You put one drink on the counter. The staff scans it, says something, and points past you toward the fridge.
You didn't do anything wrong. Your drink is on promotion, and you're being told to grab another one for free.
The exchange
이거 원플러스원 상품이에요 i-geo won-peul-leo-seu-won sang-pum-i-e-yo "This is a 1+1 item"
원플러스원 is just "one plus one" said in Korean. On price tags it's written 1+1, and it means buy one, get one free.
To check, you can ask:
아 행사 상품이에요? a haeng-sa sang-pum-i-e-yo? "Oh, it's on promotion?"
행사 (haeng-sa) means "event" or "promotion." You'll see it on signs all over the store.
Then the staff tells you what to do:
네, 진열대에서 하나 더 가져오시면 돼요 ne, jin-yeol-dae-e-seo ha-na deo ga-jyeo-o-si-myeon dwae-yo "Yes, just grab one more from the shelf"
Words to know
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 원플러스원 (1+1) | won-peul-leo-seu-won | Buy one, get one free |
| 투플러스원 (2+1) | tu-peul-leo-seu-won | Buy two, get one free |
| 행사 상품 | haeng-sa sang-pum | Promotional item |
| 진열대 | jin-yeol-dae | Shelf, display |
| 하나 더 | ha-na deo | One more |
| 공짜 | gong-jja | Free |
1+1 vs 2+1
This is where most people get confused.
1+1 — bring two, pay for one.
2+1 — bring three, pay for two.
If a 2+1 item is on the counter and you only brought two, the staff will say 하나 더 가져오세요 — "bring one more." The third one is the free one.
Can you mix flavors?
Often, yes. Items in the same promotion usually share a price and a tag, and you can combine different flavors or even different products from that group.
If you're not sure, ask:
다른 맛도 돼요? da-reun mat-do dwae-yo? "Can I get a different flavor?"
The answer is usually 네, 돼요 — "Yes, that works."
Don't want the extra one?
괜찮아요 — gwaen-chan-a-yo — "No thanks"
You'll pay the same price either way, so it only makes sense if you really can't carry it. Some chains' apps let you save the free item and pick it up later, but that needs a Korean membership account.
How to spot promotions
Look for colored tags on the shelf edge marked 1+1, 2+1, or 증정 (jeung-jeong, "free gift attached").
Promotions change every month, so the drink that was 1+1 last week might be full price today. The tag on the shelf is always the most current.
What to actually do
- Look for 1+1 or 2+1 tags on the shelf
- Grab the right number — two for 1+1, three for 2+1
- If you forget, the staff will say 하나 더 가져오세요
- Ask 다른 맛도 돼요? if you want to mix
- Say 괜찮아요 only if you truly don't want the free one
Korean convenience stores run these deals on almost every drink aisle. Once you notice the tags, you'll start buying in pairs.
The whole exchange takes ten seconds and saves you the price of a drink. K-PATTO teaches 300+ phrases like these through a webtoon story set in Seoul, with native audio on every line. The first ten episodes are free.