시키다

§ Basic Meaning of 시키다

DEFINITION

To order (food/drink)

§ Using 시키다 in Daily Life

§ Where You Actually Hear This Word

• Restaurants and Cafes: This is probably the most obvious place. You'll hear staff asking, "무엇을 시키시겠어요?" (What would you like to order?) or customers saying, "저는 김치찌개 시킬게요." (I'll order Kimchi Jjigae.)
• Delivery Apps: With the popularity of food delivery in Korea, you'll see this word all over delivery apps. "배달 시키다" means 'to order delivery'.

  우리 오늘 저녁은 배달 시키자.
  Let's order delivery for dinner tonight.

• Work/School: While not directly about ordering food *for yourself*, you might hear it when people talk about ordering food for a group, like for a team lunch or a school event. "점심 도시락을 시켰어요." (We ordered lunch boxes.)
• News/Media: Less common in news headlines for its food meaning, but you might encounter it in articles discussing consumer habits or the food industry. For example, reports on how many people are ordering food online.

§ Practical Tips for Using 시키다

• When ordering, you can use the polite form "시키겠어요" or "시킬게요".
• If you're asking someone else what they want to order, you can say "뭐 시키실 거예요?" (What will you order?)

§ Don't Confuse It with Ordering People Around

The Korean verb 시키다 (sikida) primarily means 'to order (food/drink).' However, a common mistake English speakers make is using it to mean 'to order someone around' or 'to command someone.' While 시키다 can sometimes imply assigning a task, especially when followed by a task noun (e.g., 일을 시키다 - to assign work), it's not the natural choice for ordering a person to do something in the same way you'd order a pizza. If you use 시키다 when you mean to tell someone what to do, it can sound unnatural or even rude. For commanding people, verbs like 명령하다 (myeongnyeonghada - to command) or 지시하다 (jisihada - to instruct) are more appropriate, depending on the context and level of formality.

§ Using the Wrong Particles with 시키다

Another frequent error is using incorrect particles with 시키다. When you're ordering food or drinks, the object particle ~을/를 (eul/reul) is almost always used with the food item. Sometimes, beginners might try to use ~에 (e) or ~에게 (ege), which are typically for locations or people, respectively. While you might say 'I ordered *from* the restaurant' (식당에 시키다), when directly talking about the food itself, you must use ~을/를.

Hint

To order a pizza.

Hint

I ordered a drink.

§ Overusing 시키다 for All 'Ordering' Scenarios

While 시키다 is very common for ordering food, it's not used for every single 'ordering' situation you might think of in English. For example, you wouldn't use 시키다 to 'order a book online' or 'order furniture.' For those, you'd typically use verbs like 주문하다 (jumunhada - to order/place an order), especially for online shopping or purchasing items that aren't food or drink. 시키다 has a strong association with delivery or dining establishments.

• When to use 시키다: Ordering food from a restaurant, ordering drinks at a cafe, getting delivery food.
• When to use 주문하다: Ordering items online, ordering custom-made goods, placing a large commercial order.

Hint

I ordered a book online (used 주문하다, not 시키다).

§ Forgetting the Causative Aspect (Advanced)

For more advanced learners, it's worth noting that 시키다 is also a causative verb. This means it can sometimes imply 'to make someone do something' or 'to cause something to happen.' For example, 공부를 시키다 (gongbureul sikida) means 'to make someone study.' This is a more complex usage and less common for beginners, but it highlights why the verb can be confusing. However, for everyday 'ordering food,' stick to the direct meaning. Don't let the causative aspect distract you from its primary use in food contexts.