Step 02 · Start speaking
Your first Korean phrases: hello, thank you, and polite requests
Learn a small set of expressions you can use in real situations. Each example explains what it means, who you can say it to, and what to watch for.
Start with polite expressions
When you speak to a stranger, a shop employee, or a teacher, polite expressions are a useful starting point. Korean has different ways of speaking depending on the relationship and situation.
Learn each expression as a whole phrase first. You do not need to analyse every grammar ending to use a greeting.
The large Korean line is the expression to learn. Under it, you will find an English-letter reading aid and the English meaning. Romanization is approximate; compare the phrase with Korean audio as you practise.
Greet someone: 안녕하세요
When you meet someone
Hello.
Use this when meeting someone or entering a small shop where you make contact with an employee. It is a polite greeting that works throughout the day.
You can answer 안녕하세요 with the same expression. A friendly tone and a small nod are often enough for an ordinary greeting.
안녕 is an informal greeting. Use it with people with whom informal speech is appropriate, rather than treating it as a universal shorter version for strangers.
Thank someone: 감사합니다
After someone helps you
Thank you.
This is a polite expression you can use when someone gives you your order, answers a question, or helps you with something.
The spelling and pronunciation are not always a letter-for-letter match. In this phrase, 합니다 is pronounced approximately hamnida. Learn the sound of the full expression with a recording.
You may also hear 고마워요 (gomawoyo), another polite way to say thank you. Begin with one reliable expression instead of trying to memorise every alternative at once.
Ask for something: … 주세요
Pointing to an item on a menu
This one, please.
이거 means “this thing.” 주세요 makes a polite request to give you something. Point clearly so the other person knows what you mean.
You can replace 이거 with a thing you want:
| Korean | Reading aid | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 물 주세요. | mul juseyo | Water, please. |
| 메뉴 주세요. | menyu juseyo | The menu, please. |
This is a useful pattern for asking for an item. It does not mean you can replace every English use of “please” with 주세요; requests for actions may need a different sentence pattern.
Get attention and ask for repetition
Approaching someone politely
Excuse me.
Use it when you need to interrupt or approach someone. For example, begin with this before asking a stranger a question.
When you did not catch what someone said
Please say that again.
다시 means “again.” You are asking for repetition. To request a slower pace, try 천천히 말해 주세요 (cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo): “Please speak slowly.”
It is fine to pause, point, or use a written note while you learn. Knowing how to ask for clarification is part of communicating.
A simple yes and no
| Korean | Reading aid | Basic use |
|---|---|---|
| 네. | ne | Yes; also an acknowledgement that you are listening. |
| 아니요. | aniyo | No. |
For a positive question such as “Is this yours?”, these basic meanings are useful. Do not assume every Korean yes/no answer works exactly like English, especially when responding to a negative question. Listen to the whole exchange.
Put the phrases into a small conversation
Imagine you are at a café counter and pointing to a drink on the menu.
You: 안녕하세요. 이거 주세요.
Hello. This one, please.
Employee: 네.
Okay.
You, after receiving your drink: 감사합니다.
Thank you.
What would you say?
1. Someone has helped you find the right bus.
2. You want a menu at a restaurant.
3. Someone spoke too quickly and you need them to repeat.
Check suggested answers
1. 감사합니다. Thank you.
2. 메뉴 주세요. The menu, please.
3. 다시 말해 주세요. Please say that again.
Pick two expressions for today. Read the situation, cover the Korean, and try to remember the expression. Tomorrow, add one more.
Check word meanings and recorded pronunciation in the National Institute of Korean Language’s Korean–English Learners’ Dictionary.
Your next small step
How Korean sentences work: your first simple sentences