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.

How the audio works: tap the speaker button on any phrase and your device’s built-in Korean voice will say it out loud — no app or download needed.

Taking a Taxi

Getting In

yeogiro gajuseyo

Please take me here (show your phone map)

Time

eolmana geollyeoyo?

How long does it take?

Getting Out

yeogiseo naeryeojuseyo

Please let me off here

Buses and Trains

Checking a Route

i beoseuga myeongdonge gayo?

Does this bus go to Myeongdong? (swap the place name)

Buying a Ticket

pyo han jang juseyo

One ticket, please

Next Stop

daeum yeogi eodiyeyo?

What’s the next station?

A person waiting at a modern subway station in Suwon, South Korea

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.

Understand What’s Being Announced, Not Just What You Ask

Subway announcements, platform signs, bus destination boards — they’re all in Korean first. Once you can read Hangul, travelling stops being a series of guesses. Here’s the step-by-step system we recommend.

START LEARNING KOREAN →