Topic guide
Korean Phrases for Travelers
Not grammar theory — the actual phrases you'll use on the ground in Korea, from the taxi ride in to ordering your first meal.
Numbers come first because they show up everywhere else on this list — prices, times, phone numbers, all of it.
Bookmark this page before your trip, but don't try to memorize it all at once — each linked page below is short enough to review right before you need it (in a taxi, at a counter) rather than weeks in advance.
- 01
Korean Numbers: Native vs Sino-Korean, Explained
Korean has two full number systems — native Korean (하나, 둘, 셋) and Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼).
- 02
How Much in Korean? (얼마예요) Explained
얼마예요?
- 03
Ordering Food in Korean: The Phrases You Actually Need
Real Korean phrases for ordering at a restaurant — calling staff, ordering, asking for more banchan, and…
- 04
How to Order Coffee in Korean
Order coffee in Korean like a local — Americano, iced (아아) or hot (뜨아), size, for here or to go, and…
- 05
Convenience Store Korean Phrases You'll Actually Need
Real Korean phrases for a convenience store (편의점) visit — asking prices, heating food, getting a bag, and…
- 06
Taxi Korean Phrases You'll Actually Need
Real Korean phrases for taking a taxi in Korea — giving a destination, asking to stop, and paying — with…
- 07
How to Ride a Bus in Seoul (and the Korean You'll Hear)
A native speaker's guide to Seoul buses: which transit card to get, why you tap off, free transfers, bus…
- 08
How to Ask for Directions in Korean
Real Korean phrases for asking directions — finding a place, understanding left/right/straight, and asking…
- 09
Reading Korean Street Signs: What the Words on Seoul's Buildings Mean
Seoul shop signs (간판, ganpan) decoded: 노래, 치과, 부동산, 학원, 생맥주 전문점, 임대 and more — plus how floors (1층, 3F,…
- 10
Shopping Phrases in Korean You'll Actually Need
Real Korean phrases for shopping — asking for sizes, trying things on, prices, and discounts — with…
- 11
Korean Numbers 1 to 10: Both Systems Side by Side
Korean numbers 1-10 in both systems with audio: 하나·둘·셋 (native) and 일·이·삼 (Sino-Korean), the short forms…
- 12
At the Korean Hospital or Pharmacy: Saying Where It Hurts
How to describe symptoms in Korean — 아파요, 열이 나요 — plus how Korea's 병원/약국 system works: prescriptions,…
- 13
Gwanghwamun Square: King Sejong, Admiral Yi and the Gate of Gyeongbokgung
A photo guide to Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul: the King Sejong statue, Admiral Yi Sun-sin and the turtle…
- 14
A Walk Through Jongno: Bosingak, Cheonggyecheon and the Korean Around Them
A photo walk through Jongno, Seoul's old downtown: the Bosingak bell and its New Year's Eve ringing,…
- 15
From Seoul City Hall to Namdaemun Market: A Walk Through Old and New Seoul
A photo walk from Seoul City Hall past Deoksugung and Sungnyemun to Namdaemun Market — guard ceremony,…
- 16
Myeongdong: Seoul's Shopping Street, Its Red-Hat Guides and the Cathedral on the Hill
A photo guide to Myeongdong, Seoul: car-free shopping streets, tourist guides in red hats, Myeongdong…
- 17
How to Ride the Seoul Subway (and Understand the Announcements)
A native speaker's guide to the Seoul subway: tickets and transit cards, tapping in and out, transfers,…
- 18
Korean Menu Words: 70 Words from Real Menus and Food Signs (Free PDF)
A free two-page chart of Korean menu words: sizes like 곱빼기 and 인분, cooking words like 구이 and 볶음, common…
- 19
Seoul in Photos: A Gallery of Central Seoul and the Korean You'll See
A photo gallery of central Seoul — Gwanghwamun, Jongno, Namdaemun, Myeongdong, Insadong, Dongdaemun — with…
- 20
How to Read Korean Prices: 만 원, 4천원, 3.0 and 2+1
Why 10,000 won is 만 원, what 3.0 means on a café menu, what a handwritten 10.000원 says, and how to read…
- 21
Insadong, Jogyesa and Tapgol Park: A Photo Walk Through Old Seoul's Signs
A photo walk from Insadong's brush and tea shops to Jogyesa temple and Tapgol Park in Seoul, with the…
- 22
Gwangjang Market to Jongmyo: A Jongno Photo Walk and the Korean on Its Signs
A photo walk along Jongno 3-ga to 5-ga: Gwangjang Market, pharmacies, seed shops, Jongmyo Shrine's…
- 23
A Walk Around Dongdaemun: The East Gate, the Markets and the Korean You'll See
Photo walk around Dongdaemun: Heunginjimun gate, the city wall, Pyeonghwa Market and Jeon Tae-il, the toy…
- 24
Yeouido, Seoul: Seoul Dal, Yeouido Park, the 63 Building and the Korean Around Them
A photo walk through Yeouido: the Seoul Dal balloon (fares and hours), Yeouido Park's history, the 63…
- 25
How to Rent a Seoul Bike (따릉이, Ddareungi): 24 Hours for 1,000 Won
Seoul Bike (따릉이, Ddareungi): 1,000 won rents bikes for 24 hours when each ride is within the plan.
Want these to stick?
Quiz yourself in today's study session →