Essential Korean phrases for your trip
31 phrases you will actually use in Korea — to greet, order, get around, pay and ask for help — each with Hangul, the official romanization and an easy reading.
All of them come from Dalmaji, our Korean travel app for iPhone, where every phrase also has clear audio and works offline. Leer en español.
Basics
| English | Korean | Romanization | Easy reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | an-nyong-ha-se-yo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | kam-sa-ham-ni-da |
| I'm sorry | 죄송합니다 | joesonghamnida | chwe-song-ham-ni-da |
| Excuse me | 실례합니다 | sillyehamnida | shil-lye-ham-ni-da |
| Please | 부탁해요 | butakaeyo | pu-ta-ke-yo |
| I don't understand | 이해가 안 돼요 | ihaega an dwaeyo | i-he-ga an dwe-yo |
| Do you speak English? | 영어 하세요? | yeongeo haseyo | yong-o ha-se-yo |
| Where is the bathroom? | 화장실이 어디예요? | hwajangsiri eodiyeyo | hwa-jang-shi-ri o-di-ye-yo |
Restaurants and cafés
| English | Korean | Romanization | Easy reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excuse me! (to call staff) | 저기요! | jeogiyo | cho-gi-yo |
| Two people | 두 명이에요 | du myeongieyo | tu myong-i-e-yo |
| This one, please | 이거 주세요 | igeo juseyo | i-go ju-se-yo |
| Water, please | 물 주세요 | mul juseyo | mul ju-se-yo |
| An iced americano, please | 아이스 아메리카노 주세요 | aiseu amerikano juseyo | a-i-seu a-me-ri-ka-no ju-se-yo |
| For here | 여기서 마실 거예요 | yeogiseo masil geoyeyo | yo-gi-so ma-shil kko-ye-yo |
| To go | 가지고 갈 거예요 | gajigo gal geoyeyo | ka-ji-go gal kko-ye-yo |
Taxi and metro
| English | Korean | Romanization | Easy reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| To this address, please | 이 주소로 가 주세요 | i jusoro ga juseyo | i ju-so-ro ga ju-se-yo |
| Please stop here | 여기서 세워 주세요 | yeogiseo sewo juseyo | yo-gi-so se-wo ju-se-yo |
| A T-money card, please | 티머니 카드 주세요 | timeoni kadeu juseyo | ti-mo-ni ka-deu ju-se-yo |
| Where is exit 2? | 2번 출구가 어디예요? | ibeon chulguga eodiyeyo | i-bon chul-gu-ga o-di-ye-yo |
| Where do I transfer? | 어디서 갈아타요? | eodiseo garatayo | o-di-so ga-ra-ta-yo |
Shopping and money
| English | Korean | Romanization | Easy reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | 이거 얼마예요? | igeo eolmayeyo | i-go ol-ma-ye-yo |
| Do you take cards? | 카드 돼요? | kadeu dwaeyo | ka-deu dwae-yo |
| I'll pay in cash | 현금으로 낼게요 | hyeongeumeuro naelgeyo | hyon-geu-meu-ro nael-kke-yo |
| Is there an ATM nearby? | 근처에 ATM 있어요? | geuncheoe eitiem isseoyo | keun-cho-e e-i-ti-em i-sso-yo |
Hotel
| English | Korean | Romanization | Easy reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | 예약했어요 | yeyakaesseoyo | ye-ya-kae-sso-yo |
| Can I leave my luggage here? | 짐 맡길 수 있어요? | jim matgil su isseoyo | chim mat-kkil ssu i-sso-yo |
| What's the wifi password? | 와이파이 비밀번호가 뭐예요? | waipai bimilbeonhoga mwoyeyo | wa-i-pa-i bi-mil-bon-ho-ga mwo-ye-yo |
Emergencies
| English | Korean | Romanization | Easy reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Help me! | 도와주세요! | dowajuseyo | to-wa-ju-se-yo |
| I need to go to the hospital | 병원에 가야 해요 | byeongwone gaya haeyo | pyong-wo-ne ga-ya hae-yo |
| I have an allergy | 알레르기가 있어요 | allereugiga isseoyo | al-le-reu-gi-ga i-sso-yo |
| Where is a pharmacy? | 약국이 어디예요? | yakgugi eodiyeyo | yak-kku-gi o-di-ye-yo |
Three things that make these phrases work
Stay polite. Every phrase here ends in -요 or -니다, the polite forms you use with strangers, staff and drivers. Casual Korean with someone you have just met sounds rude.
Romanization is a crutch, not the sound. The official romanization is what you see on signs and maps; the easy reading is closer to how the phrase sounds. Listening beats both, which is why each phrase in Dalmaji has audio.
Learn to read a little. Hangul has 40 letters. Knowing them turns station names, menus and signs from shapes into words — Dalmaji's free “Hangul in 30 minutes” course is built for exactly that.
Questions travellers ask
What are the most useful Korean phrases for a trip to Korea?
Start with 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo, hello), 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida, thank you), 이거 주세요 (igeo juseyo, this one, please), 이거 얼마예요? (igeo eolmayeyo, how much is this?) and 화장실이 어디예요? (hwajangsiri eodiyeyo, where is the bathroom?). With those five you can greet, order, pay and find the toilet.
Do I need to be polite when speaking Korean as a tourist?
Yes. Use the polite forms ending in -요 or -니다 with shop staff, taxi drivers and anyone you do not know. Every phrase on this page, and all 340 phrases in the Dalmaji app, are written in that polite register.
Is it worth learning to read Hangul before travelling to Korea?
Hangul is an alphabet of 40 letters, not thousands of characters, so a short course is enough to start reading signs, station names and menus. Dalmaji's “Hangul in 30 minutes” section covers the alphabet, a syllable table and a six-lesson crash course, and it is free.
All 340 phrases, with audio, offline
Dalmaji has 340 travel phrases in 13 situations, Hangul in 30 minutes, a Menu Decoder for 60 dishes and a won converter. Free to download on iPhone; Android is coming soon.