Ten Useful Korean Phrases for Travelers (With Hangul)
Ten simple Korean phrases for greeting, ordering, paying, asking directions and explaining a diet, each with Hangul, romanization and tips you can show on your phone.
Before you start
You can travel in Korea with very little Korean, because signs in tourist areas are in English, translation apps work well, and many people in hotels and shops know some English. But a few phrases make daily life smoother and are appreciated. Each phrase below has the Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and a romanization. You can show the Hangul on your phone screen if your pronunciation is not perfect.
Korean is spoken with polite endings, and the ones below are the safe, polite forms that suit strangers, shop staff and taxi drivers. Pronunciation tip: Korean has no strong stress accent, so say each syllable evenly. Romanizations are approximate.
1. Hello: 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo)
This is the all-purpose greeting for hello, used at any time of day. Say it when you walk into a shop or restaurant, and with a slight nod. To say goodbye to someone who is staying, say 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo). If you are the one staying and the other person is leaving, you say 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo).
2. Thank you: 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida)
This is the polite way to say thank you, and you will use it all the time. A slightly more casual form is 고맙습니다 (gomapseumnida), which is also polite. Say it to the driver when you get off a bus, to the cashier, or to a staff member who helps you. No tip is expected, but a friendly thanks goes a long way.
3. Excuse me, to call staff: 저기요 (jeogiyo)
Literally this is something like over there, and it is the normal way to get a waiter's attention in a restaurant if there is no call button. It is not rude, and you can say it at a normal volume. To get past someone in a crowd or to apologize for a small bump, use 실례합니다 (sillyehamnida) for excuse me, or 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) for I am sorry.
4. Please give me this: 이거 주세요 (igeo juseyo)
When you point at a dish, an item in a shop or a drink on a menu, this is the phrase for I will take this one, please. It is very useful at street stalls and markets, where you can point and say it. You can replace igeo with the name of something: 물 주세요 (mul juseyo) for water, please. To ask for more of something, add 더 (deo) before it: 김치 더 주세요 (gimchi deo juseyo) for more kimchi, please.
5. How much is it?: 얼마예요? (eolmayeyo?)
Use it when a price is not marked. You will hear the answer in Korean numbers, so have your phone calculator or a pen ready, and ask the seller to type the number if you do not understand. Most shops show prices clearly, and haggling is uncommon except at some traditional markets.
6. Where is the restroom?: 화장실이 어디예요? (hwajangsiri eodiyeyo?)
The word for restroom is 화장실 (hwajangsil). You can also ask for any place with the same structure: 지하철역이 어디예요? (jihacheoryeogi eodiyeyo?) for where is the subway station. Show the Korean name of your destination from the map or from our place pages. Public toilets are common and usually clean in stations and malls, though paper may be outside the stall in some, so check first.
7. Is there an English menu?: 영어 메뉴 있어요? (yeongeo menyu isseoyo?)
Many restaurants have a picture menu or an English menu, and asking is free. If the answer is no, use your translator camera. Another helpful question is 카드 돼요? (kadeu dwaeyo?), meaning can I pay by card. The answer is usually yes in cities.
8. Not spicy, please: 안 맵게 해 주세요 (an maepge hae juseyo)
Use this when ordering a dish that might be spicy. Many kitchens can reduce the heat, though some dishes cannot be changed. If you like heat, say 맵게 해 주세요 (maepge hae juseyo), spicy please. The word for spicy is 매워요 (maewoyo), and you may hear it as a warning from staff.
9. I am vegetarian, and allergy phrases
To say you are vegetarian: 저는 채식주의자예요 (jeoneun chaesikjuuijayeyo). To ask for no meat: 고기 빼 주세요 (gogi ppae juseyo). For no fish or seafood broth: 해산물 빼 주세요 (haesanmul ppae juseyo). For an allergy: 저는 땅콩 알레르기가 있어요 (jeoneun ttangkong allereugiga isseoyo), meaning I have a peanut allergy, replacing ttangkong with the right word, such as 새우 (saeu, shrimp), 계란 (gyeran, egg), 우유 (uyu, milk) or 밀 (mil, wheat). Show the Hangul to the staff and watch the reaction. A broth can still contain meat even when none is visible, so ask about it. See our food guide for more.
10. Help, and taking food away
If you need help, say 도와주세요 (dowajuseyo), and for an emergency, call 119 or 112. To ask for takeout, say 포장해 주세요 (pojanghae juseyo). Before a meal, Koreans often say 잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgetseumnida), meaning I will eat well, and after a good meal you can say 맛있었어요 (masisseosseoyo), it was delicious. Staff love hearing it.
Other quick helpers
To ask for the Wi-Fi password in a cafe, say 와이파이 비밀번호가 뭐예요? (waipai bimilbeonhoga mwoyeyo?). To tell a taxi driver where to go, show the Korean name on your phone and say 여기 가 주세요 (yeogi ga juseyo), meaning please go here. Numbers are used in two systems in Korean, which is complicated, so use fingers or a calculator when you need to.
Save this page, or take screenshots of the phrases you expect to use. If a conversation gets stuck, a translation app with voice mode is a good tool, and a smile and patience do the rest.