Korean Reading Practice for Beginners: Korean Table Manners

Oct 19, 2026

You're having dinner with Korean friends, and someone older is sitting at the table. Everyone's ready to eat, but you're not sure when to start.

Should you wait? What should you say before your first bite?
Let's find out through a short Korean reading practice about Korean table manners.

💡 A Quick Tip Before You Read

Read once without stopping at every unfamiliar word. Focus on the meaning first, then read again while listening to the audio. You might be surprised by how much you understand the second time!

1. Read in Korean

Try reading the passage below. Don’t worry if you don’t understand every single word.

한국의 식사 규칙

🟢 Beginner

혹시 한국 사람이랑 밥을 먹을 거예요? 한국의 식사 규칙을 알고 있어요? 한국의 식사 규칙을 알면 좋아요.

먼저 인사를 해요. 이렇게 말해요. "잘 먹겠습니다."
어른이랑 함께 밥을 먹어요. 그럼 어른이 먼저 식사를 시작해야 돼요.
손으로 음식을 먹지 않아요. 숟가락이랑 젓가락으로 먹어야 해요.
여러분이 밥을 다 먹었어요. 그런데 아직 어른이 식사를 하고 있어요. 그럼 자리에서 일어나지 마세요. 어른이 식사를 다 했어요. 그럼 이제 일어날 수 있어요.

이것만 조심하면 돼요. 여러분의 나라에는 어떤 식사 규칙이 있어요?

2. Listen and Read Again

Now, let's hear how it sounds in Korean.

Try listening while following the text. Then listen again without reading. Did you catch anything you missed the first time?

3. Check the English Translation

How much did you understand? Let's take a look at the English version.

Korean Table Manners

Are you going to eat with a Korean person? Do you know Korean table manners? It's helpful to know them.

First, say "잘 먹겠습니다" before eating. It's a polite way to show appreciation for the meal and say you're looking forward to enjoying it.
When eating with an older person, the older person should start the meal first.
Don't eat with your hands. Use a spoon and chopsticks.
If you've finished eating but an older person is still eating, don't get up from your seat yet. Once they've finished, you can get up.

Just keep these things in mind. What dining rules do you have in your country?

These are some traditional Korean dining customs. Actual etiquette can vary depending on the people and situation.

4. Korean Expressions to Know

You just came across some useful Korean expressions in the passage. Let's take a closer look!

Korean	Meaning	From the passage
나라	Country	여러분의 나라에는
식사	A meal	식사를 시작해야 돼요.
규칙	A rule	한국의 식사 규칙
어른	An older person, an adult	어른이 먼저
숟가락 / 젓가락	Spoon / chopsticks	숟가락이랑 젓가락으로

Here's a tip: instead of memorizing each word on its own, think about where you saw it in the passage. For example, the next time you hear someone say "잘 먹겠습니다" before a meal, you'll already know what it means and when it's used.