These 59 phrases cover almost every situation a first trip to Korea throws at you. Each one is in Hangul (so you can also just show your screen), with pronunciation written the way it sounds, and a ▶ button that reads it aloud in Korean.
Pronunciation is written how it sounds, not letter by letter — Korean consonants change next to each other (감사합니다 is said “gam-sa-ham-ni-da”). Tap ▶ to hear it; audio uses your phone or computer’s Korean voice, so it needs one installed.
The basics
| English | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요 | an-nyeong-ha-se-yo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다 | gam-sa-ham-ni-da |
| Thank you (a little warmer) | 고맙습니다 | go-map-sseum-ni-da |
| Yes | 네 | ne |
| No | 아니요 | a-ni-yo |
| I’m sorry | 죄송합니다 | joe-song-ham-ni-da |
| Excuse me! (to call staff) | 저기요! | jeo-gi-yo |
| It’s okay / No thanks | 괜찮아요 | gwaen-cha-na-yo |
| Nice to meet you | 반갑습니다 | ban-gap-sseum-ni-da |
| Goodbye (you are leaving) | 안녕히 계세요 | an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo |
| Goodbye (they are leaving) | 안녕히 가세요 | an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo |
| I don’t speak Korean well | 한국어 잘 못해요 | han-gu-geo jal mo-tae-yo |
| Please speak slowly | 천천히 말해 주세요 | cheon-cheon-hi mal-hae ju-se-yo |
| One more time, please | 다시 한 번 말해 주세요 | da-si han beon mal-hae ju-se-yo |
Restaurants & cafés
| English | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| The menu, please | 메뉴판 주세요 | me-nyu-pan ju-se-yo |
| Do you have an English menu? | 영어 메뉴 있어요? | yeong-eo me-nyu i-sseo-yo? |
| This one, please | 이거 주세요 | i-geo ju-se-yo |
| Two of these, please | 이거 두 개 주세요 | i-geo du gae ju-se-yo |
| Not spicy, please | 안 맵게 해 주세요 | an maep-kke hae ju-se-yo |
| Water, please | 물 좀 주세요 | mul jom ju-se-yo |
| For here | 여기서 먹을게요 | yeo-gi-seo meo-geul-kke-yo |
| To go, please | 포장해 주세요 | po-jang-hae ju-se-yo |
| An iced americano, please | 아이스 아메리카노 주세요 | a-i-seu a-me-ri-ka-no ju-se-yo |
| Do you have vegetarian dishes? | 채식 메뉴 있어요? | chae-sing me-nyu i-sseo-yo? |
| No pork, please | 돼지고기 빼 주세요 | dwae-ji-go-gi ppae ju-se-yo |
| I’m allergic to peanuts | 땅콩 알레르기가 있어요 | ttang-kong al-le-reu-gi-ga i-sseo-yo |
| The bill, please | 계산해 주세요 | gye-san-hae ju-se-yo |
| It was delicious | 맛있었어요 | ma-si-sseo-sseo-yo |
| Cheers! | 건배! | geon-bae |
Shopping
| English | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | 이거 얼마예요? | i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo? |
| Can I pay by card? | 카드 돼요? | ka-deu dwae-yo? |
| Can I get a tax refund? | 택스 리펀드 돼요? | taek-seu ri-peon-deu dwae-yo? |
| Do you have a bigger size? | 더 큰 사이즈 있어요? | deo keun sa-i-jeu i-sseo-yo? |
| Can I try it on? | 입어 봐도 돼요? | i-beo bwa-do dwae-yo? |
| I’m just looking | 그냥 구경할게요 | geu-nyang gu-gyeong-hal-kke-yo |
| A bag, please | 봉투 주세요 | bong-tu ju-se-yo |
| A receipt, please | 영수증 주세요 | yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo |
Getting around
| English | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the subway station? | 지하철역 어디예요? | ji-ha-cheol-lyeok eo-di-ye-yo? |
| Where is the restroom? | 화장실 어디예요? | hwa-jang-sil eo-di-ye-yo? |
| Which exit is it? | 몇 번 출구예요? | myeot ppeon chul-gu-ye-yo? |
| Does this bus go to Myeongdong? | 이 버스 명동 가요? | i beo-seu myeong-dong ga-yo? |
| Please take me to this address | 이 주소로 가 주세요 | i ju-so-ro ga ju-se-yo |
| Please stop here | 여기서 세워 주세요 | yeo-gi-seo se-wo ju-se-yo |
| How long does it take? | 얼마나 걸려요? | eol-ma-na geol-lyeo-yo? |
| Top up my T-money card, please | 티머니 충전해 주세요 | ti-meo-ni chung-jeon-hae ju-se-yo |
| One ticket to Busan, please | 부산 가는 표 한 장 주세요 | bu-san ga-neun pyo han jang ju-se-yo |
At the hotel
| English | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | 예약했어요 | ye-ya-kae-sseo-yo |
| Check-in, please | 체크인해 주세요 | che-keu-in-hae ju-se-yo |
| What is the Wi-Fi password? | 와이파이 비밀번호가 뭐예요? | wa-i-pa-i bi-mil-beon-ho-ga mwo-ye-yo? |
| Can I leave my luggage here? | 짐 맡겨도 돼요? | jim mat-kkyeo-do dwae-yo? |
| What time is check-out? | 체크아웃 몇 시예요? | che-keu-a-ut myeot ssi-ye-yo? |
Help & emergencies
| English | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | 도와주세요! | do-wa-ju-se-yo |
| Please call the police | 경찰 불러 주세요 | gyeong-chal bul-leo ju-se-yo |
| Please call an ambulance | 구급차 불러 주세요 | gu-geup-cha bul-leo ju-se-yo |
| Where is a pharmacy? | 약국 어디예요? | yak-kkuk eo-di-ye-yo? |
| It hurts here | 여기가 아파요 | yeo-gi-ga a-pa-yo |
| I lost my phone | 휴대폰을 잃어버렸어요 | hyu-dae-po-neul i-reo-beo-ryeo-sseo-yo |
| I’m lost | 길을 잃었어요 | gi-reul i-reo-sseo-yo |
| Does anyone speak English? | 영어 하시는 분 있어요? | yeong-eo ha-si-neun bun i-sseo-yo? |
Numbers for prices and counting
Korean uses two sets of numbers. Prices, phone numbers and minutes use the first set; counting things and hours use the second. ₩15,000 is “man o-cheon won” (10,000 + 5,000).
| Number | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 일 | il |
| 2 | 이 | i |
| 3 | 삼 | sam |
| 4 | 사 | sa |
| 5 | 오 | o |
| 6 | 육 | yuk |
| 7 | 칠 | chil |
| 8 | 팔 | pal |
| 9 | 구 | gu |
| 10 | 십 | sip |
| 100 | 백 | baek |
| 1,000 | 천 | cheon |
| 10,000 | 만 | man |
| Counting things | Korean | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (item) | 하나 / 한 개 | ha-na / han gae |
| 2 | 둘 / 두 개 | dul / du gae |
| 3 | 셋 / 세 개 | set / se gae |
| 4 | 넷 / 네 개 | net / ne gae |
| 5 | 다섯 / 다섯 개 | da-seot / da-seot gae |
Three things that make you sound polite
End with -yo. Almost every phrase here ends in 요 (-yo) or 니다 (-ni-da): that ending is what makes it polite. Dropping it sounds rude to strangers.
주세요 (ju-se-yo) means “please give me”. Put any word in front of it — 물 주세요 (water, please), 이거 주세요 (this, please) — and you can order almost anything.
저기요 (jeo-gi-yo) is how you call staff. In Korean restaurants you usually call the server rather than wait to be noticed; it is not rude.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most useful Korean phrases for travelers?
Hello (안녕하세요, an-nyeong-ha-se-yo), thank you (감사합니다, gam-sa-ham-ni-da), how much is this? (이거 얼마예요?, i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo?), this one please (이거 주세요, i-geo ju-se-yo), where is the restroom? (화장실 어디예요?, hwa-jang-sil eo-di-ye-yo?) and excuse me for calling staff (저기요, jeo-gi-yo).
How do you say thank you in Korean?
감사합니다 (gam-sa-ham-ni-da) is the standard polite thank you and works everywhere. 고맙습니다 (go-map-sseum-ni-da) is equally polite and a little warmer.
Do I need to learn Hangul before visiting Korea?
No. Subway signs, stations and most tourist areas are in English too, and a translation app covers menus. Knowing a handful of phrases — and being able to show the Hangul on your screen — makes taxis, small restaurants and markets much easier.
Why is the pronunciation different from the spelling?
Korean sounds change where letters meet: 감사합니다 is spelled gamsa-hapnida but said gam-sa-ham-ni-da, and 괜찮아요 drops its ㅎ to become gwaen-cha-na-yo. This page writes what you actually hear.