Helpful Korean Phrases

Some Korean street art

Last year one of my favourite people in the whole world and also one of my oldest friends came to visit me for two weeks. I can’t tell you how touched I was that she headed across the world to catch up with me.

I wanted to help her out when she arrived so I wrote down some helpful Korean phrases so that if she got lost in this mysterious land she’d be able to at least order a beer.

Jess came to visit!

So we thought we’d share it with you.
Korean Phrases
Hello – An-nyong-hasaeo 안녕하세요
Where are you from? – Awdisaw-o-syay-aw-yo 어디서 오셨어요?
I’m from the UK – Cho-nun young-gook saram imneda 저는 영국 사람 임니다
Goodbye (when you are leaving) – annyeonghi gyeseyo 안녕히 계세요
Goodbye (when you are staying) – annyeonghi gaseyo 안녕히 가세요
I don’t speak Korean –Hangookah-lul mo-habnida 한국어를 못합니다
Where’s the toilet? – hwa-jang-schil-E Awdi-a-o?  화장실이 어디예요?
Thank you – kamsa-hamnida 감사합니다
( the first Korean number is when ordering food and the other is for counting objects…I know…its weird!)
One—– Hanna / il
Two —- Duel / ee
Three —- Set/ Sam
Four —-Net/ Sa
Five —- Dasa/ O
Six — Yasa / yuck
Seven —- ilbon / chill
Eight — yudail/ pall
Nine — ah-hoe/ goo
Ten — yull/ ship
Can I have one beer please – Mik-jew han jan gesaeo
Can I have two bibimbaps please – Bibimbap Du gay gesaeo
(Gesaeo = please
Jan = bottles
Gay = objects
Myoung = People)
mik-jew = beer
Soju = sweet potato vodka…very cheap and very strong
Makgeolli = Milky rice wine … very potent and if flavoured its amazing!
Wine = Wine (for some reason they hear white as red so pro-nounce-i-ate!)
Cider = Cider is lemonade in Korea
Bibimbap 비빔밥 = mixed rice with selection of veg and a red pepper hot sauce..the staple of Korea, you probably had it on the plane. Very good. When you get it use the spoon to mix all the ingredients up and then eat with a spoon.
Kimbap 김밥 – looks like Sushi but is bigger and normally filled with a few different ingredients like radish, ham, cucumber and sometimes meat or fish.
Kimchi 김치 – like it or hate it this food sums up Korea. Its fermented Cabbage in garlic and hot chilli’s that they store in pots underground for 2 years. You will get it free with every meal and drink you buy.
Sam Gyap Sal – Korean BBQ. You will see these restaurants everywhere. They give you the meat and you cook it infront of you. You have to put the meat in a lettuce leaf with sauce and wrap it into a parcel. Then you eat in one bite! Delicious
Mandu 만두 – very similar to Chinese dumplings. Lots of different types and all really nice.
Dabokkie – Weirdly this spicy red sauce tastes a lot like English spaghetti hoop sauce. Then they put rice cakes which are basically Gnocchi in it.
Chicken 닭고기 (Dak gogi)
Beef 사고기 (Sagogi)
Pork 돼지고기 (dwae ji gogi)
Tuna 참치 (Cham Chi)
Seafood 해산물 (Hae san mool)
Water 물 (mool)
Address 조수 (Joe soo) – (almost always the taxi drivers have GPS so if you say ‘Joe soo’ and then show them the address you should be ok.
In Seoul taxi’s are very hard to find. Avoid the orange ones as they don’t use a meter and like to rip you off. Koreans might be a little wary of foreigners (Waygook) but they are normally very nice. (Since she visited last year this has got better. The Korean government now issue huge fines if a taxi won’t take you somewhere)
Pharmacy – When you see 약 it normally means they sell medicine.
Hoff – hoffs are bars but they do like you to order at least something to eat. The food is normally cheap and nice though with very big portions.
Toilet 화장실 (hwa jang shill)
Subway 지하철 (ji ha chawl) but most Koreans know the word subway
Station 역 (Yock)
Bus 버스 (busu)
It sounds weird but if in doubt just try adding vowels on the end normally works. Change is Changie, Coke is Coke-u, nice is nice-u (seriously!!!)

These ice creams are EVERYWHERE in Korea

I hope this very basic lesson helps you out just a little on your trips to these lovely lands…or maybe just impresses your Korean friends back home.

Coffee in Korea is more than a drink..it’s a sport. They do it well. Luckily coffee in Korean is 고피 or Coppi