Before you leave
Essential Korean
No need to be bilingual. Enough to read signs, make yourself understood at a restaurant, and stay polite in any situation.
The alphabet: hangeul
Created in 1443 by King Sejong so that everyone could learn to read, hangeul is not a set of symbols to memorise one by one: it’s a purely phonetic alphabet, with 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels.
Each syllable is assembled into a small square block. Example: ㅎ (h) + ㅏ (a) + ㄴ (n) combine into 한 (han). Add 국 (guk, “country”) and you get 한국, Hanguk — literally “the Han country”, Korea.
Basic consonants
ㄱg / k
ㄴn
ㄷd / t
ㄹr / l
ㅁm
ㅂb / p
ㅅs
ㅇng / silent
ㅈj
ㅊch
ㅋk
ㅌt
ㅎh
Basic vowels
ㅏa
ㅑya
ㅓeo
ㅕyeo
ㅗo
ㅛyo
ㅜu
ㅠyu
ㅡeu
ㅣi
Politeness
안녕하세요
annyeonghaseyo
Hello
감사합니다
gamsahamnida
Thank you
죄송합니다
joesonghamnida
Sorry / Excuse me
네
ne
Yes
아니요
aniyo
No
괜찮아요
gwaenchanayo
No worries / It’s fine
At a restaurant
이거 주세요
igeo juseyo
That one, please (pointing)
맛있어요
masisseoyo
It’s delicious
매워요?
maewoyo?
Is it spicy?
물 좀 주세요
mul jom juseyo
Water, please
계산해 주세요
gyesanhae juseyo
The bill, please
Getting around
여기가 어디예요?
yeogiga eodiyeyo?
Where are we?
역이 어디예요?
yeogi eodiyeyo?
Where is the station?
얼마예요?
eolmayeyo?
How much is it?
화장실이 어디예요?
hwajangsiri eodiyeyo?
Where is the toilet?
여기서 내려주세요
yeogiseo naeryeojuseyo
Drop me here (taxi)
Shopping
이거 얼마예요?
igeo eolmayeyo?
How much is this?
좀 깎아 주세요
jom kkakka juseyo
A little discount, please
카드 되나요?
kadeu doenayo?
Do you take card?
다른 색 있어요?
dareun saek isseoyo?
Do you have another colour?
Emergencies
도와주세요!
dowajuseyo!
Help me!
아파요
apayo
I’m hurt / I’m sick
병원이 어디예요?
byeongwoni eodiyeyo?
Where is the hospital?
경찰을 불러주세요
gyeongchareul bulleojuseyo
Call the police
Counting (and paying)
일 / 이 / 삼
il / i / sam
1 / 2 / 3
사 / 오 / 육
sa / o / yuk
4 / 5 / 6
칠 / 팔 / 구 / 십
chil / pal / gu / sip
7 / 8 / 9 / 10
백 / 천 / 만
baek / cheon / man
100 / 1,000 / 10,000