Essential Korean Phrases for Foreign Tourists: The Ultimate Guide to Restaurants, Hotels, and More

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Essential Korean Phrases for Foreign Tourists: The Ultimate Guide to Restaurants, Hotels, and More

1. Introduction – Why Learn Basic Korean for Your Trip?

Visiting Korea is an exciting adventure, whether you’re drawn by K-pop, K-dramas, delicious food, or beautiful sights. But for many foreign tourists, language barriers can turn simple moments—like ordering food or checking into a hotel—into stressful experiences.
Learning just a few essential Korean phrases can make your journey smoother, help you connect with locals, and even earn you a few smiles along the way.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover the most useful Korean expressions for restaurants, hotels, transportation, shopping, and sightseeing. Each phrase includes the Korean script, pronunciation, and English meaning, so you can use them with confidence anywhere in Korea.

2. Common Scenarios Where You’ll Need Korean

Korea welcomes over 20 million foreign tourists every year, and the numbers keep growing thanks to the global Korean Wave.
Whether you’re exploring Seoul, Busan, Jeju, or Gyeongju, you’ll find that English is not always widely spoken, especially in local restaurants or smaller hotels.
Knowing how to say “Excuse me,” “How much is this?” or “Can I have an English menu?” can transform your travel experience from frustrating to fantastic.

3. Essential Korean Phrases for Foreign Tourists at Restaurants

3.1 Entering and Getting a Table

KoreanPronunciationEnglish Meaning
몇 명이세요?myeot myeong-i-se-yo?How many people?
한 명이요han myeong-i-yoOne person
두 명이요du myeong-i-yoTwo people
여기요!yeo-gi-yo!Excuse me! (to call staff)

3.2 Ordering Food & Drinks

KoreanPronunciationEnglish Meaning
이거 주세요i-geo ju-se-yoPlease give me this
[menu] 주세요[menu] ju-se-yoPlease give me [menu]
안 맵게 해 주세요an maep-ge hae ju-se-yoPlease make it not spicy
물 주세요mul ju-se-yoWater, please
영어 메뉴 있어요?yeong-eo menu it-seo-yo?Do you have an English menu?

3.3 Paying and Leaving

KoreanPronunciationEnglish Meaning
계산해 주세요gye-san-hae ju-se-yoCheck, please
카드 돼요?ka-deu dwae-yoDo you take cards?
맛있었어요ma-si-sseoss-eo-yoIt was delicious

4. Essential Korean for Hotels & Accommodation

KoreanPronunciationEnglish Meaning
예약했어요ye-yak-haess-eo-yoI have a reservation
체크인 / 체크아웃che-keu-in / che-keu-a-utCheck-in / Check-out
방 번호가 뭐예요?bang beon-ho-ga mwo-ye-yo?What is the room number?
와이파이 비밀번호가 뭐예요?wi-fi bi-mi-lho-ga mwo-ye-yo?What’s the Wi-Fi password?
수건 좀 더 주세요su-geon jom deo ju-se-yoPlease give me more towels
짐 좀 맡아 주세요jim jom mat-a ju-se-yoPlease keep my luggage
늦게 체크아웃할 수 있나요?neut-ge che-keu-a-ut hal su it-na-yo?Can I check out late?

5. Transportation & Getting Around

KoreanPronunciationEnglish Meaning
저기요!jeo-gi-yo!Excuse me!
[Place]에 어떻게 가요?[place]-e eo-tteo-ke ga-yo?How do I get to [place]?
이 근처에 지하철역 있어요?i geun-cheo-e ji-ha-cheol-yeok it-seo-yo?Is there a subway station nearby?
택시 불러 주세요taek-si bul-leo ju-se-yoPlease call a taxi
여기서 내려 주세요yeo-gi-seo nae-ryeo ju-se-yoPlease let me off here

6. Shopping & Sightseeing

KoreanPronunciationEnglish Meaning
얼마예요?eol-ma-ye-yo?How much is it?
카드 돼요?ka-deu dwae-yoDo you take cards?
추천해 주세요chu-cheon-hae ju-se-yoPlease recommend (something)
사진 찍어도 돼요?sa-jin jjik-eo-do dwae-yo?Can I take a photo?
영수증 주세요yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yoPlease give me a receipt

7. Useful Words for Tourists

  • 공항 (gong-hang): Airport
  • 대사관 (dae-sa-gwan): Embassy
  • 여권 (yeo-gwon): Passport
  • 화장실 (hwa-jang-sil): Restroom
  • 지도 (ji-do): Map
  • 경복궁, 남대문, 제주도, 설악산: (Gyeongbokgung, Namdaemun, Jeju Island, Seoraksan) – famous tourist spots

8. Practical Tips & Q&A

  • “영어 메뉴 있어요?” (“Do you have an English menu?”) works in most restaurants.
  • Saying “안 맵게 해 주세요” (“Please make it not spicy”) helps if you can’t handle spicy food.
  • At hotels, “예약했어요” (“I have a reservation”) is all you need to get started; most front desk staff will help in English if needed.
  • For taxis, showing your destination on a map app is very effective.

9. Checklist – Must-Know Korean for Tourists

  • Learn basic greetings and polite expressions
  • Practice restaurant phrases for ordering and paying
  • Memorize hotel check-in and check-out vocabulary
  • Know how to ask for directions and use public transport
  • Use shopping phrases for prices, payment, and recommendations
  • Remember essential words for emergencies and sightseeing

10. Internal & External Links

11. Conclusion – Make Your Korea Trip Unforgettable with a Few Words

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a returning fan of Korea, learning a few essential Korean phrases can make your trip smoother, safer, and much more enjoyable.
With this guide, you’ll be ready to order food, check into hotels, get around, shop, and explore with confidence.
A simple “안녕하세요” (Hello) or “감사합니다” (Thank you) can open doors and create memorable encounters.
So, before you pack your bags, bookmark this page and practice these must-know Korean expressions for a truly unforgettable Korean adventure!

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