Do I need to speak Korean to travel in Korea?

No, but a few phrases help. Signs and menus in tourist areas often have English, and translation apps like Papago fill the gaps.

What are the most useful Korean phrases?

Annyeonghaseyo (hello), gamsahamnida (thank you), eolmaeyo (how much), and yeogiyo (excuse me, to call staff) are among the most useful.

How do I call a waiter in Korea?

Say yeogiyo to get staff attention, or press the call button on the table found in many restaurants.

Survival Korean: 20 phrases that actually help

You don't need to be fluent — just these

Korea is navigable in English in the big cities, but a few Korean phrases open doors, earn smiles, and get you unstuck. Pronunciation below is rough-but-usable — don't worry about being perfect.

The essential 6

Hello — 안녕하세요 · an-nyeong-ha-se-yo
Thank you — 감사합니다 · gam-sa-ham-ni-da
Sorry / excuse me — 죄송합니다 · joe-song-ham-ni-da
Yes / No — 네 · ne / 아니요 · a-ni-yo
Excuse me (to get attention) — 저기요 · jeo-gi-yo
Goodbye (to someone leaving) — 안녕히 가세요 · an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo

Food & restaurants

This one, please (while pointing) — 이거 주세요 · i-geo ju-se-yo
Not spicy, please — 안 맵게 해주세요 · an maep-ge hae-ju-se-yo
The bill, please — 계산해 주세요 · gye-san-hae ju-se-yo
Delicious! — 맛있어요 · ma-si-sseo-yo
Water, please — 물 주세요 · mul ju-se-yo

Shopping & getting around

How much is it? — 얼마예요? · eol-ma-ye-yo?
Where is the bathroom? — 화장실 어디예요? · hwa-jang-sil eo-di-ye-yo?
Card payment, please — 카드요 · ka-deu-yo
Just looking — 그냥 볼게요 · geu-nyang bol-ge-yo
Is this the way to ___? — ___ 이쪽이에요? · ___ i-jjo-gi-e-yo?

When you need help

Do you speak English? — 영어 하세요? · yeong-eo ha-se-yo?
I don't understand — 잘 모르겠어요 · jal mo-reu-ge-sseo-yo
Please help me — 도와주세요 · do-wa-ju-se-yo
It hurts here (pointing) — 여기 아파요 · yeo-gi a-pa-yo

💡 Two shortcuts: add 주세요 (ju-se-yo, "please give") after almost any noun to ask for it, and end with 요 (yo) to sound polite. And keep Papago (the translation app) ready — point your camera at a menu or sign and it translates instantly.

Numbers you'll actually use

Prices are said in Sino-Korean numbers. The big one: man (만) = 10,000. So "삼만원 (sam-man-won)" is ₩30,000. Get comfortable with man and you can handle most prices. Convert quickly with our exchange-rate tool.

Back to all guides.

📥 Take these phrases with you: Download the free Survival Korean Phrase Card (PDF).

Phrases you'll hear (and what they mean)

Speaking is only half the game — the panic moment usually comes when the reply arrives. The good news: staff ask the same stock questions everywhere, almost always at the same point in the exchange, so you can answer most of them with a nod, a number, or one word.

몇 분이세요? · myeot bun-i-se-yo? — "How many people?" First thing at any restaurant door. Just hold up fingers.
드시고 가세요? · deu-si-go ga-se-yo? — "Eating here?" at counters. The alternative is 포장 (po-jang), takeout — say that word and you're done.
봉투 필요하세요? · bong-tu pil-yo-ha-se-yo? — "Do you need a bag?" at convenience stores and shops. Bags aren't automatic here; answer 네 (ne) or 아니요 (a-ni-yo).
어디 가세요? · eo-di ga-se-yo? — "Where to?" from a taxi driver. The winning answer is your destination shown in Korean on your phone screen.
매워요 · mae-wo-yo — "It's spicy." Often a kind warning about what you just pointed at. Believe them.
영수증 드릴까요? · yeong-su-jeung deu-ril-kka-yo? — "Would you like the receipt?" A shake of the head is a complete answer.

When the answer comes back in fast Korean

Don't try to decode the whole sentence — listen for the one or two words you know and let context do the rest. Better yet, shape your questions so the answer has to be simple: "Is it this way?" gets you a yes, a no, or a pointed finger, while "Where is it?" gets you a paragraph.

For anything involving money, the register display or a calculator screen will show you the number — no listening required. And if you're truly stuck, 천천히 말해주세요 (cheon-cheon-hi mal-hae-ju-se-yo) — "please speak slowly" — or simply handing over your phone with Papago open turns any conversation into a typed one, which is easier for both sides.

Signs worth learning to recognize

Hangul is a phonetic alphabet famously learnable in a weekend, and it's a genuinely fun plane project. But even without studying, recognizing a few signs by shape pays off daily:

화장실 — toilet, with 남 (men) and 여 (women) on the doors
출구 — exit / 입구 — entrance; subway exits pair 출구 with a number, which is how all directions are given here
영업중 — open for business / 준비중 — "preparing," i.e. closed, come back later
금연 — no smoking
무료 — free / 유료 — paid, useful on lockers, restrooms at some attractions, and parking

Mistakes that don't matter (and two that do)

Don't stress about honorifics or perfect grammar — the polite -요 (yo) forms in this guide cover you in every situation a visitor meets, and nobody expects more from a foreigner. Mangled pronunciation is met with patience and often delight that you tried at all. The mistakes that actually cost you are different ones:

Speaking English louder instead of simpler. Volume doesn't translate. Short words, slow pace, and gestures do.
Waiting silently for staff to appear. Korean restaurants expect you to summon service — call out 저기요, or look for the call button (호출벨) mounted on the table. Sitting politely gets you nothing; pressing the button is the polite move here.
One bonus fix: the goodbye above, 안녕히 가세요, is for when the other person leaves. When you are the one leaving a shop or restaurant, it's 안녕히 계세요 (an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo) — "stay well." Mixing them up is harmless, but getting it right earns visible smiles.