You’ll say these words more than any others on your trip. Korean greetings are simple once you get past the pronunciation, and using even one or two makes a genuinely good impression — Koreans are used to tourists trying, and it’s appreciated far more than you’d expect.

Saying Hello

Introducing Yourself

Say hello to the staff at a palace or hanbok rental shop and you’ll usually get a smile back — and sometimes a tip or two nobody else gets.

Saying Goodbye

Notice these two goodbyes are different depending on who’s actually walking away — it trips people up constantly, so don’t worry if you mix them up. Koreans will understand exactly what you mean either way.

Most tourists rely on the subway for the bulk of their trip, since it’s signposted in English as well as Korean. Taxis and buses are where a little spoken Korean actually pays off — drivers won’t always speak English, and typing an address can be slow when you’re in a hurry.

Taking a Taxi

Buses and Trains

Get a T-money card as soon as you land — it works on subways, buses, and even some taxis nationwide.

One practical tip that has nothing to do with the language: download a Korean-friendly map app like Naver Map or KakaoMap before you land. Google Maps’ walking and transit directions are unreliable in South Korea, but these phrases will still get you the rest of the way when the app runs out of answers.

Korean actually has two number systems, and it trips up almost every first-time visitor. The good news: for shopping, you mostly only need one of them — the Sino-Korean numbers, which are what’s used for prices, phone numbers, and money in general.

Sino-Korean Numbers (Use These for Prices)

Prices are usually shown as digits anyway, so you don’t need to recognise the words to shop — but being able to say a number back (especially when haggling) makes a real difference.

Asking About Price and Options

Myeongdong is one of the best places to actually use these phrases — dozens of small shops, all expecting some back-and-forth.

Politely Declining

One thing to know: haggling is normal and expected in open-air markets like Namdaemun or Dongdaemun, but not in department stores, convenience stores, or chain shops — the price on the tag is the price.

Korean restaurants and food stalls move fast, and staff generally won’t switch to English just because you look like a tourist. That’s not unfriendly — it’s just how it works. A handful of short phrases will get you seated, fed, and out the door with a full stomach and no awkward pointing-and-hoping.

Getting Seated and Ordering

Special Requests

Pointing at what someone else is eating and saying “이거 주세요” works just fine — nobody will judge you for it.

Paying and Wrapping Up

Notice a pattern? Almost everything ends in 주세요 (“please give me”). Learn that one word and you can attach it to almost anything you point at — it’s the single most useful word for tourist Korean.

You don’t need to be fluent in Korean to get around Seoul, Busan, or anywhere else in South Korea. Most tourists only ever need a small handful of phrases — and once you can say them with confidence, asking a stranger for help stops being scary and starts being kind of fun.

Below are the phrases that come up again and again when you’re trying to find your way somewhere. Each one has the Korean script, how to say it (romanized), what it means, and a speaker button so you can hear the real pronunciation before you try it yourself.

Getting Someone’s Attention Politely

Asking Where Something Is

Subway staff are used to tourists — a short phrase and a point at your phone map will usually get you sorted.

Understanding the Directions Back

Here’s the tricky part: once you ask, someone is going to answer you — often quickly. These are the direction words to listen for so you can at least catch the gist.

Saying Thank You

That’s genuinely most of what you’ll need. String a few of these together — “실례합니다, 지하철역이 어디예요?” (“Excuse me, where’s the subway station?”) — and you’ll get a lot further than pointing at your phone and hoping.