100+ Useful Conversational Phrases & Words in Korean
Want to learn conversational Korean?
Learn key Korean words and phrases in important conversational topics with this post! Plus, there’s a free PDF you can download with even more useful words and phrases in Korean.
As a part of the Korean language challenge I did with Lindsay of Lindsay Does Languages, I thought it would be fun to share the phrase and word sheet I use as a guide to give me an extra boost when speaking Korean.
These phrases or expressions are those that I’ve found quite useful, especially as a part of those first few conversations and now, I’d like to share them with you.
As a part of the challenge, most of the focus for Lindsay and I had been to learn a bit of Korean grammar (honorifics, basic conjugation, and so on), but I also wanted to spend time learning helpful phrases for day-to-day conversations.
So rather than continuing to focus on rules involving particles, I got to learn fun expressions like “what kind of music do you like?” and get that much closer to actually conversing with Korean speakers.
In this post you’ll find a short selection of the 100+ conversational phrases and words in Korean (actually, it’s closer to 140 words and phrases) I have available as part of a downloadable PDF that you can get below.
Happy Korean language learning!
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Korean Greetings
| English | Korean | Transliteration |
| How are you/Hello | 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo |
| What’s new? | 별일 없지요 ? | byeol-il eobsjiyo |
| Long time no see | 오랜만이다 | orenmanida |
| Nice to meet you | 만나서 반갑습니다 | mannasuh bangapseumnida |
| I am very happy to meet you | 만나서 참 반가워요 | mannaseo cham bangawoyo |
Basic & Polite Phrases in Korean
| English | Korean | Transliteration |
| Yes | 네 | ne |
| No | 아니요 | aniyo |
| Excuse me (to request something) | 실례지만… | shillejiman… |
| Thank you | 감사합니다 | kamsahamnida |
| You’re welcome / don’t mention it | 천만 에 요 | cheonman e yo |
Get the Conversation Rolling in Korean
| English | Korean | Transliteration |
| Please don’t speak English | 영어 로 말하지 마세요 | yeong-eo lo malhaji maseyo |
| What? | 뭐 ? | mwo |
| What music do you like? | 어떤 음악 을 좋아해요 ? | eotteon eum-ag eul joh-ahaeyo |
| I like … | 저는 … 좋아해요 | jeoneun … joh-ahaeyo |
| What do you do when you have free time | 시간 있을 때 뭐 하세요 ? | sigan iss-eul ttae mwo haseyo |
Getting a Bit of Clarification in Korean
| English | Korean | Transliteration |
| What does this mean? | 무슨 뜻이에요? | museun tteusieyo |
| Please say that one more time. | 다시 한 번 말해 주세요. | dasi han beon malhae juseyo |
| Please speak slowly. | 천천히 말해 주세요. | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo |
| Please write it down. | 적어 주세요 | jeog-eo juseyo |
| I don’t understand | 모르겠 습니 다 | moreugesseumnida |
Words About Time in Korean
| English | Korean | Transliteration |
| Sometimes | 가끔 | gakkeum |
| Always | 항상 | hangsang |
| Today | 오늘 | oneul |
| Tomorrow | 내일 | naeil |
| Yesterday | 어제 | eoje |
Exclamations & Transition Words to Take Your Korean Speaking to the Next Level
| English | Korean | Transliteration |
| Well… | 글쎄요… | geulsseyo |
| Um | 음 | eum |
| Oh my gosh | 헐 | heol |
| For real? | 진짜요? | jinjjayo |
| I think so | 저도 그렇게 생각 합니다 | jeodo geuleohge saeng-gag habnida |
Conversation Closers & Goodbye in Korean
| English | Korean | Transliteration |
| See you later | 나중에 봬요 | najunge bwaeyo |
| Good bye | 안녕히 계세요 | annyonghi geseyo |
| Have a nice day | 좋은 하루 되세요 | joeun haru dweseyo |
| See you later. | 이따 봐요. | itta bwayo |
| I have to go now | 나 지금 가야 돼 | na jigeum gaya dwae |
Bonus
As a bonus, here is a fun video I found using some of the phrases above so you can hear how they sound!
*Please note that most of the above examples use formal language, assuming that you’re getting to know the person that you’re speaking with.
And here’s my progress in Korean after studying the language for just 90 days with the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp (formerly the Challenge):
Get your free PDF with 100+ Conversational Korean Words and Phrases
Sign up for my free language learning library and get access to my Korean phrases PDF as well as tons of other language learning resources!
Are you learning Korean? What are some phrases that you’ve found useful in your target language? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
You can also check out my recommended resources for Korean. Or you can dive into taekwondo vocabulary in Korean or learn a bit about Korean culture.
