How these phrases were chosen
What a traveler needs is not grammar but a few sentences ready to use. This guide sticks to polite phrases that are safe with strangers and shop staff. Korean polite speech ends in -yo or -nida, and the -yo style is softer and more everyday, so it is the most useful on a trip. Memorize whole sentences, then practice swapping in different nouns and you will be able to adapt them quickly. The romanizations below follow the official Korean system; most people will understand you even if your pronunciation is not perfect, so say them with confidence.
Greetings and replies
You can use the same greeting all day. Unlike Japanese or English, Korean does not have separate greetings for morning, afternoon and evening. There are two ways to say thank you, and both are polite. Simply saying annyeonghaseyo when you walk into a shop and gamsahamnida when you leave makes a big difference to the impression you give.
- annyeonghaseyo: hello, used at any time of day
- gamsahamnida / gomapseumnida: thank you, both polite
- joesonghamnida: I'm sorry, also when you bump into someone
- ne / aniyo: yes / no
- gwaenchanayo: it's okay; also a polite "no thanks"
At a restaurant
If the menu is hard to read, point at the menu or a photo and say igeo juseyo. To give a number, put hana, dul and so on after the dish name and finish with juseyo. If you are worried about spicy food, mention it when ordering.
- igeo juseyo: this one, please (while pointing)
- bibimbap hana juseyo: dish name + number + juseyo
- deol maepge hae juseyo: please make it less spicy
- pojanghae juseyo: to go, please
- gyesanhae juseyo: the bill, please
In shops and paying
To ask the price, say eolmayeyo. The answer will be a number, and if it is hard to catch, the surest approach is to ask them to show it on a calculator or phone screen. Card payment is widespread, but at small shops it is easier for everyone if you ask first.
- eolmayeyo?: how much is it?
- kadeu dwaeyo?: can I pay by card?
- igeollo halgeyo: I'll take this one
- yeongsujeung juseyo: a receipt, please
Directions and transport
Eodiyeyo is handy because you just put it after a place name. In a taxi, rather than explaining, show the destination address on your screen and say yeogiro ga juseyo. When you want to get out, say yeogiseo naeryeo juseyo.
- hwajangsil eodiyeyo?: where is the restroom?
- Seoul-yeok eodiyeyo?: place name + eodiyeyo (where is Seoul Station?)
- yeogiro ga juseyo: please go here (showing the address)
- yeogiseo naeryeo juseyo: please let me off here
Two sets of numbers
Korean has two ways of counting, and this is what confuses travelers most. Native Korean numbers, hana, dul, set, are used for counting objects and people and for saying the hour. Sino-Korean numbers, il, i, sam, are used for prices, minutes, phone numbers and floors. So a time like ten past three, se si sip bun, mixes both in one phrase. Native hana, dul, set and net shorten to han, du, se and ne before a counter word. Large amounts are grouped in units of ten thousand, man, so keep that in mind too.
- Native: hana dul set net daseot, for counts, people and hours
- Sino-Korean: il i sam sa o, for prices, minutes, phone numbers and floors
- Examples: du gae (two items), se myeong (three people), ne si (four o'clock) / ocheon won, sip bun, sam cheung
When you need help
If the reply comes back fast and you miss it, asking again is not rude at all. In an emergency, call 112 for police or 119 for fire and ambulance, and say dowajuseyo loudly to people nearby.
- dowajuseyo: please help me
- hangugeo jal motaeyo: I don't speak Korean well
- cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo: please speak slowly
- dasi hanbeon malhae juseyo: please say that once more
Tips for when words fail you
If a prepared sentence will not come, just adding juseyo to the name of a thing gets your meaning across most of the time. Save your lodging address, the places you want to go and the dishes you want to try in Korean script on your phone, and show the screen so pronunciation is not an issue. When using a translation app, type short, simple sentences for more accurate results. Above all, starting with annyeonghaseyo and ending with gamsahamnida makes even halting Korean feel much warmer.
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