What matters
- The phrases use broadly polite -요 style and approximate English-speaker pronunciation aids.
- Speech level and forms of address depend on relationship, age, role and setting, so polite speech is the safer starting point with a new acquaintance.
- Korean often omits pronouns when the person is clear; using 당신 as a direct equivalent of everyday English ‘you’ can sound unnatural or confrontational in many contexts.
- A question about age, work, relationship status or family may be intended to establish social context, but a visitor is not required to answer it.
- Backchannel responses such as 네, 맞아요, 그렇군요 and 정말요 show attention but do not all mean agreement or consent.
- A compliment about a person's choice, skill or recommendation is usually lower pressure than judging their body, age or private life.
- Names, titles and informal speech should not be guessed from dramas; wait for the person to introduce a preferred form of address.
- This guide describes communication options, not a claim that all Koreans speak, react or socialize in one way.
Open with polite speech and the shared situation
Use 안녕하세요 and a small nod for a neutral first greeting. Introduce only the information relevant to the setting, then let the other person decide whether to continue. A shop queue, walking tour, class, event or shared table offers a clearer opening than stopping someone who is rushing or wearing headphones.
Keep -요 endings until the other person explicitly suggests casual speech. Do not copy a drama's 반말, family title or romantic form of address for a stranger, even when the speaker seems younger.
- 안녕하세요 — an-nyeong-ha-se-yo — Hello.
- 처음 뵙겠습니다 — cheo-eum boep-kke-sseum-ni-da — It is nice to meet you for the first time.
- 저는 ___에서 왔어요 — jeo-neun ___e-seo wa-sseo-yo — I am from ___.
- 한국은 처음이에요 — han-gu-geun cheo-eu-mi-e-yo — It is my first time in Korea.
- 여행 중이에요 — yeo-haeng jung-i-e-yo — I am traveling.
- 여기 자주 오세요? — yeo-gi ja-ju o-se-yo? — Do you come here often?
Use weather and the immediate place as low-pressure topics
Weather, the current view, a festival, a queue or the atmosphere gives both people something visible to discuss. Phrase an observation first and a question second; this makes it easy to answer briefly without disclosing personal information.
Do not turn one person's reaction into a national rule. Heat, cold, rain, crowds and scenery are individual experiences, and a local person may simply be working rather than sightseeing.
- 오늘 날씨가 좋네요 — o-neul nal-ssi-ga jon-ne-yo — The weather is nice today.
- 오늘 정말 덥네요 — o-neul jeong-mal deom-ne-yo — It is really hot today.
- 비가 많이 오네요 — bi-ga ma-ni o-ne-yo — It is raining a lot.
- 경치가 정말 좋아요 — gyeong-chi-ga jeong-mal jo-a-yo — The view is really nice.
- 오늘 사람이 많네요 — o-neul sa-ra-mi man-ne-yo — It is crowded today.
- 이 행사는 처음이에요? — i haeng-sa-neun cheo-eu-mi-e-yo? — Is this your first time at this event?
Talk about food through taste and recommendations
Food is an easy shared topic when a dish or café is already part of the situation. Describe your own taste rather than ranking an entire cuisine, and ask what the other person likes instead of requesting the one ‘authentic’ answer.
A recommendation reflects preference, budget and context. Confirm ingredients, spice, waiting time and location separately when the suggestion will become a purchase.
- 이거 정말 맛있어요 — i-geo jeong-mal ma-si-sseo-yo — This is really delicious.
- 이 음식 좋아하세요? — i eum-sik jo-a-ha-se-yo? — Do you like this food?
- 어떤 메뉴를 좋아하세요? — eo-tteon me-nyu-reul jo-a-ha-se-yo? — What kind of menu item do you like?
- 근처에 추천하는 곳이 있어요? — geun-cheo-e chu-cheon-ha-neun go-si i-sseo-yo? — Is there a place nearby you recommend?
- 저는 매운 음식을 잘 못 먹어요 — jeo-neun mae-un eum-si-geul jal mot meo-geo-yo — I am not good with spicy food.
- 다음에는 그걸 먹어볼게요 — da-eu-me-neun geu-geol meo-geo-bol-ge-yo — I will try that next time.
Ask about trips, neighborhoods and interests
Ask about a place the person chose to visit or an activity already mentioned. ‘What do you like?’ leaves more room than assuming that everyone follows K-pop, dramas, hiking, gaming or a particular sport.
When someone recommends a less familiar area, ask what to do there and how they travel rather than calling it a secret place that foreigners do not know. Keep home and workplace locations general unless the person volunteers details.
- 어디 다녀오셨어요? — eo-di da-nyeo-o-syeo-sseo-yo? — Where have you been?
- 어떤 여행지를 좋아하세요? — eo-tteon yeo-haeng-ji-reul jo-a-ha-se-yo? — What kind of travel destinations do you like?
- 이 동네에서 뭐 하는 걸 좋아하세요? — i dong-ne-e-seo mwo ha-neun geol jo-a-ha-se-yo? — What do you like doing in this neighborhood?
- 요즘 취미가 뭐예요? — yo-jeum chwi-mi-ga mwo-ye-yo? — What is your hobby these days?
- 저도 산책을 좋아해요 — jeo-do san-chae-geul jo-a-hae-yo — I like walking too.
- 어떻게 가는 게 좋아요? — eo-tteo-ke ga-neun ge jo-a-yo? — What is a good way to get there?
Use reactions that keep the other person speaking
Short responses show that you are listening while leaving room for correction. 그렇군요 means roughly ‘I see’; it acknowledges information without promising that you agree. 맞아요 expresses agreement, so use it only when that is what you mean.
Repeat the key word or ask a short follow-up instead of filling every pause. 정말요 can show genuine surprise, but loud or repeated reactions may feel performative in a quiet setting.
- 정말요? — jeong-mal-yo? — Really?
- 그렇군요 — geu-reot-kun-yo — I see.
- 맞아요 — ma-ja-yo — That is right / I agree.
- 저도요 — jeo-do-yo — Me too.
- 몰랐어요 — mol-la-sseo-yo — I did not know that.
- 재미있네요 — jae-mi-in-ne-yo — That is interesting.
- 좋네요 — jon-ne-yo — That sounds nice.
- 그다음에는 어떻게 됐어요? — geu-da-eu-me-neun eo-tteo-ke dwae-sseo-yo? — What happened after that?
Give compliments without making the person the object
Compliment a choice, effort, explanation or skill that is relevant to the interaction. Comments about weight, skin, age, income, relationship prospects or resemblance to an ethnicity can be intrusive even when intended positively.
Do not insist when a compliment is deflected. A simple 감사합니다 or a return to the shared topic is enough; the person does not owe a personal story or reciprocal compliment.
- 설명을 정말 잘하시네요 — seol-myeong-eul jeong-mal jal-ha-si-ne-yo — You explain it very well.
- 추천해 주신 곳이 정말 좋았어요 — chu-cheon-hae ju-sin go-si jeong-mal jo-a-sseo-yo — The place you recommended was really good.
- 사진이 정말 멋져요 — sa-ji-ni jeong-mal meot-jyeo-yo — The photo is really impressive.
- 한국어를 가르쳐 주셔서 감사합니다 — han-gu-geo-reul ga-reu-chyeo ju-syeo-seo gam-sa-ham-ni-da — Thank you for teaching me Korean.
- 선택이 좋네요 — seon-tae-gi jon-ne-yo — That is a good choice.
Handle age, work and relationship questions with a boundary
Some people ask age to understand which speech level or social role may feel natural; others may ask out of curiosity. That context does not make every question comfortable or require an answer. Give a broad answer, decline or redirect without apologizing for the boundary.
The same applies to salary, religion, politics, relationship status, family plans, health and exact accommodation. Do not invent sensitive information to appear polite; a short boundary plus a new topic is clearer.
- 나이는 비밀이에요 — na-i-neun bi-mi-ri-e-yo — My age is a secret.
- 그건 조금 개인적인 질문이에요 — geu-geon jo-geum gae-in-jeo-gin jil-mu-ni-e-yo — That is a little personal.
- 그 질문에는 답하지 않을게요 — geu jil-mu-ne-neun dap-ha-ji a-neul-ge-yo — I will not answer that question.
- 그냥 여행 이야기할까요? — geu-nyang yeo-haeng i-ya-gi-hal-kka-yo? — Shall we just talk about travel?
- 직업은 자세히 말하지 않을게요 — ji-geo-beun ja-se-hi mal-ha-ji a-neul-ge-yo — I would rather not give details about my job.
- 숙소 위치는 공유하지 않아요 — suk-so wi-chi-neun gong-yu-ha-ji a-na-yo — I do not share my accommodation location.
Ask how to address someone instead of guessing
Korean forms of address depend on the relationship and setting. Avoid 당신 as a routine substitute for English ‘you,’ and do not call a stranger 오빠, 언니, 이모, 아줌마 or a professional title based on appearance. Use the person's stated name or role, or omit the address when the sentence is already clear.
If the conversation continues, ask what name or title they prefer and whether casual speech is comfortable. An invitation to speak casually is mutual context, not permission to use every slang expression.
- 어떻게 불러드리면 돼요? — eo-tteo-ke bul-leo-deu-ri-myeon dwae-yo? — How should I address you?
- 저를 ___라고 불러주세요 — jeo-reul ___ra-go bul-leo-ju-se-yo — Please call me ___.
- 존댓말로 이야기할게요 — jon-daen-mal-lo i-ya-gi-hal-ge-yo — I will speak politely.
- 편하게 말씀하세요 — pyeon-ha-ge mal-sseum-ha-se-yo — Please feel comfortable speaking.
- 제가 표현을 잘못했으면 알려주세요 — je-ga pyo-hyeo-neul jal-mo-tae-sseu-myeon al-lyeo-ju-se-yo — Please tell me if I used an expression incorrectly.
Close the conversation clearly and warmly
A polite closing is better than inventing an invitation or exchanging contact details you do not want to use. Give the reason only as specifically as you are comfortable with, thank the person and state that you are leaving.
‘Next time’ can be a warm social closing rather than a confirmed plan. If you genuinely plan to meet, confirm the channel, date and place separately; otherwise do not treat a friendly phrase as a booking.
- 이야기해서 즐거웠어요 — i-ya-gi-hae-seo jeul-geo-wo-sseo-yo — I enjoyed talking with you.
- 만나서 반가웠어요 — man-na-seo ban-ga-wo-sseo-yo — It was nice meeting you.
- 저는 이제 가볼게요 — jeo-neun i-je ga-bol-ge-yo — I will get going now.
- 일정이 있어서 먼저 가야 해요 — il-jeong-i i-sseo-seo meon-jeo ga-ya hae-yo — I have plans, so I need to leave first.
- 도와주셔서 감사합니다 — do-wa-ju-syeo-seo gam-sa-ham-ni-da — Thank you for helping me.
- 좋은 하루 보내세요 — jo-eun ha-ru bo-nae-se-yo — Have a good day.
- 다음에 또 봐요 — da-eu-me tto bwa-yo — See you again next time.
Save a small offline conversation card
Opening card: 안녕하세요. 저는 ___에서 왔고 한국을 여행 중이에요. 이곳은 처음인데 어떤 점을 좋아하세요? It introduces your origin and travel context, then asks what the other person likes about the shared place.
Boundary and closing card: 그건 조금 개인적인 질문이라 답하지 않을게요. 이야기해서 즐거웠지만 저는 이제 가볼게요. 좋은 하루 보내세요. It declines a personal question, closes the conversation and wishes the person a good day.
- Use the Korean line as support, not as a script that the other person must continue.
- Keep -요 speech as the default with a new acquaintance.
- Do not expose accommodation, travel-document or payment details during casual conversation.
- Consent to talk, take a photo, exchange contacts or meet again should be treated as separate choices.
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