30 Common Korean Phrases for Beginners
By Miracle Team ·
You don’t need fluent Korean to connect with people in Seoul — a few polite, high-frequency phrases go a remarkably long way. Koreans warmly appreciate visitors who try, and a simple annyeonghaseyo or gamsahamnida instantly changes the mood. Here are 30 essential phrases grouped by situation, each in Hangul with romanization, a rough pronunciation and the meaning. These use the friendly polite “-yo” style, which fits almost any everyday situation.
Greetings & politeness
- 안녕하세요 — Annyeonghaseyo (ahn-nyong-hah-seh-yo) — Hello
- 안녕히 가세요 — Annyeonghi gaseyo (ahn-nyong-hee gah-seh-yo) — Goodbye (to someone leaving)
- 감사합니다 — Gamsahamnida (gahm-sah-hahm-nee-dah) — Thank you
- 죄송합니다 — Joesonghamnida (jweh-song-hahm-nee-dah) — I’m sorry
- 실례합니다 — Sillyehamnida (shil-leh-hahm-nee-dah) — Excuse me
- 네 / 아니요 — Ne / Aniyo (neh / ah-nee-yo) — Yes / No
Introducing yourself
- 저는 …이에요 — Jeoneun … ieyo (jaw-neun … ee-eh-yo) — I am …
- 만나서 반갑습니다 — Mannaseo bangapseumnida (mahn-nah-saw bahn-gahp-seum-nee-dah) — Nice to meet you
- …에서 왔어요 — … eseo wasseoyo (eh-saw wah-sseo-yo) — I’m from …
When you don’t understand
- 모르겠어요 — Moreugesseoyo (mo-reu-geh-sseo-yo) — I don’t understand
- 다시 말해 주세요 — Dasi malhae juseyo (dah-shi mahl-heh joo-seh-yo) — Please say it again
- 천천히 말해 주세요 — Cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo (chon-chon-hee) — Please speak slowly
- 영어 하세요? — Yeongeo haseyo? (yong-aw hah-seh-yo) — Do you speak English?
At a restaurant or shop
- 이거 주세요 — Igeo juseyo (ee-go joo-seh-yo) — This one, please
- 얼마예요? — Eolmayeyo? (ol-mah-yeh-yo) — How much is it?
- 맛있어요 — Masisseoyo (mah-shi-sseo-yo) — It’s delicious
- 계산해 주세요 — Gyesanhae juseyo (geh-sahn-heh joo-seh-yo) — The bill, please
- 건배 — Geonbae (gon-beh) — Cheers!
Getting around
- …이 어디예요? — … i eodiyeyo? (ee aw-dee-yeh-yo) — Where is …?
- 화장실이 어디예요? — Hwajangsil-i eodiyeyo? (hwa-jang-shil-ee) — Where is the toilet?
- 역 — Yeok (yawk) — Station
- 오른쪽 / 왼쪽 / 직진 — Oreunjjok / Oenjjok / Jikjin (o-reun-jjok / wen-jjok / jik-jin) — Right / Left / Straight
- 도와주세요 — Dowajuseyo (do-wah-joo-seh-yo) — Please help me
A quick note on politeness
That little -요 (-yo) on the end of so many phrases is what makes them polite and friendly. Keep it on as a beginner and you’ll sound respectful in almost any situation — from a market stall to a taxi. Drop it only with close friends. The verb juseyo (“please give”) is your magic word: attach it to almost any noun — mul juseyo (water, please), igeo juseyo (this, please).
Take the phrases further with audio
Rough pronunciation gets you in the door, but to sound natural you need to hear each phrase from a native speaker and repeat it. Korean For Kids And Beginners teaches everyday words and phrases with crisp native audio, plus the Hangul behind them, so you move from pointing to actually speaking. New to the script? Start with learn Hangul: the Korean alphabet, or get the full roadmap in how to learn Korean for beginners.
Download Korean For Kids And Beginners free on Google Play and arrive in Korea with your first phrases ready.