Simple Korean for a tourist

Like I mentioned before I study Korean language while travelling. Most of the young people know and understand English in Korea but many of the older generation don't. Still many people are afraid to speak English aloud (even tho their English would be great!). So for a tourist it's useful to know some simple Korean.

Let me introduce you some practical and useful phrases what you can use to get better service, to surprise your Korean friends or just for fun! Here you can find the English phrase, romanization and the Korean alphabet (hangul) + short explanation if needed. The phrases in my blog are always double-checked by native Korean. There is a brief guideline about pronunciation at the end of the post!

Basic

• Hello Annyeonghaseyo 안녕하세요
• Thank you Kamsahamnida 감사합니다
• Yes Ne 네
• No Aniyo 아니요
• What is your name? Ireumi mwo yeyo? 이름이 뭐에요?
• My name is (...) (Belinda) rago haeyo ...라고 해요
• Nice to meet you! Pangabseumnida 반갑습니다!

Places

• Where is (...) (...) eodiyeyo? 어디에요?
• a subway station jihacheolyeok 지하철역
• a toilet hwajangshil 화장실
• a restaurant shiktang 식당
• a convenience store pyeonguijeom 편의점
• a money exchange hwanjeon 환전
• an atm atm
• a cafe kape 카페

Food

• coffee keopi 커피
• tea cha 차
• water mul 물
• milk uyu 우유 
• beef sogogi 쇠고기
• pork twaejigogi 돼지고기
• chicken dakkogi 닭고기
• fish saengseon 생선
• onion yangpa 양파
• lettuce sangchu 상추

Details

• I'm allergic to (...) (...e) alleoji isseoyo ...에 알러지 있어요
• Can I get the meal less spicy? Deol maebke haejuseyo 덜 맵게 해주세요
• Can I get this without (...) (...) bbaejuseyo ...빼주세요

In a restaurant

• How much is this? Eolma yeyo? 얼마예요?
• Excuse me jeogiyo 저기요

(You can use jeogiyo for example when you wanna call the waiter or a stranger)

• ...please ...juseyo ...주세요

(Use juseyo when you want to get something for example:)

• Can I get the menu, please? Menu, juseyo 메뉴 주세요
• a napkin hyuji 휴지
• a plastic bag bongji 봉지
• a cup keop 컵
• a receipt yeongsujeung 영수증
• a bill bilji 빌지
  

Shortly about the pronunciation:

J  similar to James

Y pronounced like Young

A similar to Anna

E like Emma

O like in phenOmena
G like a Game, never like General

NG like youNG

CH would be similar to CHat

EO, EU, AE try to put more effort on the second letter

Thanks for reading and let me know if you got help from these phrases and words!