Essential Food and Cooking Vocabulary for TOPIK 1

Food and cooking are some of the most common themes in TOPIK 1 (Test of Proficiency in Korean). Whether it’s eating at home, ordering in a restaurant, or describing how food is prepared, you will meet these words in reading, listening, and writing questions. In this article, we’ll review a core set of words, practice example sentences, and check how they appear in TOPIK-style problems.

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Vocabulary Set: Food and Cooking

한국어	English Meaning
밥	rice, meal
국	soup
김치	kimchi
물	water
과일	fruit
고기	meat
요리하다	to cook
먹다	to eat
마시다	to drink
자르다	to cut
끓이다	to boil
굽다	to grill/bake

Example Sentences with Translations

저는 매일 아침 밥을 먹습니다.
→ I eat rice every morning.
점심에 뜨거운 국을 먹었습니다.
→ I ate hot soup for lunch.
한국 사람들은 김치를 자주 먹습니다.
→ Korean people often eat kimchi.
물을 많이 마셔야 합니다.
→ You should drink a lot of water.
저는 과일을 좋아합니다.
→ I like fruit.
주말에는 가족과 함께 고기를 구워 먹습니다.
→ On weekends, I grill meat with my family.
친구에게 저녁을 요리했습니다.
→ I cooked dinner for my friend.
채소를 잘라서 냄비에 넣고 끓였습니다.
→ I cut the vegetables and boiled them in a pot.

How Vocabulary Appears in Reading Questions

TOPIK 1 reading tasks often test your knowledge of food vocabulary in simple contexts.

Example Question:

저는 한국 음식을 좋아합니다. （）를 자주 먹습니다.
① 김치 ② 집 ③ 학교 ④ 시장

✅ Correct Answer: ① 김치

This question checks if you can connect “Korean food” with the right item.

How Vocabulary Appears in Listening Questions

In listening, you may hear dialogues about ordering or eating. Recognizing food words is key to understanding.

Example Question:

A: 저녁에 뭐 먹을까요?
B: 고기를 ( ) 먹읍시다.
① 끓여서 ② 구워서 ③ 자라서 ④ 마셔서

✅ Correct Answer: ② 구워서

This shows how cooking verbs are naturally linked with food nouns.

How Vocabulary Appears in Writing Questions

Writing tasks may ask you to complete a sentence with a proper cooking or eating word.

Example Question:

저는 아침마다 물을 （）.
① 먹습니다 ② 마십니다 ③ 구웁니다 ④ 자릅니다

✅ Correct Answer: ② 마십니다

This checks if you can use the correct verb with “water.”

Why These Words Matter

Food vocabulary appears in every section of TOPIK 1. Mastering these terms will help you succeed not only in the test but also in daily life in Korea. From ordering food to talking about meals with friends, these are the most useful words for beginners.

Conclusion

TOPIK 1 includes many questions about food and cooking, so practicing these words is an easy way to boost your score. Learn them in context, practice with sample questions, and your Korean will feel more natural in both the exam and real life.

👉 Keep practicing every day, and you’ll be ready for TOPIK success!