Korean 한국어
Survival Korean phrases
The short answer
This page collects essential Korean phrases for travel and daily life, grouped by situation, with Hangul and Revised Romanization. Polite forms ending in -요 come first, since they fit most situations.
How to use the phrase pages
Each phrase page covers one situation, such as checking in at a hotel, with the phrases in the order you are likely to need them. Kungfucius suggests working through a page in three passes.
- Listen first. Play the audio before you look at the romanisation. Korean spelling and pronunciation part ways in predictable places, and your ear should meet the real sound first.
- Read the Hangul. The romanisation is a crutch for the first few days. Hangul takes an afternoon or two to learn and makes every phrase page easier.
- Say it aloud, then swap one word. A phrase you can change is worth ten you can only recite. The phrase generator is built for this.
Do not try to memorise a whole page before a trip. Take five phrases, use them on real people, and come back for the next five.
The first survival phrases
These are the phrases Kungfucius would learn before any others. All are in polite forms that are safe with strangers.
| Hangul | Revised Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | Hello |
| 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | Thank you |
| 죄송합니다 | joesonghamnida | I am sorry |
| 저기요 | jeogiyo | Excuse me (to get someone's attention) |
| 네 | ne | Yes |
| 아니요 | aniyo | No |
| 이거 주세요 | igeo juseyo | This one, please |
| 얼마예요? | eolmayeyo? | How much is it? |
| 화장실이 어디예요? | hwajangsiri eodiyeyo? | Where is the toilet? |
| 영어 할 수 있어요? | yeongeo hal su isseoyo? | Can you speak English? |
| 모르겠어요 | moreugesseoyo | I do not understand, I do not know |
| 천천히 말해 주세요 | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo | Please speak slowly |
| 괜찮아요 | gwaenchanayo | It is fine, no thank you |
| 계산해 주세요 | gyesanhae juseyo | The bill, please |
| 도와주세요 | dowajuseyo | Please help me |
| 안녕히 계세요 | annyeonghi gyeseyo | Goodbye (you are leaving, they stay) |
| 안녕히 가세요 | annyeonghi gaseyo | Goodbye (they are leaving) |
Two of these do more work than the rest. 저기요 (jeogiyo) calls a waiter, stops a passer-by and opens almost any request. 주세요 (juseyo), "please give me", turns any noun you can point at into an order.
Speech levels: learn the 요 form first
Korean marks politeness on the end of the verb, and the same sentence exists in several versions. Three matter at the beginning.
| Level | Example: "thank you" | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| Polite, the 요 form | 고마워요 (gomawoyo) | Everyday speech with strangers, staff, colleagues and anyone older |
| Formal, ending in ㅂ니다 | 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) | Announcements, news, service staff, set courtesies |
| Casual, 반말 (banmal) | 고마워 (gomawo) | Close friends of your age, children, and most drama dialogue |
Learn the 요 form first. It is polite enough for nearly every situation a visitor meets, and it is simple to build, since removing the 요 usually leaves the casual form. A few fixed courtesies, such as 감사합니다 and 죄송합니다, are normally said in the formal style, which is why they appear that way in the table above.
The mistake to avoid is copying casual speech from dramas and using it on a shopkeeper. It comes across as rude, however good the accent. Kungfucius has observed that Koreans forgive foreigners almost any grammar, and remember the dropped 요.
What to do next
Learn Hangul, pick the situation you will meet first, and practise its phrases aloud with the audio. For structured lessons that build on these forms, see Talk To Me In Korean.