Korean for Asking About Ingredients Without Demanding a Guarantee
Learn to ask whether a dish contains shrimp using 들어 있어요?, request removal with 이거 빼고, and soften the ask with 확인만 해 주세요.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At a market stall or small eatery, you may need to know whether a dish contains a specific ingredient, such as shrimp. In Korean, the useful move is not to demand a safety guarantee but to gather information politely. This lesson teaches three patterns: 들어 있어요? to ask whether something is included, 이거 빼고 to request that an item be left out, and 확인만 해 주세요 to ask staff to check without pressuring them. You will practice wording that fits a busy stall where kitchen staff may not be able to promise a completely allergen-free environment.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a dish contains a specific ingredient using 들어 있어요?
- request that an ingredient be left out using 이거 빼고.
- ask staff to check an ingredient politely with 확인만 해 주세요.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
새우 들어 있어요?
Does this have shrimp in it?
sae-u deu-reo i-sseo-yo?
Use this when pointing at a dish or holding a menu. It asks whether shrimp is included, not whether the kitchen is safe for allergies.
이거 빼고 주세요.
Please give it to me without this.
i-geo ppae-go ju-se-yo
Use this when you want an ingredient left out. Point to the item or name it before the phrase, for example 새우 빼고 주세요.
확인만 해 주세요.
Please just check for me.
hwa-gin-man hae ju-se-yo
This softens the request. It asks staff to check, not to guarantee. Use it after asking about an ingredient.
새우 빼고 주실 수 있어요?
Could you give it to me without shrimp?
sae-u ppae-go ju-sil su i-sseo-yo?
A more polite request form. It asks whether removing shrimp is possible, leaving room for a no.
혹시 새우 들어가요?
By any chance, does shrimp go in it?
hok-si sae-u deu-reo-ga-yo?
혹시 makes the question softer and less demanding. 들어가요 is common for ingredients that go into a dish.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern [ingredient] + 들어 있어요? asks whether an ingredient is included. For example, 새우 들어 있어요? means “Does this have shrimp in it?” You can replace 새우 with other ingredients: 땅콩 들어 있어요? (Does this have peanuts in it?), 우유 들어 있어요? (Does this have milk in it?). A common variant is [ingredient] + 들어가요? as in 새우 들어가요? Both are polite with the -요 ending. Use 들어 있어요? when you are looking at a dish or package, and 들어가요? when asking about how a dish is made. To request removal, put the ingredient before 빼고: 새우 빼고 주세요 (Please give it to me without shrimp).
When to use it
Use these patterns at market stalls, small restaurants, or cafés where staff may be busy and cannot promise a completely allergen-free kitchen. Start with a polite question: 새우 들어 있어요? If the answer is yes and you want the dish without it, say 새우 빼고 주실 수 있어요? Then add 확인만 해 주세요 to ask staff to check without demanding a guarantee. For example: 새우 들어 있어요? 확인만 해 주세요. This frames your request as information gathering. If the staff says 어려워요 (It’s difficult), you can thank them and choose another dish. Do not insist on a guarantee; instead, ask what they can do.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저기요, 이거 새우 들어 있어요?
Excuse me, does this have shrimp in it?jeo-gi-yo, i-geo sae-u deu-reo i-sseo-yo?네, 새우가 조금 들어가요.
Yes, a little shrimp goes in it.ne, sae-u-ga jo-geum deu-reo-ga-yo.그럼 새우 빼고 주실 수 있어요? 확인만 해 주세요.
Then could you give it to me without shrimp? Please just check for me.geu-reom sae-u ppae-go ju-sil su i-sseo-yo? hwa-gin-man hae ju-se-yo.잠시만요, 확인해 볼게요. 빼고 드릴 수 있어요.
One moment, I’ll check. We can give it to you without it.jam-si-man-yo, hwa-gin-hae bol-ge-yo. ppae-go deu-ril su i-sseo-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean service settings, polite requests often use -아/어 주세요 or -아/어 주실 수 있어요? to leave room for the other person to decline. Adding 확인만 해 주세요 signals that you are asking for a check, not a guarantee. At a market stall, staff may be busy and cannot verify every ingredient, so accept a clear answer like 어려워요 without pushing. If you have a serious allergy, carry your own written note and ask a companion or staff member to help communicate; do not rely on a single phrase to ensure safety.
One thing to watch for
Using a direct demand like 새우 없어요? and expecting a guarantee.
Try this instead: 새우 없어요? can sound like “There’s no shrimp, right?” and may pressure staff into a yes or no. Instead, ask 새우 들어 있어요? to find out whether shrimp is included, then add 확인만 해 주세요 if you want them to check. If you want it removed, say 새우 빼고 주세요. This keeps the request polite and information-focused.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you ask whether a dish contains peanuts?
Show a sample answer
땅콩 들어 있어요?
This uses the pattern [ingredient] + 들어 있어요? with the polite -요 ending. You could also ask 땅콩 들어가요? in a similar situation.
2How would you ask staff to give you a dish without shrimp, politely?
Show a sample answer
새우 빼고 주실 수 있어요?
This uses [ingredient] + 빼고 + 주실 수 있어요? to ask whether removing shrimp is possible. A simpler alternative is 새우 빼고 주세요.
3What phrase can you add to ask staff to check an ingredient without demanding a guarantee?
Show a sample answer
확인만 해 주세요.
This means “Please just check for me.” It softens the request and frames it as information gathering. You can say it after asking about an ingredient.
Ask 새우 들어 있어요? to find out if shrimp is included, use 새우 빼고 주세요 to request it without shrimp, and add 확인만 해 주세요 to ask staff to check politely without demanding a guarantee.
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