Korean for Buying Tteok: Ask If Rice Cakes Are Fresh or Frozen
Learn to ask Korean rice cake shop staff whether tteok is made today, and talk about chewy texture and freezing.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you buy tteok (rice cakes) for soup, the texture matters: fresh tteok is soft and chewy, while frozen tteok can turn hard or crumbly. In this lesson you will learn how to ask a shop worker whether a tray is today’s batch, using the polite question 이거 오늘 만든 거예요? You will also learn the word 쫄깃하다 to describe the chewy texture you want, and how to talk about storing tteok in the freezer without ruining it.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether rice cakes were made today using 이거 오늘 만든 거예요?
- describe chewy texture with 쫄깃하다 and say I want that kind.
- ask how to store tteok and understand a simple answer about freezing.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
이거 오늘 만든 거예요?
Was this made today?
i-geo o-neul man-deun geo-ye-yo?
Point to a tray or package and use this polite question. It works for any fresh food, not just tteok.
쫄깃한 떡 있어요?
Do you have chewy rice cakes?
jjol-git-han tteok i-sseo-yo?
Use 쫄깃한 before 떡 to ask for the texture you want. This is common in rice cake shops.
국에 넣을 거예요.
I’m going to put it in soup.
guk-e neo-eul geo-ye-yo.
Tell the staff your purpose so they can suggest the right type of tteok.
냉동실에 넣어도 돼요?
Can I put it in the freezer?
naeng-dong-sil-e neo-eo-do dwae-yo?
Ask about storage. The answer may include how long to keep it or how to thaw it.
해동은 어떻게 해요?
How do I thaw it?
hae-dong-eun eo-tteo-ke hae-yo?
Use this after you know freezing is possible. It asks for the thawing method.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern ‘오늘 만든 거예요?’ means ‘Is it made today?’ You can use it with 이거 (this), 그거 (that), or 저거 (that over there). For example: 이거 오늘 만든 거예요? (Was this made today?) 그거 오늘 만든 거예요? (Was that made today?) 만든 is the past adnominal form of 만들다 (to make), and 거예요 is a polite way to ask for confirmation. If you want to ask about a specific type, say 떡 instead of 이거: 떡 오늘 만든 거예요? (Was the rice cake made today?)
When to use it
Use this question when you are standing in front of a tray of tteok and want to know if it is fresh. It is polite and natural with shop staff. If you also want to explain why you are asking, add 국에 넣을 거예요 (I’m going to put it in soup). For example: 이거 오늘 만든 거예요? 국에 넣을 거예요. (Was this made today? I’m going to put it in soup.) This helps the staff recommend the right tteok for soup, which is often chewier when fresh.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
이거 오늘 만든 거예요?
Was this made today?i-geo o-neul man-deun geo-ye-yo?네, 오늘 아침에 만들었어요. 쫄깃해요.
Yes, it was made this morning. It’s chewy.ne, o-neul a-chim-e man-deu-reo-sseo-yo. jjol-git-hae-yo.국에 넣을 거예요. 냉동실에 넣어도 돼요?
I’m going to put it in soup. Can I put it in the freezer?guk-e neo-eul geo-ye-yo. naeng-dong-sil-e neo-eo-do dwae-yo?네, 하지만 해동은 찬물에서 하세요.
Yes, but thaw it in cold water.ne, ha-ji-man hae-dong-eun chan-mul-e-seo ha-se-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean rice cake shops, asking if something was made today is normal and polite. Staff may point to a specific tray or say 오늘 아침에 만들었어요 (made this morning). If you plan to freeze tteok, it is common to thaw it in cold water before cooking to keep the texture chewy. Avoid asking for a guarantee of freshness beyond what the staff says; instead, use the question to choose the tray that suits your needs.
One thing to watch for
Using 쫄깃하다 as a verb meaning ‘to be chewy’ in the present tense, like 쫄깃해요? to ask ‘Is it chewy?’
Try this instead: 쫄깃하다 is an adjective. To ask ‘Is it chewy?’ say 쫄깃해요? That is correct. But to say ‘It is chewy,’ say 쫄깃해요. Do not add an object marker: 쫄깃한 떡 (chewy rice cake) is correct; 쫄깃한을 떡 is wrong.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask a shop worker if the rice cakes were made today?
Show a sample answer
이거 오늘 만든 거예요?
This uses the polite question pattern with 이거 (this) and 오늘 만든 거예요 (was made today). You can also say 떡 오늘 만든 거예요? if you want to name the item.
2You want chewy rice cakes for soup. What can you say to ask for chewy tteok?
Show a sample answer
쫄깃한 떡 있어요?
쫄깃한 is the adjective form before 떡. 있어요? asks ‘do you have?’ This is a natural way to ask for the texture you want.
3How do you ask if you can freeze the tteok, and then ask how to thaw it?
Show a sample answer
냉동실에 넣어도 돼요? 그리고 해동은 어떻게 해요?
냉동실에 넣어도 돼요? asks permission to put it in the freezer. 해동은 어떻게 해요? asks how to thaw it. You can use these two questions together.
Ask 이거 오늘 만든 거예요? to check freshness, use 쫄깃한 떡 있어요? for chewy rice cakes, and ask 냉동실에 넣어도 돼요? before freezing. Thaw in cold water to keep the texture.
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