Korean Dictionary
How to say "Retail" in Korean
“Retail” in Korean is 소매 (pronounced "so-mae").
소매
so-mae
Usage & Context
소매 refers to retail sales where individual customers purchase items at regular prices. Most shopping experiences in Korea involve retail transactions at stores and online platforms.
Example Sentence
소매 가격은 도매 가격보다 비싸요.
Retail prices are higher than wholesale prices.
How to use 소매 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Retail” is 소매, romanized as so-mae.
Usage tip
Shopping Korean usually sounds more natural when you use short polite questions instead of translating English directly.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 소매.
Pronunciation Guide
The first syllable, '소' (so), sounds like 'so' in 'so much'. The second syllable, '매' (mae), sounds like 'may' in 'May Day'.
More Example Sentences
A customer asking about the price of an item in a store.
이 제품의 소매 가격은 얼마인가요?
What is the retail price of this product?
A shop owner explaining their business model to a customer looking to buy in bulk.
저희는 소매 판매만 하고 있습니다.
We only do retail sales.
Discussing trends in the Korean shopping industry.
온라인 쇼핑몰은 소매 시장의 큰 부분을 차지해요.
Online shopping malls account for a large part of the retail market.
Cultural Context
In Korea, '소매' (so-mae) refers to the direct sale of goods to consumers, which is the most common form of shopping. With the rise of e-commerce, online retail platforms like Coupang, Naver Shopping, and Gmarket dominate the '소매' landscape alongside traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Understanding the distinction between '도매' (wholesale) and '소매' is key for anyone interested in business or shopping in Korea.
Editorial note
We review entries like 소매 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
소매 가격
Retail price
소매점
Retail store
소매 판매
Retail sales
Related Expressions
도매
do-mae
wholesale
소비자
so-bi-ja
consumer
판매
pan-mae
sale
소매점
so-mae-jeom
retail store
More Shopping Words
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