Basic Korean for Tourists: 80 Essential Phrases That Actually Get Used (2026)

You don't need to be fluent in Korean to have an incredible trip. But knowing even 20-30 phrases will genuinely transform your experience — restaurants become less intimidating, locals warm up immediately, and you'll feel confident navigating situations that would otherwise send you to Google Translate every five minutes. This guide covers the phrases that actually come up, with pronunciation written out phonetically so you can use them right away.

Pronunciation Basics

Korean is a phonetic language — once you learn how each character sounds, you can read (and roughly pronounce) everything. The good news for tourists is that the phonetic approximations below will get you understood, even if your tones aren't perfect. Koreans deeply appreciate any attempt to speak their language.

The Sounds That Trip People Up

• ㅓ (eo) — like the "u" in "but" or "above." Not an "eo" like in "people." Example: 어디 (eodi = where) sounds like "uh-dee"
• ㅡ (eu) — a sound English doesn't really have. Try saying "ew" but with your tongue flat. Example: 은행 (eunhaeng = bank) sounds like "eun-heng"
• ㄹ (r/l) — halfway between an R and an L. At the start of a word it's more like R; at the end, more like L. Don't overthink it — Koreans will understand you either way.
• Double consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) — these are tensed/harder versions of regular consonants. For tourist purposes, just emphasize them slightly more than normal.

General Rules

• Syllables are evenly stressed — unlike English, Korean doesn't heavily emphasize one syllable over others
• Formal vs. informal matters in Korean. All phrases below use the polite/formal form (적절한 경어), which is correct for talking to strangers, shopkeepers, restaurant staff, and anyone older than you
• Adding "-yo" (요) to the end of phrases makes them polite. You'll hear it constantly.

Essential Survival Phrases

저기요 (jeo-gi-yo) is probably the single most useful phrase on this list. It's how you call over a waiter, flag down a shopkeeper, or get anyone's attention. Think of it as "excuse me" meets "hey, over here!" — you'll use it constantly.

Restaurant Korean

Korean restaurants, especially the traditional ones, involve a little more interaction than pointing at a menu and nodding. Knowing a few phrases here makes the experience genuinely better — you can ask for water, call the server back, request more banchan (side dishes), and handle the bill with confidence.

Ordering and Dining

Restaurant Tips

• Banchan (반찬) refills are free and unlimited — say 더 주세요 (deo ju-se-yo) while pointing at whichever side dish you want more of. This is expected behavior, not rude.
• At many traditional Korean restaurants, you call the waiter by pressing a button on the table, not by waving. Look for a small bell button — pressing it summons someone. No need to say 저기요 in this case.
• 맛있어요 (ma-si-sseo-yo) delivered sincerely will earn you a huge smile from any restaurant owner. Use it freely.
• Most restaurants have picture menus or food photos — pointing at a photo and saying 이거 주세요 (i-geo ju-se-yo) is completely normal and widely understood.

Shopping Korean

Korean markets and smaller shops still involve real human interaction. At Dongdaemun market, Namdaemun, or any local market stall, speaking a few phrases goes a long way — and occasionally unlocks prices that aren't advertised.

깎아 주세요 (kkak-ka ju-se-yo) — "please give me a discount" — is used at traditional markets and smaller stalls. At Namdaemun or Dongdaemun, it's often expected. At Olive Young or a chain store, don't bother — prices are fixed. Reading the context matters.

Getting Around

The Seoul subway system has excellent English signage and a fully English-language app (Naver Maps works brilliantly for transit). That said, taxis and situations outside the app can still require some basic phrases.

Taxi Tips

• Kakao T (카카오 T) is the dominant ride-hailing app in Korea. Download it before your trip — it has an English interface and you can enter destinations without speaking Korean at all.
• When giving a taxi driver a destination, showing the address on your phone (in Korean) is always the most reliable approach. Naver Maps generates Korean addresses automatically.
• If you're in a taxi and need to stop somewhere along the way: 잠깐만요 여기서 세워 주세요 (jam-kkan-man-yo yeo-gi-seo se-wo ju-se-yo) = "Just a moment, stop here please."

Numbers — The Most Important Thing to Learn

Korean actually has two number systems: native Korean numbers and Sino-Korean (Chinese-origin) numbers. They're used in different situations and it's genuinely confusing. Here's the practical tourist version:

Sino-Korean Numbers (for prices, floors, years)

The 만 (man = 10,000) unit is critical for prices. In Korea, prices are often quoted in units of 만 rather than 천. When someone says 오만 원 (o-man won), they mean 50,000 won (~$37 USD) — five 만. If you hear 이만 원 (i-man won), that's 20,000 won (~$15 USD). This trips up a lot of tourists initially.

Native Korean Numbers (for counting people, ordering quantities)

When you're saying "a table for two" or ordering "three of these," you're using native Korean numbers with counters:

Emergency Phrases

Hopefully you'll never need these. But know them.

Emergency numbers in Korea:

• 112 — Police
• 119 — Fire and ambulance
• 1339 — Medical emergency hotline (English-speaking operators available)
• 1330 — Korea Tourism helpline (English, Chinese, Japanese, available 24/7)

Translation Apps: What Actually Works

Even with solid phrase knowledge, you'll hit moments where you need translation support. Here's what actually works in Korea:

Naver Papago (파파고) — The Best Option

Papago is built by Naver specifically for Korean-English (and Korean-Chinese/Japanese) translation, and it significantly outperforms Google Translate on Korean. It understands colloquial Korean, food menu items, and signage that trips up other apps. The camera translation feature is excellent — point it at a menu, sign, or label and it overlays the translation in real time.

• Download offline Korean-English language packs before your trip
• The conversation mode is useful for back-and-forth exchanges with shopkeepers or taxi drivers
• Free on iOS and Android

Google Translate

Google Translate is fine as a backup and the camera/image translation works well for signage. It's less accurate than Papago for nuanced Korean, but useful for English text you need translated into Korean to show someone.

Kakao Map / Naver Map

These are navigation apps primarily, but both have Korean-to-English address lookup and search. If you're looking for a specific restaurant or address, Naver Map + Papago together cover most situations.

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Screenshot this for offline use:

Related Korea Travel Guides

• How to Pay in Korea: Cash, Cards, and Mobile Payments
• Naver Map Guide for Tourists
• Korea Transport Guide: Subway, Bus, and Taxi
• Things to Know Before Visiting Korea