Korean at a convenience store: check the ice cup before you choose
Find the cup sizes, ask whether ice is included, and check whether the drink is a separate purchase.
You want a cold drink, but a cup labelled as an ice cup is not enough information to know exactly what you are buying. Check three things separately: cup size, ice, and the drink. These questions let you choose one large cup only after you understand what the store is offering.
Six useful lines
Customer · Say this
얼음컵 있나요?
Eoreumkeop innayo?
Do you have ice cups?
Ask whether the product is available before looking for a particular size.
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Customer · Say this
작은 컵이랑 큰 컵은 어디에 있어요?
Jageun keobirang keun keobeun eodie isseoyo?
Where are the small and large cups?
작은 and 큰 contrast small and large; this question asks where both are located.
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Customer · Say this
이 컵에 얼음도 들어 있나요?
I keobe eoreumdo deureo innayo?
Does this cup contain ice as well?
Show the particular cup. 도 adds the sense of “ice as well,” not a promise that ice is included.
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Customer · Say this
음료는 따로 사야 하는 거죠?
Eumnyoneun ttaro saya haneun geojyo?
The drink needs to be bought separately, right?
This checks your understanding. Wait for the answer rather than treating separate purchase as a confirmed fact.
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Customer · Say this
큰 컵으로 주세요.
Keun keobeuro juseyo.
I’ll have the large cup, please.
Use this after identifying which large cup you mean.
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Customer · Say this
큰 얼음컵 한 개 맞죠?
Keun eoreumkeop han gae matjyo?
That’s one large ice cup, right?
Confirm both the large size and the quantity, 한 개, one item.
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How to use the conversation
Do not combine three questions into one assumption. A large cup tells you the size, not whether it includes ice or a drink. Use 이 컵에 얼음도 들어 있나요? while pointing to the actual cup, then check the drink arrangement separately.
The ending 거죠? asks for confirmation of your understanding. 음료는 따로 사야 하는 거죠? leaves room for the clerk to correct you. The last question also confirms a concrete choice: one large ice cup. If the answer changes what is included, clarify your choice before buying.
The Latin reading is a guide, not English spelling. eo represents the single Korean vowel 어 and eu represents 으. Keep keun, “large,” distinct from jageun, “small.” In keop, “cup,” close the lips for the final consonant without adding an extra vowel. This guide does not show every sound change in connected speech.
Try it yourself
Ask a partner where the two sizes are, point to one cup and ask about ice. Then ask whether the drink is separate. The partner should choose either “separate” or “included”; explain what that reply changes about your purchase in your own language. Only then choose the large cup and confirm one item. These are practice replies, not claims about a real store. If the offer does not suit you, do not confirm the purchase; ask about another cup instead.
Check your understanding 1: The cup is large. What can you infer from its size alone?
- That a drink is included
- Only that you have identified its size
- That ice is included
Show the answer 1
Only that you have identified its size
Size does not settle either the ice question or the drink question.
Check your understanding 2: Which line checks whether the drink must be bought separately?
- 큰 컵으로 주세요.
- 작은 컵이랑 큰 컵은 어디에 있어요?
- 음료는 따로 사야 하는 거죠?
Show the answer 2
음료는 따로 사야 하는 거죠?
따로 means separately. 거죠? checks your current understanding rather than stating a verified store rule.
Check your understanding 3: What does the final line confirm?
- One large ice cup
- Two small cups
- One large drink with a guaranteed free cup
Show the answer 3
One large ice cup
큰 identifies large, 얼음컵 identifies the product, and 한 개 gives the quantity of one.
Questions you may still have
Does an ice cup include a drink?
Do not decide from the name alone. Ask 음료는 따로 사야 하는 거죠? and listen to the answer about that product in that store.
How do I distinguish an ice cup from an empty cup?
If you need ice, ask whether the cup contains it. 빈 컵 means an empty cup. Point to the product so the clerk can check the actual item.
Can I just say 큰 걸로 주세요?
That can work when the two cup sizes are already clear. If other products could be meant, saying 큰 얼음컵 makes the item more explicit.