KOREAN
WORDS AND PHRASES
Here is the standardised
Roman
alphabet for Korean
words. This
alphabet was
developed and
refined over the
decades as a
way for foreigners to
learn the
Korean language.
VOWELS
a = (ah) as in “far”
eo
= (aw) as in "fox"
o = (oh) as in "cope"
u = (oo) as in
"juice"
eu
= (eeoo) combine these two
sounds, say
quickly, eeoo
ae
= (short a) as in "at"
e = (eh) as in "get"
ya
= (yah) as in "yacht"
yeo
= (yaw) as in "yum"
yeo
= (yaw) as in "yum"
yo
= (yoh) as in "yodel"
yu
= (yoo) as in "you"
yae
= (ya) as in "yeah"
ye = (yeh) as in "yes"
a = (wah) as in
"wand"
wae
= (wa) as in "swam"
wo
= (wu) as in "was"
we = (weh) as in "wet"
we = (weh) as in "wet"
wi
= (wee) as in "we"
oe
= (weh) as in "wet"
ui
= (wee) as in "we"
CONSONENTS
g,k
as in game
n as in noise
d,t
as in dog
r/l as in rain, lily
m as in mother
b,p
as in bed
s/sh
as in speech
shoot ng as in ring
j as in jungle
h as in high
k as in kid, kite
t as in tank
p as in punk
ch
as in cheese
kk
stronger than "sky"
tt
stronger than "stop"
pp stronger than "spy"
jj
similar to "it's easy"
ss
as in essence
BASIC WORDS AND
PHRASES
Yes : ye or ne
No : a-ni-yo
Good : jo-seum-ni-da
Bad : na-peum-ni-da
I don’t like : sil-seum-ni-da
Thank you : kam-sa-ham-ni-da
Thank you very much :
tae-dan-
hi kam-sa-ham-ni-da
You are welcome : cheon-ma-ne-yo
I love you : Na-neun-tang-shin-
reul-sarang-hae-yo
It%27s OK, it%27s fine :
k-wen-
chah-nah-yo
Please : je-bal
Please help me : jom do-wa-ju-
se-yo
Give me please : ju-se-yo
Excuse me : je-song-ham-ni-da or
shi-lae-ham-ni-da
Where is the bathroom (toilet)? :
hwa-jang-sil-i
eo-di i-sum-ni-
ka
I'm sorry : mi-yan-ham-ni-da
Don't do that : hudge-ii mar
This : ee-go
Country : na-ra
Big : kun
Wonderful : hul-ryung-han
Awesome : a-sa
PHRASES FOR MEETING AND GREETING
Good morning : ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo
Good evening : an-nyong-ha-sho-
sso-yo
Goodbye (say to someone leaving):
ahn-nyong-hee
ga-se-yo
Goodbye (say when you are
leaving):
ahn-yawng-hee-kyeh-she-yoh
Hello : ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo
Hello (answering telephone,
getting someone's
attention):
yaw-boh-she-yoh
Nice to meet you :
ban-kap-seum-
ni-da
Welcome (to greet someone) :
hwan-yong-ham-ni-da
How are you? : eo-teo-ke
ji-nae-
sim-ni-ka?
I am fine, thank you :
neh jal-i-
soum-ni-da
I am glad to meet you :
mahn-na-
bwep-ge
dwe-o-seo bahn-gahp-
soum-ni-da
What is your name? : song-ha-mi
o-teo-ke
dwe-si-ji-yo?
My name is [William] :
je-i-rum-
eun
[William] im-ni-da
I don’t understand Korean :
hahn-
gookaw-noon-motahmnida
I only speak a little Korean
:
jeo-nun han-kook-o-rul jo-gum-
bah-ke
mo-tahm-ni-da
I don't understand : jal mo-reu-
get-sum-ni-da or mul-ay-oh
(don’t know)
Do you understand? : ahl-geh-sum-
nee-ka?
I understand : i-hae-hahm-nida
I understand perfectly :
choong-
boon-hee
i-hae-hah-go i-soum-
ni-da
How do you say this in
[English]? : i-geo-seul
[yeong-eo]-ro meo-ra-go
ham-ni-ka?
Can you speak [English]? :
[yeong-eo]-ro mal-hal-su
it-seum-ni-ka
That’s all right : gewn-chan-
soum-nida
What did you say? : mo-ra-go
greo-shut-ji-yo?
Can you speak more slowly? :
jom-chon-chon-hee
mahl-soum-hae
joo-se-yo?
Could you repeat it please? :
dahshee-hahn-bawn-mahlsumhay
joosheegeh-sawyo?
LANGUAGES
Korean : han-gul
English : yeong-eo
French : bul-eo
Chinese : chung-kuk-eo
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
I : na
We : u-ri
You (singular, familiar) :
neo
You (singular, formal) :
dang-sin
You (plural, familiar) :
neo-hi-
deul
You (plural, formal): yeo-reo-bun
They : keu-deul
PEOPLE
Name : i-rum
Older Korean man :
ad-je-shee
Older Korean woman :
ad-ju-ma
American (person) :
mi-guk (saram)
Canadian (person) : kanada (saram)
Korean (person) : han-guk (saram)
Foreigner : wae-guk (saram)
Teacher : saeg-sing-nim
Student : hak-saeng
Wife : a-nae
Husband : nam-pyeon
Daughter : ttal
Son : adeul
Mother : omma (if you are a child)
o-mmo-ni
(if you are an adult)
Father : oppa (if you are a child)
o-bo-ji
( if you are an adult)
Friend : chin-gu
EMERGENCY PHRASES
Call a doctor! : yah! Wee-sa-
rool-boolah-ju-she-yoh
Call the police! : gyungchal-
boolla-jusehyoh!
Fire! : booleeyah!
Help me! : dowa juseyo!
Water please : mool-ju-she-yoh
NUMBERS
Zero : yoeng
One : il
Two : i
Three : sam
Four : sa
Five : o
Six : yuk
Seven : chil
Eight : pal
Nine : gu
Ten : ship
Eleven : ship-il
Twelve : ship-i
Thirteen : ship-sam
Fourteen : ship-sa
Fifteen : ship-o
Sixteen : ship-yuk
Seventeen : ship-chil
Eighteen : ship-pal
Nineteen : ship-gu
Twenty : i-ship
Twenty one : i-ship-il
Twenty two : i-ship-i
Twenty three : i-ship-sam
Thirty : sam-ship
Forty : sa-ship
Fifty : o-ship
Sixty : yuk-ship
Seventy : chil-ship
Eighty : pal-ship
Ninety : gu-ship
One hundred : baek
One thousand : cheon
Ten thousand : man
One hundred thousand :
ship-man
One million : baek-man
For counting small objects:
One : hanna
Two : twogay or dugay
Three : seggay
Four : neggay
This counting system you use to
order amount of
small items
like food.
SHOPPING
Money : ton
How much does it cost? : eol-ma-
im-ni-ka?
What is this? : i-go-seun
mu-eo-
sim-na-ka?
I'll buy it : i-go-seul sa-ge-
seum-ni-da
Too expensive (the price is too
high) : neo-mu bi-ssa-yo
Could you lower the price? (give
me a discount,
please) : jom
kka-kka-ju-se-yo?
Stamp : u-pyo
A little : jo-geum
A lot : ma-ni
All : mo-du
DINING
Breakfast : a-chim
Lunch : jeom-sim
Dinner : jeo-nyeok
Cheers! : geon-bae!
Please bring the bill :
kye-san-
seo
jom su-sip-si-yo
Bread : ppang
Coffee : coffee
Tea : cha
Juice : juice
Water : mul
Beer : maek-ju
Wine : po-do-ju
Salt : so-geum
Pepper : hu-chu
Meat : go-gi
Beef : so-go-gi
Pork : dae-ji-go-gi
Fish : saeng-seon
Vegetable : chae-so
Fruit : kwa-il
Salad : salad
Dessert : hu-sik
TRAVEL
Where is [
[Seoul-yeok]-i eo-di-e
i-seup-ni-ka?
How much is the fare? : yo-geum-i
eol-ma-im-ni-ka?
Ticket : pyo
One ticket to [
Seoul-ro ga-neun pyo han-
jang
ju-sip-si-yo
Where are you going? : eo-di-e
ga-sim-ni-ka?
Where do you live? : eo-di-e
sa-sim-ni-ka?
Airport : gong-hang
Taxi : taek-shee
Train : ji-cha
Train station : ji-cha-yeok
Bus : baw-suh
Bus station : baw-suh jeong-geo-
jang
Subway : ji-ha-cheol
Subway station : jeon-cheol-yeok
Hotel : hotel
Room : bang
Reservation : ye-yak
Are there any vacancies for
[tonight]? : [o-neul-bam]
bin-bang eop-seum-ni-ka?
Passport : yeo-kwon
Stop here : yog-ee-o (for halting
a taxi etc.)
Telephone : chone-hwah
DIRECTIONS
Left : wen-chok
Right : o-reun-chok
Straight : ddok-ba-ro
Up : wi-ro
Down : a-re-ro
Far : meon
Near : ga-ka-un
Long : gin
Short : chal-beun
Map : ji-do
Tourist information centre
(office) : gwan-gang an-ne-so
Here : yyog-ee
There : chog-ee
PLACES
Post office : u-che-guk
Museum : bak-mul-kwan
Bank : eun-haeng
Police station : gyong-chal-seo
Hospital : byeong-won
Pharmacy, Chemist :
yak-guk
Store, Shop : ga-gye
Restaurant : sik-dang
School : hak-gyon
Church : gyo-hye
Restrooms : hwa-jang-sil
Street : gil
Mountain : san
Hill : eon-deok
River : gang
Swimming Pool : su-yeong-jang
Tower : tap
Bridge : da-ri
Entertainment room : nori-bang
(singing room)
Entrance : eep-ku
Exit : chool-koo
TIME
What time is it? : myeot-si-im-
ni-ka?
deol-si
sa-sip-o-bun
A
a-hop-si
sip-o-bun-jeon
ne-si
sip-o-bun-jeon
A
ne-si
sip-o-bun-jeon
yeol-si
sam-sip-bun
yeol-si
ban
DATES
Day : il
Week : ju
Month : wol
Year : nyeon
Today : o-neul
Yesterday : eo-je
Tomorrow : ne-il
Birthday : saeng-il
Happy birthday! : saeng-il
chuk-ha-ham-ni-da!
DAYS OF THE WEEK
Monday : wol-yo-il
Tuesday : hwa-yo-il
Wednesday : su-yo-il
Thursday : mok-yo-il
Friday : keum-yo-il
Saturday : to-yo-il
Sunday : il-yo-il
MONTHS
January : il-wol
February : i-wol
March : sam-wol
April : sa-wol
May : o-wol
June : yuk-wol
July : chil-wol
August : pal-wol
September : gu-wol
October : sip-wol
November : sip-il-wol
December : sip-i-wol
SEASONS
Spring : bom
Summer : yeo-reum
Autumn : ga-eul
Winter : gyeo-ul
THE
FIVE ENGLISH W’s AND HOW
When? : awn-jay-yo?
Where? : oh-dee-yeh-yo?
Who? : nu-goo-yeh-yo?
Why? : way-yo?
What? : mwah-yeh-yo?
Which? : eo-nuu-go-shee-eh-yo?
What’s the matter? :
wen-ee-ree-seh-yo?
What’s this? : ee-goh-shee-
mwah-yeh-yo?
How? : oh-toe-kay-yo?
COLOURS
Black : Gawmun sak
Blue : Hah nul sak
Brown : Gahl sak
Gray : Hwee sak
Green : Nohk sak
Pink : Boon hohng saek
Purple : Boh rah sak
Red : Pahl gahn sak
White : Hween sak
Yellow : Noh rahn sak