You don't need fluent Korean to have a great trip — you need a small, reliable kit of phrases for the situations that come up every day: greeting people, ordering food, finding your way, paying for things, and handling the occasional emergency. This is survival Korean: high-frequency, polite, and immediately usable. Everything here is in 존댓말 (polite speech), which is exactly what a traveler should use with strangers and staff, and every line includes romanization so you can say it even before you've mastered Hangul.
Greetings and the essentials
Start every interaction with a greeting and a thank-you. These four phrases alone will carry you through countless small encounters.
- 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo
Hello
- 감사합니다gamsahamnida
Thank you
- 죄송합니다joesonghamnida
I'm sorry / Excuse me (apology)
- 실례합니다sillyehamnida
Excuse me (to get attention or pass by)
- 네 / 아니요ne / aniyo
Yes / No
Ordering food and drinks
The magic word is 주세요 (juseyo, 'please give me'). Name or point at what you want and add it. To get a server's attention in a casual restaurant, you can say 여기요 (yeogiyo, 'over here') or 저기요 (jeogiyo, 'excuse me').
- 이거 주세요igeo juseyo
This one, please
Point at the menu or dish — the most useful ordering phrase.
- 물 주세요mul juseyo
Water, please
- 메뉴 주세요menyu juseyo
Menu, please
- 맛있어요masisseoyo
It's delicious
- 계산해 주세요gyesanhae juseyo
The bill, please
Asking for directions
To ask where something is, name the place and add 어디예요? (eodiyeyo?, 'where is it?'). It's simple and works for almost anything.
- 화장실 어디예요?hwajangsil eodiyeyo?
Where is the bathroom?
- 지하철역 어디예요?jihacheoryeok eodiyeyo?
Where is the subway station?
- 여기가 어디예요?yeogiga eodiyeyo?
Where am I? (lit. 'where is here?')
- 여기로 가 주세요yeogiro ga juseyo
Please take me here (showing a taxi an address)
Shopping and prices
For shopping, you mostly need to ask the price and react. Prices use Sino-Korean numbers and 원 (won); don't be surprised if a vendor types the number on a calculator to show you.
- 얼마예요?eolmayeyo?
How much is it?
- 너무 비싸요neomu bissayo
It's too expensive
- 카드 돼요?kadeu dwaeyo?
Do you take cards?
- 봉투 주세요bongtu juseyo
A bag, please
Emergencies and getting help
Hopefully you won't need these, but they're worth knowing. Korea's emergency numbers are 112 (police) and 119 (fire/ambulance). If you only learn one, learn 도와주세요.
- 도와주세요!dowajuseyo!
Please help me!
- 병원 어디예요?byeongwon eodiyeyo?
Where is the hospital?
- 영어 할 수 있어요?yeongeo hal su isseoyo?
Can you speak English?
- 한국말 잘 못해요hangungmal jal mothaeyo
I can't speak Korean well
A useful, honest disclaimer that usually earns patience.
Make the phrases stick before you go
Reading these once isn't enough — you want them to come out automatically when you're standing at a counter. The best prep is to rehearse them out loud in realistic exchanges. In our AI character chat, you can role-play ordering food, asking directions, or haggling in a shop and get natural Korean replies, so the phrases are already in your mouth before your flight lands. To round out your basics, pair this with our guide to basic Korean greetings.
Rehearse before you travel
Practice ordering, asking directions, and shopping in a real Korean conversation — so survival Korean comes out without hesitation on your trip.
Start a Korean conversation →