Korean Phrases Basic Sentences for Solo Travel and Daily life!
In this article, we will share to you Basic Korean language, (Korean phrases basic) sentences for solo travel and daily life in korea.
Here’s the comprehensive list of basic Korean phrases that you’ll need to join in on the fun and converse in Korean. This is the up-to-date modern version of how Koreans actually talk, so it will be useful if you want to learn how to speak Korean.
To get you started, here are some basic phrases you can use to speak Korean:
- Yes – 네 (ne)
- No – 아니오 (a-ni-yo)
- Hello – 안녕하세요 (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo)
- Thank you – 고맙습니다 (go-map-seum-ni-da)
- You’re welcome – 천만에요 (cheon-man-e-yo)
- Excuse me – 실례합니다 (sill-ye-ham-ni-da)
- Ok – 괜찮아요 (gwaen-chan-a-yo)
- I don’t know – 몰라요 (mollayo)
- Sorry – 미안합니다 (mi-an-ham-ni-da)
- Goodbye – 안녕히 가세요 (an-nyeon-ghi ga-se-yo)
We highly recommend you learn first the Korean alphabet (Hangeul) ASAP, it’s only take about few hour to learn it. It’s an essential first step to improve your Korean language skills. It’ll help you speak Korean and correctly pronounce the basic Korean phrases you’ll find below.
Korean Phrases Basic
Need the bare minimum sentences for simple conversation? These are the basic Korean phrases you’ll want to get down to make sure your time in Korea is smooth sailing!
You might notice that there are a few ways of saying some of the basic Korean phrases, such as “excuse me”, “thank you,” and “goodbye”. In English, these phrases are much more multi-purpose. In Korean, there are specific phrases that you’ll use for certain situations. It’s important to know when to use these basic Korean phrases especially when you’re in South Korea. The different situations make learning the Korean language fun and interesting.
Click on the word in Hangul to hear the pronunciation of the basic Korean phrases. To learn more about the phrases in detail, click on the English equivalent of the phrase.
| Thank You | 고맙습니다 | gomapseumnida |
| Don’t mention it | 천만에요 | cheonmaneyo |
| Sorry | 미안합니다 | mianhamnida |
| That’s OK | 괜찮아요 | gwaenchanayo |
| Hello | 안녕하세요? | annyeonghaseyo? |
| Excuse me (to get attention) | 저기요 | jeogiyo |
| Excuse me (to apologize) | 실례합니다 | sillyehamnida |
| Excuse me (to pass someone) | 잠시만요 | jamsimanyo |
| Hello (on phone) | 여보세요 | yeoboseyo |
| Take me to the hospital (to taxi) | 병원에 가주세요 | byeongwone gajuseyo |
| I need a doctor | 의사가 필요해요 | uisaga piryohaeyo |
| Sleep well | 잘 자요 | jal jayo |
| Sweet dreams | 좋은 꿈 꿔요 | joeun kkum kkwoyo |
| Goodbye (to person leaving) | 안녕히 가세요 | annyeonghi gaseyo |
| Goodbye (to person staying) | 안녕히 계세요 | annyeonghi gyeseyo |
| Get home safely | 잘 가요 | jal gayo |
| Have a nice day | 좋은 하루 보내세요 | joeun haru bonaeseyo |
| Have a good trip! | 여행 잘하세요 | yeohaeng jalhaseyo |
| Welcome | 환영합니다 | hwanyeonghamnida |
| Yes | 네 | ne |
| No | 아니요 | aniyo |
| Maybe | 아마도 | amado |
| Just a moment! | 잠깐만요! | jamkkanmanyo! |
| I feel sick | 아파요 | apayo |
Daily Korean Phrases
As you continue with your Korean learning, focus on these daily life Korean phrases that you will definitely use on a daily basis. You will use them when you meet friends or speak to the staff at the local market. This kind of korean phrases will really help you to practice and improve your korean language skills.
| Where is the bathroom? | 화장실은 어디에 있어요? | hwajangsireun eodie isseoyo? |
| Please repeat that | 다시 말해 주세요 | dasi malhae juseyo |
| Please speak slowly | 천천히 말해 주세요 | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo |
| Please write it down | 적어 주세요 | jeogeo juseyo |
| I understand | 이해해요 | ihaehaeyo |
| I don’t understand | 이해 못해요 | ihae mothaeyo |
| I don’t know | 몰라요 | mollayo |
| I know | 알아요 | arayo |
| Can you speak Korean? | 한국말을 할 수 있어요? | hangungmareul hal su isseoyo? |
| I can speak a little Korean | 한국말을조금할수있어요 | hangungmareul jogeum hal su isseoyo |
| I can’t speak Korean | 한국말을 못해요 | hangungmareul motaeyo |
| Don’t worry! | 걱정 하지 마세요! | geokjeong haji maseyo! |
| How much is this? | 이거 얼마예요? | igeo eolmayeyo? |
| I’ll be right back! | 금방 갔다 올거예요! | geumbang gatda olgeoyeyo! |
| What is this? | 이게 뭐예요 | ige mwoyeyo |
| So-so | 그저 그래요 | geujeo geuraeyo |
| Bad | 안 좋아요 | an joayo |
| Good | 좋아요 | joayo |
Food Korean Phrases
You can’t travel to another country and not try the delicious local foods. Ordering food in a Korean restaurant can vary from being really easy to a real challenge. Some restaurants will have picture menus and English translations, while others may all be entirely in Korean.
Lots of restaurants in Seoul will have picture menus or pictures on the wall. The easiest way to order is to point to the picture or something you see plus the word ‘ju-se-yo‘ which means please. This simple Korean phrase will help you get what you want most of the time. It really is one of the most versatile of all these essential Korean phrases.
When you first enter the restaurant, usually the staff will ask you how many people are in your group. You can use the first phrase below ask if they have a table for 4. The staff will likely speak to you in honorific language, but you can reply in standard everyday Korean.
| Do you have an English menu? | 영어메뉴가 있나요? | yongeo menyuka issnayo? |
| Please give me a menu | 메뉴판 주세요 | menyupan juseyo |
| Do you have vegetarian dishes? | 채식주의자용 식사 있어요? | chaesikjuuijayong siksa isseoyo? |
| Is this spicy? | 이거 매워요? | igeo maewoyo? |
| Please do not make this spicy | 맵지 않게 요리해 주세요 | maepji anke yorihae juseyo |
| Please give me 4 orders of galbi | 갈비 사인분 주세요 | galbi sainbun juseyo |
| Please give me 1 bottle of soju | 소주 한병 주세요 | soju hanbyeong juseyo |
| Please give me 3 glasses | 유리잔 세개 주세요 | yurijan segae juseyo |
| It’s delicious! | 맛있어요! | masisseoyo! |
| I don’t like it | 맛없어요 | maseopseoyo |
| It was a delicious meal! | 잘 먹었습니다! | jal meogeotseumnida! |
| What time do you close? | 몇시에 문 닫아요? | myeotsie mun dadayo? |
| Do you take credit cards? | 카드 돼요? | kadeu dwaeyo? |
Drinks Korean Phrases
If you’ve been to Seoul before, then you know you can go more than a few minutes in each direction without running into a cafe. Korea has a massive coffee-drinking culture, and it’s continuing to spread all over south korea. so make sure you learn these essential basic korean phrases that will help you to order your desired drinks while you travel south korea.
| Please give me 1 hot coffee | 따뜻한 아메리카노 한잔 주세요 | ttatteutan amerikano hanjan juseyo |
| Please give me 2 ice coffees | 아이스 아메리카노 두잔 주세요 | aiseu amerikano dujan juseyo |
| Do you have non-caffeinated drinks? | 카페인 없는 음료 있어요? | kapein eomneun eumnyo isseoyo? |
| Where are your electrical outlets? | 콘센트 어디에 있어요? | konsenteu eodie isseoyo? |
| I’d like this to go (drink only) | 테이크 아웃이에요 | teikeu ausieyo |
| Do you have electrical outlets? | 콘센트 있어요? | konsenteu isseoyo? |
| Please throw away my receipt | 영수증은 버려 주세요 | yeongsujeungeun beoryeo juseyo |
| Do you have wifi here? | 와이파이 있어요? | waipai isseoyo? |
| What is the wifi password? | 비밀 번호 알려 주세요 | bimil beonho allyeo juseyo |
Travel Korean Phrases to getting around
Travelling in Korea is a lot easier than you might think. Almost all of the signs at the airport, train stations, in subways, and on buses, are in English. They’re also in Chinese and Japanese most of the time.
Korea is a very modern country when it comes to transport and there are a lot of different transport options. These useful phrases will help you to avoid getting lost and, if you do, help you find your way around.
Whether you’re in the big city or quiet countryside, use these Korean phrases to ask the locals where something is.
Start things off with a simple “잠시만요”, and then get to chat in the local language!
| Excuse me (asking for help politely) | 실례합니다 | sillyehamnida |
| Excuse me (asking for help) | 저기요 | jeogiyo |
| I’m lost | 길을 잃어버렸어요 | gireul ireobeoryeosseoyo |
| Do you know where Apgujeong station is? | 압구정역 어디인지 아세요? | apgujeongyeok eodiinji aseyo? |
| How far is it from here? | 여기에서 얼마나 걸리는지 아세요? | yeogieseo eolmana geollineunji aseyo? |
| Is it far from here? | 여기에서 멀어요? | yeogieseo meoreoyo? |
| It’s quite far | 꽤 멀어요 | kkwae meoreoyo |
| It’s not far | 멀지 않아요 | meolji anayo |
| It’s close | 가까워요 | gakkawoyo |
| It’s not within walking distance | 걸어갈 만한 거리가 아니예요 | georeogal manhan georiga aniyeyo |
| It’s about 1 kilometer from here | 여기에서 1킬로정도 멀어요 | yeogieseo ilkillojeongdo meoreoyo |
| Can you show me on the map? | 지도로 보여 주시겠어요? | jidoro boyeo jusigesseoyo? |
| I’m sorry, I’m not from around here | 미안하지만 저는 이 근처 사람이 아니예요 | mianhajiman jeoneun i geuncheo sarami aniyeyo |
| It’s that way | 그 쪽으로 가세요 | geu jjogeuro gaseyo |
| Go left | 왼쪽 가세요 | oenjjok gaseyo |
| Go right | 오른쪽에 가세요 | oreunjjoge gaseyo |
| Go straight | 쭉 가세요 | jjuk gaseyo |
Transportation Korean Phrases
The Korean bus system is one of the best systems in the world.
The buses are fast, clean, and on time. This goes for the smaller local buses (마을 버스), the regular city buses, and even the express buses (고속 버스).
At many bus stops in Seoul, there is a digital display that shows which buses are coming and what time they will arrive. It’s very accurate!
| Please stop the bus here | 여기서 세워 주세요 | yeogiseo sewo juseyo |
| Please open the bus door | 버스 문 열어 주세요 | beoseu mun yeoreo juseyo |
| What time is the last bus? | 마지막 버스 언제예요? | majimak beoseu eonjeyeyo? |
| How much is the bus fare? | 버스 요금 얼마예요? | beoseu yogeum eolmayeyo? |
| Where can I charge my bus card? | 버스 카드 어디에서 충전할 수 있어요? | beoseu kadeu eodieseo chungjeonhal su isseoyo? |
| How much is a bus ticket to Seoul? | 서울에 가는 버스 표가 얼마예요? | seoure ganeun beoseu pyoga eolmayeyo? |
| One ticket to Gangneung, please | 강릉에 가는 표 한 장 주세요 | gangneunge ganeun pyo han jang juseyo |
| Where does this bus go? | 이 버스는 어디로 가요? | i beoseuneun eodiro gayo? |
| Where is the bus to Jinju? | 진주에 가는 버스는 어디에 있어요? | jinjue ganeun beoseuneun eodie isseoyo? |
| Are there tickets available for the 3pm bus to Geo Je Island? | 3시에 거제도 가는 버스 자리 있어요? | sesie geojedo ganeun beoseu jari isseoyo? |
| Does this bus stop in Incheon International Airport? | 이 버스는 인천국제공항에 서요? | i beoseuneun incheongukjegonghange seoyo? |
| When does the bus for Sokcho leave? | 속초에 가는 버스는 언제 출발해요? | sokchoe ganeun beoseuneun eonje chulbalhaeyo? |
| When does bus number 605 arrive? | 605번 버스는 언제 도착해요? | yukbaegobeon beoseuneun eonje dochakaeyo? |
| When will this bus arrive in the Namsan Tower? | 이 버스는 남산타워에 언제 도착해요 | i beoseuneun namsantawoe eonje dochakaeyo? |
Let’s talk more about some of the key Korean words that you’ll see above to help expand your vocabulary. Knowing certain parts of the sentence can really help you making your own sentences.
____ 어디예요? (____ eo-di-ye-yo?) means ‘where is ____? ‘ and can be used for all sorts of questions and is very helpful not only for transportation, but also shopping and when you need the bathroom.
Want to know how to get to certain place? Point to a picture of it and ask eo-di-ye-yo? they will tell you where and how to go to that place and hopefully you can at least understand their words.
____ 가주세요 (____ ka-ju-se-yo) which is used to ask someone to ‘take you somewhere’. You probably recognise ‘ju-se-yo‘, which features in a lot of these phrases and means ‘please’. The ‘ka’ part of this phrase is from ‘ka-da‘, the verb for ‘to go’.
You can use ka-ju-se-yo whenever you want to go somewhere. Especially in private Taxy, you can just enter in and tell the driver ‘Singil-yeok (Singil Station) ka-ju-se-yo‘ and they’ll take you straight there.
Shopping Korean Phrases
If you’re out in Dongadaemun, Garosul-gil, or Myeongdong, you are definitely going to need some Korean phrases to help you shop!
The Korean language has it’s own specialized vocabulary terms when it comes to shopping, so make sure you know these sentences before you head out for the next shopping spree. For example, did you know that some Korean credit cards give you the choice of paying for your purchase over one month or multiple month installments? The installment plans have interest fees, so plan accordingly! Be ready for this question, since some stores will ask you if you want your purchase to be put through as 일시불 (ilsibul).
| Throw away the receipt | 영수증은 버려 주세요 | yeongsujeungeun beoryeo juseyo |
| Please give me a receipt | 영수증 주세요 | yeongsujeung juseyo |
| Put it in a bag | 봉투에 넣어 주세요 | bongtue neoeo juseyo |
| Please give me a discount | 좀 깎아 주세요 | jom kkakka juseyo |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요? | eolmayeyo? |
| Please give me coffee | 커피 주세요 | keopi juseyo |
| Do you have wallet? | 지갑 있어요? | jigap isseoyo? |
| Can I pay with credit card? | 카드 돼요? | kadeu dwaeyo? |
| Please give me a refund | 환불해 주세요 | hwanbulhae juseyo |
| Please exchange this | 교환해 주세요 | gyohwanhae juseyo |
| Please wrap it for me | 포장해 주세요 | pojanghae juseyo |
| One-time payment | 일시불 | ilsibul |
| 3 month installments | 3개월 할부 | samgaewol halbu |
Let’s talk more about some of the key Korean words that you’ll see above to help expand your vocabulary. Knowing certain parts of the sentence can really help you making your own sentences.
얼마예요 (eol-ma-ye-yo) means ‘how much‘ and is another one of those essential Korean words you can use for ordering food, shopping, and so much more. Want to haggle for a new bag in the market? Just point the bag you want plus ol-ma-ye-yo? Want to know the cost of a train to certain city, example gwangju, just say gwangju plus ol-ma-ye-yo? It’s short and an easy Korean word to remember.
싸요! (ssa-yo!) and 비싸요! (bi-ssa-yo!) which mean ‘cheap’ and ‘expensive’. You can use these all the time in the traditional markets when you want to haggle. The market vendor usually will start to haggle and lower the price.
Emergency Korean Phrases
Korea is a very safe country, so hopefully you will have a safe and pleasant time here. However, emergencies do happen, and it’s always good to know a few key phrases to help make sure that you navigate through them smoothly!
There are separate numbers for the different emergency services in Korea. Dial 112 to contact the police and 119 for fire and medical emergencies.
Below are some important emergency Korean phrases. Learn them so you have them ready in case of an emergency. You will thank yourself later!
| This is an emergency | 아주 급해요 | aju geupaeyo |
| Where is the nearest police station? | 제일 가까운 경찰서가 어디예요? | jeil gakkaun gyeongchalseoga eodiyeyo |
| Where is the closest hospital? | 가장 가까운 병원이 어디예요? | gajang gakkaun byeongwoni eodiyeyo |
| Please call an ambulance | 구급차를 불러 주세요 | gugeupchareul bulleo juseyo |
| Please take me to the hospital | 병원에 데려가 주세요 | byeongwone deryeoga juseyo |
| Please help me | 도와주세요 | dowajuseyo |
| Please call the US Embassy immediately | 즉시 미국 대사관으로 전화해 주세요 | jeuksi miguk daesagwaneuro jeonhwahae juseyo |
| Where can I get help? | 어디에서 도움을 구할 수 있어요? | eodieseo doumeul guhal su isseoyo? |
| I am a diabetic | 저는 당뇨가 있어요 | jeoneun dangnyoga isseoyo |
| I am allergic to cucumber | 오이에 알레르기가 있어요 | oie allereugiga isseoyo |
Let’s talk more about some of the key Korean words that you’ll see above to help expand your vocabulary. Knowing certain parts of the sentence can really help you making your own sentences.
도와주세요 (do-wa-ju-se-yo) means to ‘please help me’ and isn’t just used in emergencies. If you have some heavy burden or task and you need someone to help carrying it down the stairs, you can say ‘do-wa-ju-seh-yo‘ (in a calm voice). Some kind Korean person will surely help out after hearing this basic Korean word.
의사 (wi-sa) means ‘doctor’ in Korean. This doctor will treat general medical conditions.
How was your Korean language study process? Do you like to learn korean language? do you plan to travel south korea? Comment below!
