You have chosen what to eat, but the cashier asks whether you are staying. A short phrase can settle that question before the food is prepared: 포장해 주세요 — “Please pack it to go.”
This guide focuses on takeaway food and collection at the counter. The Korean dialogue examples are original editorial translations, not quotations from a restaurant or promises about a particular shop’s policy. The national Korean-English learners’ dictionary is a useful language reference when you need to explore unfamiliar words.[1]
Quick answer
Say 포장해 주세요 (pojanghae juseyo) for “Please pack it to go.” Ask 포장되나요? (pojang doenayo?) when you first need to know whether takeaway is available. If ordering in an app, check whether you selected pickup rather than delivery, and confirm the branch before paying.
Recognize the choice the counter is asking about
The main distinction is where the food will be eaten or collected. Keep the request short enough that staff can answer it before you add questions about utensils, sauce or separate bags.
| Korean label or phrase | Meaning in this ordering context | Your next check |
|---|---|---|
| 포장 | Takeout / packing to go | Is this item available for takeaway? |
| 방문포장 | Pickup at the shop | Which branch and collection time? |
| 픽업 | Pickup | What order reference should you show? |
| 배달 | Delivery | Is food being sent to an address instead? |
| 매장 / 매장 식사 | In-store / eating here | Are you choosing a dine-in order? |
Context still matters. Read the label beside the selected option, not just a familiar word elsewhere on the screen. Baemin’s official app description, for example, identifies Pickup as ordering ahead for self-collection; that is distinct from sending a rider to an address.[2]
If you are standing in the restaurant, point to the item and make the takeout request before payment. When the menu translation is awkward, combining a clear item choice with a short request is better than a long improvised sentence.
Use a short counter conversation for one item
Here is an original example for one roll of gimbap:
Staff: 드시고 가세요, 포장이세요?
“Will you eat here, or is it to go?”
You: 김밥 한 줄 포장해 주세요.
Gimbap han jul pojanghae juseyo.
“One roll of gimbap to go, please.”
When the food has already been selected, a shorter answer is enough:
You: 포장이요.
Pojang-iyo.
“To go, please.”
You do not need to repeat the whole order when the question is only about takeout. Conversely, saying “takeout” does not answer a question about quantity. Point to the displayed item and confirm the number separately when necessary.
For an item without a counting word you know, showing the menu selection and one finger can help communicate one order. Check the portion description rather than assuming one order means one person’s complete meal.
Read the kiosk without confusing payment and pickup
Choose the fulfillment option before confirming the basket: 포장 means takeout in this context, while 매장 or 매장 식사 points to eating on the premises. If the screen cannot be changed to a language you understand, show the takeout phrase to staff before paying.
Use this status glossary as a translation aid, not a claim that every kiosk shows the same sequence: 결제완료 means payment completed; 주문번호 is the order number; 준비 중 means preparing; 수령 means collection or receipt. A completed payment is not a ready-for-pickup notification. Keep the printed or displayed order reference until your food is handed over.
For a phone-screen phrase card, save 포장해 주세요. (pojanghae juseyo) — “To go, please.” Add 주문번호는 여기 있어요. (jumunbeonhoneun yeogi isseoyo) — “Here is my order number.” These are original editorial translations you can show at the counter; staff do not need access to your phone account.
Ask the packaging questions that matter to your meal
Make one request at a time. The following expressions are practical examples; the shop can tell you whether it can accommodate them and whether a charge applies.
| What you need | Korean to show or say | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Separate packages | 따로 포장해 주세요. | Please pack them separately. |
| Chopsticks | 젓가락도 넣어 주세요. | Please include chopsticks too. |
| No utensils | 수저는 안 주셔도 돼요. | You do not need to include utensils. |
| A waiting-time estimate | 얼마나 걸려요? | How long will it take? |
| Clarify a packaging charge | 포장비가 따로 있나요? | Is there a separate packaging charge? |
| Leftovers after dining | 남은 음식 포장해 주실 수 있나요? | Could you pack the remaining food to go? |
The leftovers question is a request, not an entitlement. It is different from ordering a fresh takeaway meal at the outset. Let staff explain what is possible for that food and container rather than assuming every restaurant handles it the same way.
If part of your group will eat inside and part will take food away, explain that before preparation: 이건 매장에서 먹고, 이건 포장해 주세요. — “We will eat this here; please pack this one to go.” Point to each item while making the distinction.
For app pickup, verify the branch twice
Check the branch on the restaurant listing before ordering, then check it again on the confirmation. Save the address and the collection instructions. A chain’s familiar logo is not evidence that the order belongs to the branch in front of you.
Read whether the screen gives a preparation estimate, a requested collection time or a ready-for-pickup status. Do not interpret all three as the same event. If you arrive before the order is ready, show the reference and ask where to wait.
Use the app’s displayed order name or reference to identify the purchase. Share only what is needed for collection. A payment security code or a login verification message is not a restaurant pickup reference.
Collect the correct package without guessing
At the counter, you can say 포장 주문 찾으러 왔어요. — “I’m here to collect a takeout order.” Then show the order reference or the name used for the order.
Compare the label or receipt with your items. If there are two bags, check whether both belong to the order before leaving. Do not pick up an unmarked package simply because it looks like the meal you chose.
Ask about any missing sauce, utensils or drinks while still at the counter. If the package is sealed, ask staff to help verify it rather than opening another customer’s bag or breaking seals on something that may not be yours.
Consider how you will carry the food and where you will eat it. Check the rules of the destination or transport you intend to use rather than assuming takeout permission at the restaurant also permits eating everywhere else.
Frequently asked questions
Is “pojang” enough to be understood?
It identifies the takeaway idea in this context. 포장해 주세요 is a fuller polite request, and 포장이요 is a short answer when staff have already asked whether you want takeout.
Does pickup mean the restaurant will deliver it?
No. For a pickup order, plan to collect it from the specified branch. Confirm the selected fulfillment option before payment instead of relying on the general name of the app.
Should I ask for packaging before or after paying?
Make the takeout request before preparation and payment when possible, so the order can be set up correctly. Ask staff how to handle a change if you decide later; do not assume it can be made without adjustment.
Need delivery to your accommodation rather than collection from the restaurant? Use the delivery-address and hotel-handover guide. The counter phrases here solve a different task.
Your next move
Save 포장해 주세요 on your phone, then add the one extra phrase you are likely to need. For app orders, check the branch and pickup status before walking to the counter.
Sources and scope notes
- National Institute of Korean Language — Korean-English Learners’ Dictionary.
- Woowa Brothers — Baemin official Google Play listing and developer replies (May 28 and September 9, 2026).
Prepared from published sources and editorial examples, not a personally tested booking, payment, device setup or venue visit. Conditions can change; check the exact product or transaction before committing. The supplied illustration is conceptual, not an official interface or evidence of a completed transaction.