Question Words and Phrases in Korean

Learning Korean means asking a lot of questions, and if you want to ask those questions in Korean, you need to know the basic question words who, what, where, and so on as well as helpful questions themselves. The following table shows the basic question words:

English Question Who? What? Where? How When? Why?

Korean Translation nugu? mueot? eodi? eotteoke? eonje? wae?

Pronunciation noo-goo? moo-uht? uh-dee? uh-ttuh-kae? uhn-jae? wae?

When you want to ask a full-fledged question, use the phrases in the following table:

English Question Hows it going? Do you speak English? Can you help me? What is your name? What time is it? How much is this? Where is the bathroom? Can you repeat that? Can you slow down a bit? Where is it?

Korean Translation annyeonghaseyo? yeongeo haljul aseyo? jeo jom dowa jusillaeyo? seonghami eotteokke doeseyo? myeotsieyo? ige eolmajyo? hwajangsiri eodiiseoyo? dasi malsseum haejusillaeyo? jom cheoncheoni malsseum haejusileyo? eodi itjiyo?

Pronunciation an-nyoung-ha-sae-yo? young-uh hal-jool a-sae-yo? juh jom do-wa-joo-shil-lae-yo? sung-ha-mee uh-ttuh-kae dwae-saeyo? myuht-shi-ae-yo? ee-gae ul-ma-jyo? hwa-jang-shi-ree uh-dee-ee-ssuh-yo? da-shi mal-sseum hae-joo-shil-lae-yo? jom chun-chun-nee mal-sseum haejoo-shil-lae-yo? uh-dee eet-jee-yo?

Everyday Expressions in Korean

Conversing in Korean means knowing the everyday expressions everyone uses in normal conversation. The words and phrases in the following table give you the essential words and phrases:

English Expression Hello. Please. Thank you. Thank you. Im sorry. I dont know. I dont understand. Excuse me.

Korean Translation annyeong. jebal. gomapseumnida. gamsahamnida. joesonghamnida. moreugetseumnida. mot aradeutgetseumnida. sillyehamnida.

Pronunciation an-nyoung. jae-bal. go-map-sseum-nee-da. gam-sa-ham-nee-da. jwae-song-ham-nee-da. mo-reu-get-sseum-nee-da. mot a-ra-deut-get-sseum-nee-da. shil-lae-ham-nee-da.

Korean Calendar Terms

Being able to talk about the days of the week and months of the year are standard, new-language skills you need when learning Korean. The following tables list both, starting with the days of the week:

English Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Korean Translation woryoil hwayoil suyoil mogyoil geumyoil toyoil iryoil

Pronunciation wo-ryo-il hwa-yo-il soo-yo-il mo-gyo-il geu-myo-il to-yo-il ee-ryo-il

The following table translates the months into Korean:

English January February March April May

Korean Translation irwol iwol samwol sawol owol

Pronunciation ee-rwol eeh-wol sam-wol sa-wol oh-wol

English July August September October November

Korean Translation chirwol parwol guwol siwol sibirwol

Pronunciation chi-rwol pa-rwol goo-wol shi-wol ship-ee-rwol

June

yuwol

yoo-wol

December

sibiwol

ship-ee-wol

Numbers in Korean
Numbers are essential in becoming familiar with a new language and Korean is no different. The following table shows the basic numbers from 1 to 20 along with the decade numbers to 100 in both Korean and Sino-Korean:

Num ber

SinoKorean Number (Pronunc iation) il (Il)

Korean Number (Pronunc iation) hana (hana) dul (dool)

Num ber

SinoKorean Number (Pronunc iation) sip il (shipil) sip i (shipee) sip sam (shipsam) sip sa (shipsa) sip o (ship o)

Korean Number (Pronunc iation) yeol hana (yuhl hana) yeol dul (yuhl dool) yeol set (yuhl set) yeol net (yuhl net) yeol daseot (yuhl dasut) yeol yeoseot (yuhl yuh-sut) yeol ilgop (yuhl ilgop) yeol yeodeol (yuhl yuh-duhl) yeol ahop (yuhl a-

Num ber

SinoKorean Number (Pronunc iation) i sip (eeship) sam sip (samship) sa sip (saship) o sip (oship) yuk sip (yookship) chil sip (chilship) pal sip (pal-ship)

Korean Number (Pronunc iation) seumul (seumool) seoreun (suhreun) maheun (maheun) shwin (sween) yesun (yaesoon) ilheun (ilheun)

11

20

i (ee)

12

30

sam (sam) sa (sa) o (o)

set (set)

13

40

4 5

net (net) daseot (da-sut)

14 15

50 60

yuk (yook)

yeoseot (yuh-sut)

16

sip yuk (shipyook) sip chil (shipchil) sip pal (ship-pal)

70

chil (chil)

ilgop (ilgop)

17

80

yeodeun (yuhdeun) aheun (aheun)

pal (pal)

yeodeol (yuhduhl) ahop (ahop)

18

90

gu sip (gooship) baek (baek)

gu (goo)

19

sip gu (ship-

100

baek (baek)

goo)

hop)