Essential Korean phrases for travelers: simple greetings, numbers, and useful expressions that make ordering food, navigating, and getting around so much easier.
You don't need to be fluent in Korean to have a great trip — most young Koreans in Seoul speak at least some English, and signage is often bilingual. But knowing a handful of key phrases goes a long way, both practically and in showing a bit of respect for the culture. Here's your starter pack.
Greetings and Basic Manners
These are the phrases you'll use constantly, often multiple times a day.
- Annyeonghaseyo (안녕하세요) — Hello, a safe greeting in almost any situation
- Gamsahamnida (감사합니다) — Thank you, the more formal and widely used version
- Joesonghamnida (죄송합니다) — I'm sorry, useful for bumping into someone or asking for help
- Ne (네) and Aniyo (아니요) — Yes and no, the absolute basics
Pairing these with a small bow, which we touched on in our Korean etiquette guide, makes a noticeably better impression.
Ordering Food and Dining Out
Restaurants and street food stalls are where these phrases come in handy most.
- Ju-seyo (주세요) — Please give me [this], useful attached to any menu item you point at
- Yeogiyo (여기요) — Excuse me, used to get a server's attention (very common in Korea, not rude at all)
- Maepda (맵다) — Spicy, helpful if you want to ask "is this spicy?" (Ie maeulkkayo?)
- Gyesanhaejuseyo (계산해주세요) — Check, please
If you're planning a street food crawl, just pointing and saying "ju-seyo" will get you very far even with zero other Korean.
Getting Around
A few transit-related phrases can smooth out any confusion on the subway or in a taxi.
- Eodieyo? (어디예요?) — Where is it?
- Yeogi-ro gajuseyo (여기로 가주세요) — Please take me here (useful with a taxi driver, pointing at your phone map)
- Hwajangsil eodi-eyo? (화장실 어디예요?) — Where is the bathroom?
- Yeok (역) — Station, a useful word to recognize on subway signage
Most of this pairs naturally with what we covered in our Seoul subway guide — between signage and a translation app, you really don't need much more than these basics.
Shopping and Numbers
Numbers come up constantly, whether you're checking prices or ordering quantities.
- Eolmayeyo? (얼마예요?) — How much is it?
- Hana, dul, set (하나, 둘, 셋) — One, two, three (the native Korean counting system, used for items and age)
- Kkakka-juseyo (깎아주세요) — Please give me a discount (works sometimes at traditional markets, not at chain stores)
- Kadeu doeyo? (카드 되요?) — Does this accept card?
Emergency and Useful Extras
Hopefully you won't need these, but they're worth knowing just in case.
- Dowajuseyo (도와주세요) — Help me / Please help
- Byeongwon eodi-eyo? (병원 어디예요?) — Where is the hospital?
- Yeongeo hasil su isseoyo? (영어 하실 수 있어요?) — Can you speak English?
- Cheonmaneyo (천만에요) — You're welcome
A Few Tips for Using These Phrases
Small things that make a bigger difference than you'd expect:
- Don't worry about perfect pronunciation — locals appreciate the effort, mistakes and all
- Google Translate's conversation mode works well for anything beyond these basics
- Adding "-yo" to the end of words generally makes them more polite, a handy shortcut if you're unsure
- Pointing plus a simple phrase almost always works, even if your sentence isn't perfectly formed
Final Thoughts
You don't need years of study to get by in Korea — these handful of phrases cover most everyday situations travelers run into, from ordering food to asking for directions. Locals are generally patient and appreciative when visitors make an effort, even a small one. Keep this list handy on your phone, and you'll find navigating daily life in Korea a lot smoother than you expected.
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