The short version: a Korean convenience store clerk asks the same handful of questions in the same order: a bag (봉투 필요하세요?), points (포인트 적립하시겠어요?) and the receipt (영수증 드릴까요?). Two answers cover almost all of them: 네, 주세요 (yes, please) and 괜찮아요 (no, thanks). For the receipt, the most natural no is 버려 주세요, “please throw it away”.
You have a triangle gimbap, a banana milk and a cup of ramyeon. You have practised 이거 얼마예요?. Then the clerk says something quick, looks up and waits, and nothing comes to mind.
The reassuring part is that the moment at the counter is not really a conversation. It is a script, and it is almost the same at every CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and emart24 in the country. Once you know the lines in advance, the only thing left to do is pick one of two answers.
The two answers that cover almost everything
Yes, please
네, 주세요ne, juseyoFor a bag, chopsticks or anything else the clerk offers.
No, thanks
괜찮아요gwaenchanayoLiterally “it's fine”. A soft, completely polite way to decline.
괜찮아요 works the same way as “I'm good” in English: it turns down an offer without sounding cold. Adding 아니요 in front (아니요, 괜찮아요) makes the no a little clearer, and is just as polite.
The eight lines, in the order you will hear them
Nothing, or a small nod. Many customers walk straight in without replying, and that is not rude. A friendly 안녕하세요 is fine too.
Insert the chip end of your card into the reader facing you, or hand the card over. If you are paying in cash: 현금이요 (hyeongeumiyo), “cash”.
What you do yourself
A Korean convenience store is partly self-service, and this is where it differs most from Japan, where the clerk heats your food for you. In Korea, the clerk usually does not ask about heating at all. Look for these instead:
| You need | Look for | Romanisation |
|---|---|---|
| To heat a lunch box | 전자레인지 | jeonjareinji (microwave) |
| Water for cup noodles | 온수 | onsu (hot water) |
| Chopsticks, spoons | 젓가락, 숟가락 | jeotgarak, sutgarak |
| Somewhere to eat | 취식 공간 / 테이블 | chwisik gonggan / teibeul |
Three things you may need to ask
Why the clerk's Korean sounds so long
Service Korean wraps short questions in polite endings. Once you can strip them off, every line becomes a word you already know.
| You hear | Built from | What the ending adds |
|---|---|---|
| 드릴까요? | 드리다 + -(으)ㄹ까요 | 드리다 is the humble form of 주다 (give). -(으)ㄹ까요 offers: “shall I give you…?” |
| 필요하세요? | 필요하다 + -시- | The honorific -시- shows respect for you, the customer. |
| 있으세요? | 있다 + -시- | “Do you have…?”. For possession it is 있으세요, never 계세요. |
| 하시겠어요? | 하다 + -시- + -겠- | “Would you like to…?”, a polite way to ask about your intention. |
The honorific -시- is explained step by step in 가요 vs 가세요. You do not need to use these endings yourself: 네, 주세요 and 괜찮아요 are already polite.
Check yourself: at the counter
Pick the answer you would give.
괜찮아요 is the polite no to any offer.
버려 주세요, “please throw it away”, is the most natural no here.
The clerk asked whether to throw it away, so 네 means yes, bin it.
1+1 is read 원 플러스 원, and 하나 더 가져오세요 means bring one more.
충전 means top-up, and the amount follows with -이요.
For possession, the honorific of 있다 is 있으세요. 계세요 is only for a respected person being somewhere.
Hear the script before you need it
Hanguljo takes you from Foundation lessons (Hangul, stroke order, native audio) through the TOPIK 1–6 lessons (vocabulary, grammar and particles) with Hanja roots and memory hooks and a 7-stage SRS engine. Speak in the conversation track with shadowing, train your ear with dictation, learn from any Korean video you paste in, read real Korean with the on-device OCR scanner, and keep practising with home, lock screen and quiz widgets, all in a calm, focused design.
Learn Korean with Hanguljo - FreeQuick reference
- Yes, please / No, thanks
- 네, 주세요 / 괜찮아요. These two answer almost every question at the counter.
- Bag
- 봉투 필요하세요? or 봉투 드릴까요? Bags cost a small amount.
- Points and discounts
- 포인트 적립하시겠어요? / 할인 카드 있으세요? → 없어요 or 괜찮아요.
- 1+1 and 2+1
- Read 원 플러스 원, 투 플러스 원. 하나 더 가져오세요 = bring one more (it is free).
- Paying
- The total uses Sino-Korean numbers: 삼천오백 원입니다. 카드 꽂아 주세요 = insert your card.
- Receipt
- 영수증 드릴까요? → 버려 주세요 (throw it away). 영수증 버려 드릴까요? → 네.
- Age check
- 신분증 보여 주세요 → show a passport or residence card.
- Leaving
- Clerk: 안녕히 가세요. You: 감사합니다 or 수고하세요.
- You ask
- 전자레인지 어디 있어요? · 젓가락 어디 있어요? · 티머니 충전해 주세요, 만 원이요.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Korean convenience store clerk say?
The usual order is 어서 오세요 (welcome), 봉투 필요하세요? (do you need a bag?), 포인트 적립하시겠어요? (do you want to collect points?), the total such as 삼천오백 원입니다, 영수증 드릴까요? (do you want the receipt?) and 안녕히 가세요 (goodbye). On 1+1 items you may also hear 하나 더 가져오세요 (bring one more).
How do you say I don't need a bag in Korean?
Say 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo), or 봉투는 괜찮아요 to be specific. It is the polite way to decline anything a clerk offers. If you do want one, say 네, 주세요.
What does 영수증 버려 드릴까요 mean?
It means 'Shall I throw your receipt away?'. Answer 네 if you do not want it. The question is reversed from 영수증 드릴까요? (Shall I give you the receipt?), so listen for 버려.
Can you heat food at a Korean convenience store?
Yes, but usually you do it yourself. Most stores have a microwave (전자레인지) and a hot-water dispenser for cup noodles near the window or the counter. If you cannot find it, ask 전자레인지 어디 있어요?
Can I top up a T-money card at a convenience store?
Yes. Hand over the card and say 티머니 충전해 주세요, then the amount, for example 만 원이요. Top-ups at the counter are usually paid in cash.
- National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (한국어기초사전): entries for 드리다, 적립, 봉투 and 영수증.
- National Institute of Korean Language, Standard Korean Language Dictionary (표준국어대사전): entries for 편의점 and 수고.
- National Institute of Korean Language, 《표준 언어 예절》 (Standard Language Etiquette): on when 수고하세요 is and is not appropriate.