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Essential Korean phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in korean
안녕하세요 — ahn-nyong-hah-SEH-yo — is how you say hello in Korean. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with 감사합니다 (kahm-sah-HAHM-nee-dah) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. South and North Korea — around 80 million speakers. Seoul signage is bilingual; step outside it and Hangul is on its own. Also searched as Korea, South Korea, Hangul.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요ahn-nyong-hah-SEH-yo |
| Goodbye | 안녕히 계세요ahn-nyong-hee gyeh-SEH-yoTo someone staying. If they are leaving, 안녕히 가세요 (…KAH-seh-yo). |
| Please | 주세요JOO-seh-yoLiterally "please give" — tacked onto the end of a request. |
| Thank you | 감사합니다kahm-sah-HAHM-nee-dah |
| Yes / No | 네 / 아니요neh / ah-NEE-yo |
| Excuse me / Sorry | 죄송합니다jweh-song-HAHM-nee-dah |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | 영어 하세요?yong-o HAH-seh-yo |
| I don't understand | 모르겠어요mo-reu-GEH-so-yo |
| Could you repeat that? | 다시 말해 주세요dah-shee mahl-heh JOO-seh-yo |
| Please speak slowly | 천천히 말해 주세요chon-chon-hee mahl-heh JOO-seh-yo |
| My name is… | 제 이름은 …예요jeh ee-reum-eun … YEH-yo |
| Nice to meet you | 반갑습니다bahn-gahp-SEUM-nee-dah |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | …어디예요?… O-dee-yeh-yo |
| How do I get to…? | …어떻게 가요?… o-DO-keh KAH-yo |
| Where is the toilet? | 화장실 어디예요?hwah-jahng-shil O-dee-yeh-yo |
| Left / Right | 왼쪽 / 오른쪽WEHN-jjok / o-REUN-jjok |
| Straight ahead | 직진JIK-jin |
| Is it far? | 멀어요?MO-ro-yo |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | 두 명이요doo MYONG-ee-yoLiterally "two people" — said at the door. |
| The menu, please | 메뉴 주세요MEH-nyoo JOO-seh-yo |
| I would like… | …주세요… JOO-seh-yo |
| Water, please | 물 주세요mool JOO-seh-yo |
| I am allergic to… | …알레르기가 있어요… ahl-leh-reu-gee-gah ee-SO-yo |
| The bill, please | 계산해 주세요gyeh-sahn-heh JOO-seh-yo |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | 얼마예요?OL-mah-yeh-yo |
| That's too expensive | 너무 비싸요NO-moo bee-SSAH-yo |
| Do you take cards? | 카드 되나요?KAH-deu DWEH-nah-yo |
| I am just looking | 그냥 보는 거예요geu-nyahng BO-neun go-yeh-yo |
| Do you have…? | …있어요?… ee-SO-yo |
| A receipt, please | 영수증 주세요yong-soo-jeung JOO-seh-yo |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| Help! | 도와주세요do-wah-JOO-seh-yo |
| Call the police | 경찰 불러 주세요gyong-chahl bool-lo JOO-seh-yo |
| Call an ambulance | 구급차 불러 주세요goo-geup-chah bool-lo JOO-seh-yo |
| I need a doctor | 의사가 필요해요eui-sah-gah pee-ryo-HEH-yo |
| I am lost | 길을 잃었어요gee-reul ee-RO-so-yo |
| Where is the hospital? | 병원 어디예요?byong-won O-dee-yeh-yo |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
The -요 ending is the politeness
Almost every phrase below ends in -요. It is what makes the sentence polite to a stranger. Keep it, even when you are shortening everything else.
ㅓ is between "uh" and "aw"
Written "eo" in most romanisations, which misleads everyone. 어디 (where) is closer to "aw-dee" than "ee-oh-dee". The respellings below use "o" for it.
Doubled consonants are tense, not long
ㅆ, ㅃ, ㄲ are said with a tight, sharp throat — 비싸요 (expensive) has a clipped "ssa", not a drawn-out one.
Hangul is genuinely learnable on the flight
It is an alphabet, not characters — 24 letters in neat syllable blocks, designed in the 1440s to be easy. An hour of study and you can sound out every sign and menu, which is most of the battle.
Spotted a mistake in the Korean? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Korean for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.