Useful Korean phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Korean. Click on the English phrases to see them in many other languages. Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal English Welcome $ello $o are you% &'m fine, thanks. )ong time no see What's your name% *y name is ... Where are you from% &'m from ... ,lease" to meet you /oo" morning0 afternoon0evening /oo" night (Korean) (h angyong!hamni"a# (annyeonghaseyo# ! frm, (annyeong# ! inf (yeoboseyo# ! on phone % (eotteohke (inaeseyo%# % (an nyeong ha siut seum ni ka%# ((al(inaeyo# (orenmani"a# % ("angsinui ireumeun mueosip nikka%# inf % (sungham ee uttoke "aesipnika%# frm ... ((e ireum!eun ... imni"a# % (Eo"iseo osyeosseoyo# ... (+eoneun ... eseo asseuyo# (*annaseo bangapseumni"a# -frm polite. (*annaseo banga oyo# -inf polite. (annyeong hashimnikka#

(annyonghi (umushipsiyo# ! frm ((al ((a# ! inf (annyeong# (annyeonghi gyeseyo# ! you are leaving /oo"bye (annyeonghi gaseyo# ! you are staying (haeng un eul bil eo yo# frm /oo" luck (haeng un eul bin "a# inf -. (geonbae# lit. 2"ry glass2, ( ihayeo# Cheers0/oo" health1 ((al meokkesseumni"a# ! before a meal ((al meogeosseumni"a# ! after a meal 3on appetit (masitkke "euseyo# 1 ((al"a nyeoo sip sio1# 3on voyage (moreugesseumni"a# & "on't un"erstan" (Cheoncheonhi malssuemhae (eseyo# ,lease speak more slo ly 1 (Cheogeo (eseyo1# ,lease rite it "o n

4o you speak Korean% 5es, a little $o "o you say ... in Korean% E6cuse me $o much is this% 7orry 8hank you 9esponse Where's the toilet% & love you )eave me alone1 *erry Christmas an" $appy :e 5ear $appy Easter $appy 3irth"ay ;ne language is never enough *y hovercraft is full of eels

% (hangukmal hasil (ul aseyo%# ! frm % (hangukmal hal (ul ani%# ! inf , (yae, (ogeumyo# ! frm , (eung, (ogeum# ! inf ... % (... reul hangukmal!lo eotteoh!ge maraeyo%# 1 (shillehagessumni"a# !% (ige eolmayeyo%# "#$1 (mianhamni"a# (kamsahamni"a# ! frm (komapsumni"a# ! inf %& (anieyo# '() *!% (h a(angsiri eo"iyeyo# (sarang hae# 1 (hon(a naebeoryeo "ushipshio# ((eulgeoun seongtan(eol bonaesigo saehae bok manhi bateusaeyo# (haengpoghan puh archeori toesikir# (saengil chukha hamni"a# (han ga(i un u nun chung boon ha (i mot hae# (:ae hoebuhkeurapeuteuneun changuhro ka"euk cha isseyo#

History and Form

8he Korean alphabet (calle" 2Hangul2 in Korean# as "evelope" by a team of scholars un"er King Se-jong (<=>?!<@AB# of the Yi 4ynasty an" is the most recently invente" an" most scientifically "esigne" alphabet in the orl". 2Hangul2 has only C< vo el0vo el combinations an" <> consonants, A of hich are the same symbol repeate" t ice an" A of them are simply a consonant ith

the a""ition of an accent mark. 8hat makes a total of only =B basic character shapes to be learne". 4ue to estern influence 2Hangul2 is often ritten from left to right an" top to bottom like English, but can also be ritten from top to bottom an" right to left like Chinese. Each letter of the alphabet is a simple shape that represents a soun", (some characters change soun"s or (ust have a har"er soun" "epen"ing on their location in the syllable#. E6ample: 8he Korean letter 22 soun"s like a / in the initial position in a syllable an" like a K in the final position in a syllable as e can see in the or" 2 Guk,2 Here the letter "" sounds like G because it is in the initial position in

the syllable. Between the two consonants is the vowel ""; it is represented by a U and sounds like the oo in Pool. And the "" here in the final position sounds like a K.

2 /uk2 is the Korean or" for country. (8he soun" changes are recor"e" on the last page an" are easy to follo #. Each or" in Korean is broken "o n into syllables hich are compose" of C to @ charactersD every syllable starts ith a consonant an" has a vo el in it. Eor e6ample: 8he or" for Korea in Korean is 2 Han guk2D here is a break"o n of the letters an" syllables for the or" 2$an guk2

7yllable F<. onsonant; "" sounds like the letter H as in hotel.

!owel; "" sounds like the letter A as in father. And the "" here in the final position sounds like an ". #yllable $%. onsonant; "" sounds like the letter G in the initial position.

!owel; "" is represented by the letter U and sounds like oo as in pool. onsonant; "" sa&e as the first letter but sounds like a K because it is in the final position in the syllable.

Although the or"s are ritten in syllables they are pronounce" in a continuous flo . Every or" in Korean starts ith a consonant an" has a vo elD ho ever, the location of the vo el can change in relation to the first consonant "epen"ing on hich vo el is use". Eor e6ampleD 22 is a consonant hich is silent an" has no voice" soun" in the initial position an" 22 is a vo el hich soun"s like the i in machine. 3ecause the long a6is of the vo el 22 is up an" "o n it is place" on the right si"e of the consonant like this 22 so this syllable soun"s like ee as in )ee' the first letter is silent and the second letter sounds like the i in &achine. (ther vowels like ""' which sounds like the oo in )ood have a lon) a*is that runs fro& side to side; therefore' they are placed underneath the initial consonant like this "" so this syllable will sound like the oo fro& )ood. Every one of the vo els fits into either the group ith the long a6is up an" "o n like 2,,,,,,, an" 2 hich are place" on the right of the consonantD into the group ith the long a6is from left to right like 2,,, an" 2 hich are place" un"er the consonantD or those vo els hich have both an up an" "o n long a6is an" a left to right long a6is in the same vo el. 8hese vo els are combinations of C vo els like 22 hich is a combination of 22 an" 22 or 22 hich is a combination of 22 an" 22D an" the follo ing 2,,,,2 hich go un"er an" to the right of the consonant like this 2,2

Syllable Positions
<. Wor"s in Korean are forme" by groups of syllables. C. Every syllable must start ith a consonant an" have a vo el. =. 8he follo ing vertical vo els go along si"e the initial consonant like this: 2,,,,,,,,2 @. 8he follo ing horiGontal vo els go un"er the initial consonant like this: 2, ,,,2 A. 8hese vo el combinations go to the right an" un"er the consonant like thisD 2,,,,,,2 H. 8here are only si6 patterns for the formation of syllables. C = Consonant, I = Io el.

C I as in "" +)reen onion,

C I

as in "" +nose,

C I C these are the - &ost co&&on for&s. .hose that have two different consonants in the final position like as in "" +ur)ent, C I C as in ""+seaweed,

C CI C C C C are not that co&&on. as in "" +chicken, I as in "+dirt,

/. .he sounds of so&e consonants chan)e dependin) on their position in the syllable' for e*a&ple0 "" has an # sound when it is the first +initial, consonant in a syllable but chan)es to a . sound when it is the last +final, consonant in a syllable.

Korean Alphabet Chart

CONSONANTS #ounds in the initial and final positions. 1"1.1A2 G/K+4, " 5 R/L+%, 7 B # si#ent$%& : C' K . P H GG$), 55 BB 31"A2 K N T 2 7 "+8, T "G T . K T P T K . "" A AE 6A YAE EO 9 YEO 69 ( WA WAE O( YO U ;9( ;9 U1 as in Father Pay Yacht Yea! Yo n! Set Yo n! Yet Yo Yo Water Waiter Wait YO YO Coo# Won Wet We VOWELS Romanization

## ::

T T

6U U U1 1$,&

Yo Goo* +( Shee-

1. Sounds like a cross between a G and a K. 2. Sounds like a cross between an R and an L. 3. When this character (in the final position) is directl followed b a ! ! in the ne"t s llable it#s sound chan$es to an %. &. 'ecause e(er s llable )ust start with a consonant the silent ! ! is so)eti)es used. *n s llables that be$in with this consonant the first sound pronounced is the (owel. +. ,ll the double consonants ha(e a harder sound than their sin$le counterparts and are pronounced with no e"pulsion of air. -. ."cept when preceded b an ! ! in which case it sounds like * as in it.

Handy Word and Phrase List

8he follo ing is a list of or"s phrases in 2$angul2 that you can use to practice rea"ing. &f you practice ith these or"s you ill Juickly "evelop an un"erstan"ing of 2$angul,2 an" your visit to Korea ill be much more en(oyable as you ill have a better un"erstan"ing of the language, an" hence the country, you are visiting. !ocabulary Handy phrases

Korean +person, A&erican +person, ;hen .oday .o&orrow

noun <

Pleased to &eet you. 2on) ti&e no see Please )ive &e < noun. 2et=s )o> Korean &oney

"ow 6esterday 2ater 3riend ;o&an 7an Hi Breakfast 2unch 5inner Good Bad 6oun) lady 7a=a& 7ister' #ir #orry @estaurant Bathroo& .elephone "o 6es ;here ;hy

noun < ? ? ? + < na&e <

A&erican &oney 1 like noun. How have you been? ;here are you )oin)? Please co&e in. Please sit down. How &uch is it? .hank 6ou. ;hat=s your na&e? 7y na&e is < na&e.

? ;hat is this? Please say it a)ain. ? noun < * ,- ? noun < Please speak slowly. an you speak 9n)lish? 9*cuse &e> #ee you a)ain. ;here is the noun? 1 want a < noun. 1 want to )o. noun. noun. 1=& tired. 1=& hun)ry.

noun < ./ 01 1 want to eat < noun < 2/ 01 1 want to buy <

Grammar Notes
./ Korean sentence str ct re 0o##o1s this -attern2 S 34ect $S 34ect mar5er& Ver36 as in2 $& 7 $1here is a resta rant7&

8ore com-#e9 sentences incor-orate an O34ect an* an O34ect mar5er2 S 34ect $s 34ect mar5er& O34ect $O34ect mar5er& Ver36 #i5e this: $& $& $( #i5e Korea/& ;/ The n*erstoo* s 34ect is o0ten *ro--e* in Korean as it is in En!#ish: so the sentence a3o<e can 3ecome2 $& $A(= #i5e Korea&6 the n*erstoo* s 34ect >(> is *ro--e*/ ?/ A*4ecti<es a#1ays !o in 0ront o0 the no ns2 A*4ecti<e S 34ect $S 34ect mar5er& A*4ecti<e O34ect $O34ect mar5er& Ver36 #i5e this2 $& $& +1hich means: Americans #i5e s-icy 0oo*& @ s-icy/ %/ A*<er3s !o in 0ront o0 the Ver32 A*<er3 Ver36 as in2 $!i<e me a #ot&/