 ('Okay, I understand') keeps the moment comfortable.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어서 오세요. 들어오세요.
Welcome. Please come in.eo-seo o-se-yo. deu-reo-o-se-yo.안녕하세요. 초대해 주셔서 감사합니다.
Hello. Thank you for inviting me.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. cho-dae-hae ju-syeo-seo gam-sa-ham-ni-da.편하게 계세요. 뭐 마실래요?
Make yourself at home. Would you like something to drink?pyeon-ha-ge gye-se-yo. mwo ma-sil-lae-yo?네, 차 주세요. 감사합니다.
Yes, please give me some tea. Thank you.ne, cha ju-se-yo. gam-sa-ham-ni-da.A little context goes a long way
Korean hospitality often means offering something several times, and a first polite refusal is common. If your guest says 괜찮아요 ('I'm fine'), you may gently offer once more with 정말 괜찮아요? ('Are you really sure?'). Accepting on the second or third offer is normal and not rude. Also note that 드릴까요? is humble language about yourself giving to the guest, so it is appropriate when you are the host.
One thing to watch for
Using casual 반말 such as 뭐 마실래? with an older guest or a new acquaintance.
Try this instead: Keep the polite -요 ending: 뭐 마실래요? Even better with an elder, use the humble offer 차 드릴까요? The -요 ending signals politeness, while dropping it can sound abrupt or rude to someone you do not know well.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Your neighbour arrives at your door. What do you say to welcome them and invite them in?
Show a sample answer
어서 오세요. 들어오세요.
어서 오세요 is the standard welcome, and 들어오세요 politely invites them inside. 어서 오세요 alone is also acceptable if you are still opening the door.
2You want to offer an older guest some tea in a respectful way. Which phrase do you use?
Show a sample answer
차 드릴까요?
This uses the humble verb 드리다 with the polite -ㄹ까요? ending, which is respectful. 차 마실래요? is understandable but sounds too casual for an older guest.
3Your guest has just sat down. What phrase tells them to relax and make themselves at home?
Show a sample answer
편하게 계세요.
편하게 계세요 is the natural equivalent of 'Make yourself at home'. 편하게 앉으세요 ('Please sit comfortably') is also a valid alternative in this situation.
Welcome with 어서 오세요, invite with 들어오세요, relax your guest with 편하게 계세요, then offer a drink with 뭐 마실래요? for friends or 차 드릴까요? for a more respectful tone.
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