Key Facts
- 콜라 (kolla) means cola or soda.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: loanword.
- Register: neutral, used in all registers.
- Level: A1.
Cola in Korean: What Does 콜라 Mean?
콜라 means cola, and in casual use soda of the cola kind. It is the brand-neutral word for the drink. 제로 콜라 is zero-sugar cola, and 얼음 콜라 is cola with ice. For the wider category, 탄산음료 means carbonated drink, and 주스 is juice, which is not fizzy.
How Do You Pronounce 콜라?
The Revised Romanization is kolla. The ㅋ is aspirated, and the two ㄹ letters across the syllable break are read as one long, clear l, not as an r, so hold the sound a beat longer than a single l.
How Do You Use 콜라 in a Sentence?
콜라 한 잔 주세요.
Please give me a glass of cola.
Kolla han jan juseyo 한 잔 is one glass and 주세요 makes a polite request, so this is a counter-order sentence like the coffee one.
저는 콜라를 좋아해요.
I like cola.
Jeoneun kollareul joahaeyo 좋아해요 means like. 저는 sets you as the topic, and 콜라를 is the object, giving a simple statement of taste.
피자에는 콜라가 잘 어울려요.
Cola goes well with pizza.
Pijaeneun kollaga jal eoullyeoyo 피자에는 pairs the drink with pizza as the topic, 잘 means well, and 어울려요 says it matches. It is a food-pairing remark.
Which Word Combinations Are Common with 콜라?
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 콜라를 마시다 | to drink cola |
| 콜라 한 캔 | a can of cola |
| 제로 콜라 | zero-sugar cola |
| 얼음 콜라 | cola with ice |
A can is counted with 캔, so 콜라 한 캔 is the can order. 마시다 is the verb for drinking it. Add 제로 or 얼음 at the front for the zero-sugar or iced version.
What Is the Common Mistake with 콜라?
Learners see 사이다 on a menu and expect apple cider.
Wrong: 사이다 = cider.
Correct: in Korea 사이다 is a clear lemon-lime soda, while 콜라 is cola. Both are fizzy, neither is alcoholic.
How Does 콜라 Differ from Similar Words?
The soda aisle contains three nearby words.
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 콜라 |
|---|---|---|
| 사이다 | clear lemon-lime soda | Clear and lemon-lime, not cider and not brown cola. |
| 탄산음료 | carbonated drink | The umbrella term; 콜라 is one example. |
| 주스 | juice | Fruit juice, not carbonated. |
Choosing a Drink with a Meal
A customer orders cola with a takeaway meal. The employee checks whether they want regular or zero-sugar cola.
Customer
콜라 하나 주세요.
Kolla hana juseyo.
One cola, please.
Staff
일반 콜라로 드릴까요, 제로 콜라로 드릴까요?
Ilban kollaro deurilkkayo, jero kollaro deurilkkayo?
Would you like regular cola or zero-sugar cola?
Customer
제로 콜라로 주세요.
Jero kollaro juseyo.
Zero-sugar cola, please.
Staff
네. 얼음 넣어 드릴까요?
Ne. Eoreum neoeo deurilkkayo?
Okay. Would you like ice?
하나 means “one” and works when the available serving is clear from the menu. 일반 means “regular” here. The customer answers with 제로 콜라로, choosing that version. 로 marks the selection in this ordering pattern; it does not change the name of the drink.
How Do You Count Cola Servings?
콜라 한 잔 is a glass or cup of cola. 콜라 한 캔 is a can, and 콜라 한 병 is a bottle. The container matters: asking for 한 잔 in a restaurant does not specify the same thing as asking for a sealed bottle in a convenience store.
When a menu offers a single standard serving, 콜라 하나 is a natural short order. If several sizes or containers are available, add the detail you need. 두 캔 means two cans and 두 병 means two bottles. The drink word stays 콜라 while the counter changes with the container.
제로 콜라 names the zero-sugar option in everyday ordering. The word 제로 is short for the product category, so staff understand it when the options are already clear. For a specific brand or formulation, read the product label; the ordinary phrase does not identify every ingredient.
What Can You Ask about Ice and Fizz?
얼음을 넣다 means to add ice. 얼음 빼 주세요 means “please leave out the ice”, a useful request for a fountain drink poured into a cup. With a sealed can or bottle, the ice may come separately, so the request depends on how the drink is served.
김이 빠진 콜라 means flat cola. The phrase describes cola that has lost its fizz. 김이 빠지다 can refer to gas escaping in this context; it does not mean that the drink is hot or giving off visible steam. You may hear it when someone leaves an opened bottle for a while.
탄산이 세다 describes strong carbonation, and 탄산이 약하다 describes weak carbonation. These concern fizz. 단맛 means sweetness, which is a different feature: a drink can taste sweet even when it has gone flat.
Where Will You See 콜라?
At a fast-food counter or on a delivery menu, 콜라 may appear as a drink choice with a 세트, a meal set. A small extra charge or size option, if present, belongs to that particular menu. The word 콜라 alone tells you the drink type, not whether it is included in the meal.
In a convenience store, the label identifies the brand and the package shows the quantity. In conversation, the neutral word 콜라 is enough when the brand does not matter. A polite order adds 주세요, as in the existing glass-of-cola example.
Related Drink and Container Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 캔 | can | Use it when counting canned cola. |
| 병 | bottle | Use it when ordering or buying bottled drinks. |
| 컵 | cup | The physical container, including a takeaway cup. |
| 생수 | bottled drinking water | A separate drink option when you want water. |
The drinks lesson teaches the wider menu set. 콜라 names cola specifically; 탄산음료 covers the wider category of fizzy drinks, including 사이다. Knowing the category helps you understand menu headings without treating every carbonated drink as cola.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase orders a can of cola?
- What does 김이 빠진 콜라 mean?
- Does 콜라 name every kind of carbonated drink?
Show answers
- 콜라 한 캔.
- Flat cola: cola that has lost its fizz.
- No. 탄산음료 is the broader category; 콜라 is cola.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Order a Glass of Cola?
Say 콜라 한 잔 주세요.
What Does 제로 콜라 Mean?
It means zero-sugar cola. 제로 is the loanword "zero", put in front of the drink.
Is 사이다 the Same as Cider?
No. 사이다 is a clear lemon-lime soda in Korea.
How Do I Say Cola Goes Well with Pizza?
Say 피자에는 콜라가 잘 어울려요.
Where to Go Next
The drinks vocabulary list has more beverages. Juice is covered at 주스, and the full index is Korean words A to Z.