PART 1 Key Words and Expressions
| 1 | Greetings Insa (Een-sah) 인사 |
Hello
Good morning
Good afternoon
Good evening
How are you?
How do you do?
All of these greetings are incorporated in a single Korean expression:
Annyong haseyo. (Ahn-n’yohng hah-say-yoh)
안녕하세요.
This universal greeting literally means “Are you at peace?” A reply to these greetings, in all cases, may be a repetition of the above phrase preceded by ne (naay), which means “yes.”
Ne, annyong haseyo. (Naay, ahn-n’nyohng hah-say-yoh)
안녕하세요.
More formal versions of these greetings are:
Annyong hashimnikka? (Ahn-n’yohng hah-sheem-neekah?)
안녕하십니까?
Ye, annyong hashimnikka. (Yay, ahn-n’yohng hah-sheemnee-kah)
예, 안녕하십니까.
Nice to meet you.
Mannasu bangapsumnida. (Mahn-nah-su ban-gahp-sumenee-dah)
만나서 반갑습니다.
How are you doing?
Ottoke chinae shimnikka? (Aht-tah-kay chee-nay sheemnee-kah?)
어떻게 지내십니까?
How have you been?
Chal chinae shossoyo? (Chahl chee-nay shuh-suh-yoh?)
잘 지내셨어요?
Good morning!
Choeun Achimiyeyo! (Choh-eun ah-cheem-ee-ye-yoh)
좋은아침이에요!
More formal version of this greeting:
Choeun Achimimnida!
(Choh-eun ah-cheem-eem-nee-dah)
좋은아침입니다!
Goodnight.
Annyong-hi chumuseyo.*
(Ahn-yohng-hee chuu-muu-say-yoh)
안녕 히 주무세요.
*The yo at the end of so many Korean expressions, including one-word questions or replies, functions as a honorific that makes them polite.
| 2 | Hello? (on the telephone) Yoboseyo? (Yuh-boh-say-yoh?) 여보세요? |
| 3 | Goodbye (A final farewell, said by the person leaving) Anyong-hi kyeseyo* (Ahn-n’yohng-he gae-say-yoh) 안녕히 계세요. |
*The literal meaning of this phrase is “Stay in peace.”
Goodbye! (Said by the person not leaving)
Anyong-hi kaseyo! (Ahn-yohng-he kah-say-yoh)
안녕히가세요!
Goodbye.
Sugo haseyo. (Suu-go hah-say-yoh)
수고하세요.
*Said by a person leaving a place of work, literally meaning “work hard.”
| 4 | See you later Ddo poepket ssumnida (Ddoh pep-keht sume-nee-dah) 또 뵙겠습니다 |
also:
Ddo mannap shida. (Ddoh mahn-nahp she-dah)
또 만납시다.
Ta nyo o gesst ssumnida.* (Tah n’yoh oh keht sume-nee-dah)
다녀오겠습니다.
*Literally, “I will return,” said by the person leaving.
Ta nyo o seyo.* (Tah n’yoh oh say-yoh)
다녀오세요.
*Literally, “Please return,” said by the person not leaving.
| 5 | Please Chom (Choam)/Chebal (Chuh-bahl) 좀/제발 |
These Korean equivalents of the English word “please,” chom and chebal, are seldom if ever used alone. The concept of “please” is implied in polite verbs, such as chushipshio (chuu-ship-she-oh), which has the meaning of “please do … .”
One moment, please.
Chamshi kidaryo chushipshio. (Chahms-she kee-dah-rio chuu-ship-she-oh)
잠시 기다려 주십시오.
Less formal:
Just a moment, please.
Chamkkan manyo. (Chahm-kahn mahn-yoh)
잠깐 만요.
Give (it, something) to me, please. Chuseyo. (Chuu-say-yoh)
주세요.
Please give me some water.
Mul chom chuseyo. (Muhl chome chuu-say-yoh)
물 좀 주세요.
Do (it, something) for me, please.
Hae chuseyo. (Hay chuu-say-yoh)
해 주세요.
Please be quiet.
Chojonghi hae chuseyo. (Choh-johng-hee hay chuu-say-yoh)
조용히 해 주세요.
Please take me to Seoul.
Seoulro ka chuseyo. (Soh-uhl-ro kah chuu-say-yoh)
서울로 가 주세요.
| 6 | Thank you Kamsahamnida (Kahm-sah-hahm-nee-dah) 감사합니다 |
also:
Komapsumnida