Korean phrases you must know before you visit South Korea
We Indians are obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas for their catchy beats, cute costumes, and smart storytelling. If you wish to visit South Korea soon, learn a bit of their local language. It won't be long before you realize that people don't talk with subtitles, so why not practice some common Korean phrases to travel independently and maybe impress some oppas and noonas (wink!)?
English is not widely spoken in South Korea, so it is wise to learn some basic Korean to interact with locals in case you get lost or need any help. For directions, oen-jjok stands for "left," oh-reun-jjok for "right," and jik-jjin means straight. If you want to say you have lost your way, say gil-eul iih-uht-suh-yo. Ask uh-di-eehn-ji-ah-seh-yo? when searching for a particular location.
If you are traveling to South Korea, it is important to learn some basic greetings like "hello" and "goodbye." Ahn-nyung-ha-se-yo, which means "hello," can be said at any point of the day. Say bahn-gap-seup-ni-da, which means "nice to meet you," when you meet someone to be respectful. "Goodbye" can be said in three ways: ahn-nyung, ahn-nyung-hee geh-seh-yo, or ahn-nyung-hee gah-seh-yo.
Courtesy and etiquette are very important in Korean culture, so it is important to learn some basic phrases to express gratitude. The formal way to say "thank you" is gam-sa-ham-ni-da, and "you're welcome" is chun-mahn-eh-yo. "I'm sorry," a commonly used phrase in Korean, is jweh-sung-hap-nee-da or mi-ahn-hap-nee-da. If you are requesting someone politely for something, you can say ju-seh-yo, which means "please give."
A paradise for food lovers, you get amazing meals and trendy finger foods in the country of K-pop. To ask for the menu card, say meh-nyu ju-seh-yo. To order something, say ju-seh-yo, which means "please give me," followed by the dish name. If you have an allergy to any food, mention juh ahl-luh-ji eet-suh-yo. Ask for the bill saying keh-san-suh ju-seh-yo.
If there is any medical emergency or you need quick help, these phrases will get you immediate attention. Say doh-oah-ju-seh-yo! which means "help" for any straightforward assistance. Irrespective of the nature of your problem, just say gin-geup-sahng-hwang-ee-eh-yo, meaning "it's an emergency," to get quick assistance. If you want to call the police, say kyung-chal. If you need medical attention, say byung-uon, which means "hospital."
