Korean for Beginners: Asking for a Bag or Box for Groceries
Learn to ask for a bag or box at Korean shops using 주세요 and 주시겠어요, with 봉투, 봉지, and 상자, plus the difference between packaging and utensil requests.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you buy groceries in Korea, the cashier may ask if you need a bag, or you may need to ask for one yourself. This lesson teaches you how to request packaging: a plastic bag, a paper bag, or a box. The key phrase is 'Can I have a bag?' In Korean, this is not a question about ability; it is a polite request using a noun plus 주세요. You will learn the words 봉투, 봉지, and 상자, and how to ask for them naturally at a counter. You will also see why asking for a bag is different from asking for a utensil such as a spoon or chopsticks, because the focus is on packaging, not on eating tools.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a bag or box at a Korean shop using 봉투 주세요 and similar phrases.
- choose between 봉투, 봉지, and 상자 depending on the type of packaging.
- use 주시겠어요 for a more polite request and understand when 주세요 is enough.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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봉투 주세요.
Can I have a bag? / Please give me a bag.
bongtu juseyo
The most common way to ask for a plastic or paper bag at a checkout counter. 봉투 is a general bag for carrying purchases.
봉지 주세요.
Can I have a bag? / Please give me a bag.
bongji juseyo
봉지 often refers to a smaller bag or a plastic bag used for items. It is common at markets and convenience stores.
상자 주세요.
Can I have a box? / Please give me a box.
sangja juseyo
Use 상자 when you need a box for packing groceries or fragile items. It is not a bag, so use it only for boxes.
봉투 하나 주시겠어요?
Could I have one bag?
bongtu hana jusigesseoyo
A more polite request. 하나 means 'one'. Use this when you want to be especially courteous or when the situation is formal.
큰 봉투 있어요?
Do you have a big bag?
keun bongtu isseoyo
Use this to ask about availability before requesting. 큰 means 'big'. You can replace 큰 with 작은 (small) if needed.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is noun + 주세요. 주세요 comes from 주다 (to give) and means 'please give me'. It works with many nouns: 봉투 주세요 (a bag, please), 상자 주세요 (a box, please), 물 주세요 (water, please). To make it more polite, use 주시겠어요: 봉투 주시겠어요? (Could I have a bag?). You can also add 하나 (one) or 두 개 (two): 봉투 두 개 주세요 (two bags, please). The noun stays the same; only the request ending changes.
When to use it
Use 봉투 주세요 at a supermarket checkout when the cashier has not packed your items. Use 봉지 주세요 at a market or convenience store for a smaller bag. Use 상자 주세요 when you need a box, for example for a cake or fragile groceries. If you are unsure whether the shop has bags, ask 큰 봉투 있어요? first. If you want to be extra polite, say 봉투 하나 주시겠어요? This is different from asking for a utensil: 젓가락 주세요 (chopsticks, please) is about eating tools, while 봉투 주세요 is about packaging. The grammar is the same, but the noun changes the purpose.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어서 오세요. 봉투 필요하세요?
Welcome. Do you need a bag?eoseo oseyo. bongtu piryohaseyo?네, 봉투 주세요.
Yes, please give me a bag.ne, bongtu juseyo.큰 봉투하고 작은 봉투 있어요. 어떤 거 드릴까요?
We have big bags and small bags. Which one would you like?keun bongtuhago jageun bongtu isseoyo. eotteon geo deurilkkayo?큰 봉투 하나 주시겠어요?
Could I have one big bag?keun bongtu hana jusigesseoyo?A little context goes a long way
In Korea, many supermarkets and convenience stores charge a small fee for plastic bags, and some shops ask whether you need one instead of giving it automatically. 봉투 is the usual word for a shopping bag, while 봉지 is often a smaller bag. Using 주세요 is polite and natural in everyday shops; 주시겠어요 is a bit more formal and courteous, useful with older staff or in department stores. You do not need to bow or use honorific titles for a simple bag request, but a light smile and eye contact are appreciated.
One thing to watch for
Using 봉투 있어요? to mean 'Can I have a bag?' when you want to request one directly.
Try this instead: 봉투 있어요? means 'Do you have a bag?' It asks about availability, not a request. To ask for a bag, say 봉투 주세요 or 봉투 주시겠어요. If you first ask 봉투 있어요? and the answer is 네, then add 봉투 주세요 to complete the request.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are at a convenience store and need a bag. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
봉투 주세요.
This is the standard polite request for a bag. 봉지 주세요 is also acceptable at a convenience store, especially for a smaller bag.
2You need a box for a cake. Which word do you use, and what is the full phrase?
Show a sample answer
상자 주세요.
상자 means 'box', so 상자 주세요 asks for a box. 봉투 would be wrong here because it means a bag, not a box.
3How do you ask more politely for one bag?
Show a sample answer
봉투 하나 주시겠어요?
하나 means 'one', and 주시겠어요 is a more polite request ending. 봉투 한 개 주시겠어요? is also correct, using the counter 개.
At Korean shops, ask for packaging with the noun plus 주세요: 봉투 주세요 for a bag, 상자 주세요 for a box. Use 주시겠어요 when you want to be more polite, and remember that 봉투 있어요? asks about availability, not a request.
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