Korean for travel
The sentence you need, right when the trip gets complicated.
Built for adults who want clarity, not a 500-phrase homework list. Say one safe polite sentence, recognize the likely reply, or show the Korean card on your phone.
Fast to scan
Organized in the order the situation happens.
Replies included
Know the short Korean answer you may hear.
Accuracy first
Medical and emergency cards favor written details.
Adult tone
Safe polite Korean for travel and business settings.
Choose the moment
What are you trying to do?
Airport arrival
Get from arrivals to your first train, bus, or taxi without guessing.
Landing is easier when you can ask one precise question and recognize the short answer. These phrases cover the path from baggage claim to your first ride into the city.
Open guideSubway & T-money
Buy, top up, transfer, and find the right exit with short polite Korean.
Seoul transit signs are multilingual, but ticket machines, card problems, and transfers still create stressful moments. Use these short questions at a station or convenience store.
Open guideTaxi
Handle the ride from pickup to receipt without sounding abrupt.
A Korean address on screen does more work than a long explanation. These phrases help with the few moments when a driver still needs a clear instruction.
Open guideHotel
Solve the common hotel moments without translating a full paragraph.
Hotel staff often speak some English, but a short Korean phrase helps when the lobby is busy or you need to describe one specific room problem.
Open guideRestaurant
Move from the door to the bill with phrases staff hear every day.
Restaurant Korean becomes manageable when you use a noun plus 주세요 and ask dietary questions as complete sentences. This guide covers the full meal in order.
Open guideCafe
Build one clean cafe order and understand the questions at the counter.
Korean cafe orders follow a predictable sequence: drink, temperature, size or quantity, customization, then whether you will stay or take it out.
Open guideShopping & payments
Shop and pay with clear questions instead of a translation paragraph.
The safest shopping Korean is specific: point to the item, name one change, and confirm the payment or return condition before the transaction ends.
Open guidePharmacy & medical
Communicate the essential facts without guessing at medical vocabulary.
Medical Korean should be literal and short. State the symptom, when it began, allergies, and current medicine. Show written details when accuracy matters.
Open guideEmergency
Put the most important sentence and phone number on one screen.
In an emergency, say the danger first, then your location. Korea uses 112 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance. The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline can help with non-life-threatening travel support and interpretation.
Open guideBusiness trip
Open and close professional interactions with safe, respectful Korean.
A few formal phrases make introductions and hosted dinners smoother. Use them as respectful signals, then continue the detailed discussion in the shared business language.
Open guideFamily travel
Make practical requests for a child without relying on vague gestures.
Family requests are easiest when you name the child-related item directly and show the destination or symptom. These phrases cover restaurants, attractions, transport, and urgent moments.
Open guideA better phrasebook
Words alone are not enough.
A traveler who says a technically correct word can still miss the reply, the politeness level, or the detail that actually matters. Every Koko guide connects the request, likely answer, and next action.
Example
카드가 안 찍혀요.
My card is not scanning.
You may hear
잔액이 부족해요.
The balance is too low.