Korean has levels of politeness. For travel, the polite -요 style is the safest default: it is not too casual with strangers, and it is not so formal that it sounds stiff in a shop. Every phrase below uses it.
The eight phrases
안녕하세요
annyeonghaseyo
Hello
The default greeting at any time of day. It is also used to say goodbye only by the person staying. If you are leaving, say 안녕히 계세요; if the other person is leaving, 안녕히 가세요.
감사합니다
gamsahamnida
Thank you
The standard polite thank-you. 고마워요 (gomawoyo) is warmer but slightly more casual — fine with people you know.
죄송합니다
joesonghamnida
I'm sorry / excuse me
Use it when you have bumped into someone or need to interrupt. For simply getting attention, 저기요 (jeogiyo) — literally “over there” — is the natural call to a server.
이거 얼마예요?
igeo eolmayeyo?
How much is this?
이거 means “this thing”. Point at the item as you say it. 얼마 is “how much”, and -예요? turns it into a polite question.
물 주세요
mul juseyo
Water, please
주세요 means “please give me”. Put a noun in front of it and you have a request: 메뉴 주세요 (menu, please), 봉투 주세요 (a bag, please).
화장실이 어디예요?
hwajangsiri eodiyeyo?
Where is the restroom?
Written 화장실이, but pronounced closer to “hwajang-si-ri” because the final consonant carried by 실 moves into the next syllable. This linking happens constantly in Korean; it is one reason listening is harder than reading.
계산해 주세요
gyesanhae juseyo
The bill, please
Literally “please do the calculation”. In many cafés and small restaurants you pay at the counter rather than at the table, so you may hear this phrase more than you say it.
한국어 조금 해요
hangugeo jogeum haeyo
I speak a little Korean
A useful, honest sentence — and a good way to signal that you would like the conversation to continue in Korean, slowly. Swap 조금 for 잘 (jal) only when it is true.
Where the politeness lives
Korean verbs change shape depending on who you are speaking to. The -요 ending is the everyday polite form: 해요 (“I do / you do”), 가요 (“I go”), 먹어요 (“I eat”). You will hear it everywhere in Seoul — in shops, cafés, and among strangers of the same age.
The -합니다 form you see in 감사합니다 is a step more formal. It is safe in announcements, hotels, and with people much older than you. For a first trip, learning the -요 form well will take you further than half-learning both.
Do not stack phrases you have not learned. “이거 얼마예요?” is correct. Adding a random 주세요 to it produces a sentence nobody says. Learn the whole phrase as one unit first; break it apart in class.
A short café dialogue
Read it aloud, then cover the English.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 직원: 안녕하세요. 뭐 드릴까요? | Staff: Hello. What can I get you? |
| 손님: 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요. | Customer: One Americano, please. |
| 직원: 네, 잠시만 기다려 주세요. | Staff: Yes, please wait a moment. |
| 손님: 감사합니다. | Customer: Thank you. |
한 잔 means “one cup” — 한 is the native Korean number used with cups, people, and hours, while 일 is the Sino-Korean “one” used for money, dates, and minutes. Mixing those two number systems is one of the most common beginner stumbles, and one of the fastest things to fix with a tutor.
What to practise before you fly
- Say the eight phrases out loud, ten times each, without looking at the romanisation.
- Record yourself on your phone and compare the rhythm — Korean is more evenly timed than English.
- Practise one full shop exchange, including the reply you might hear.
- Learn to read the Hangul in each phrase. It takes an afternoon: start here.
If you want your pronunciation checked before a trip, a few private lessons will do more than a phrasebook. See how private lessons work, or try a free sample lesson first.