When you visit a new country, shopping is a must! If you find yourself planning a trip to South Korea, but do not know the correct vocabulary needed for a successful shopping trip, we have got you covered! This lesson will introduce basic shopping related vocabulary in Korean.
In this post, we’ll introduce you to a variety of basic shopping terms in Korean. From asking prices to understanding sizes and colors, we’ve got you covered. We’ll also guide you through some common phrases that will come in handy during your shopping adventures in Korea. This vocabulary will not only aid you in your shopping escapades but will also provide a window into the cultural practices and etiquettes of shopping in Korea.
So, grab your shopping bags and let’s dive into the exciting world of shopping vocabulary in Korean. By the end of this post, you’ll be ready to shop with confidence and engage more deeply with Korean culture and language.
Basic Shopping Nouns
| Korean | Romanization | English |
| 가게 | Ga-ge | Store |
| 시장 | Shi-jang | Market |
| 슈퍼마켓 | Syu-peo-ma-ket) | Supermarket |
| 쇼핑몰 | Syo-ping-mol | Shopping Mall |
| 백화점 | Baek-hwa-jeom | Department store |
| 전통시장 | Jeon-tong-shi-jang | Traditional market |
| 편의점 | Pyeon-ui-jeom | Convenience store |
| 시험실 | Shi-heom-shil | Fitting room |
| 옷 | Ot | Clothes |
| 신발 | Shin-bal | Shoes |
| 가방 | Ga-bang | Bag |
| 음식 | Eum-shik | Food |
| 음료수 | Eum-ryo-su | Beverage |
| 책 | Chaek | Book |
| 서점 | Seo-jeom | Bookstore |
| 가격 | Ga-gyeok | Price |
| 가격표 | Ga-gyeok-pyo | Price tag |
| 값 | Kap | Price |
| 반값 | Pan-kap | Half price |
| 돈 | Don | Money |
| 현금 | Hyeon-geum | Cash |
| 체크 카드 | Che-keu ka-deu | Debit card |
| 신용 카드 | Shin-yong ka-deu | Credit card |
| 적립 카드 | Jeok-rip ka-deu | Point card |
| 할인 카드 | Hal-in ka-deu | Discount card |
| 할인 | Hal-in | Discount |
| 판매 | Pan-mae | Sale |
| 중고품 | Jung-go-pum | Second hand goods |
| 보증서 | Bo-jeung-seo | Warranty |
| 영수증 | Yeong-su-jeung | Receipt |
| 환불 | Hwan-bul | Refund |
| 교환 | Gyo-hwan | Exchange |
| 세금 | Se-geum | Tax |
| 고객 | Go-gaek | Customer |
| 점원 | Jeom-won | Store worker |
| 영업시간 | Yeong-eop-shi-gan | Opening hours |
Verbs
| Korean | Romanization | English |
| 사다 | Sa-da | To buy |
| 팔다 | Pal-da | To sell |
| 고르다 | Go-reu-da | To choose |
| 입어보다 | Ib-eo-bo-da | To try on (clothes) |
| 입다 | Ib-da | To wear |
| 환불하다 | Hwan-bul-ha-da | To refund |
| 교환하다 | Gyo-hwan-ha-da | To exchange |
| 찾다 | Chat-da | To look for, to find |
| 가격을 비교하다 | Ga-gyeog-eul Bi-gyo-ha-da | To compare prices |
| 반품하다 | Ban-pum-ha-da | To return (an item) |
| 결제하다 | Gyeol-je-ha-da | To pay, to check out |
| 계산하다 | Gye-san-ha-da | To pay for |
| 흥정하다 | Heung-jeong-ha-da | To bargain |
| 구경하다 | Gu-gyeong-ha-da | To look around, to browse |
| 예약하다 | Ye-yak-ha-da | To reserve, to book |
| 장을 보다 | Jang-eul bo-da | To shop for the groceries |
| 수선하다 | Su-seon-ha-da | To fix clothes |
| 적립하다 | Jeok-rip-ha-da | To save/accumulate (points) |
Adjectives
| Korean | Romanization | English |
| 비싸다 | Bi-sa-da | To be expensive |
| 싸다 | Ssa-da | To be cheap |
| 저렴하다 | Jeo-ryeom-ha-da | To be inexpensive |
| 크다 | Keu-da | To be big |
| 작다 | Jak-da | To be small |
| 예쁘다 | Ye-ppeu-da | To be pretty |
| 멋지다 | Meot-ji-da | To be stylish, cool |
| 편하다 | Byeon-ha-da | To be comfortable |
| 좋다 | Joh-da | To be good |
| 나쁘다 | Na-ppeu-da | To be bad |
| 다양하다 | Da-yang-ha-da | To be various, diverse |
| 유행하다 | Yu-haeng-ha-da | To be trendy, fashionable |
Shopping Phrases
When navigating through shopping in Korea, having a set of handy phrases at your disposal can significantly enhance your experience. Here’s a compilation of useful Korean phrases that will help you shop more effectively and interact with ease in various shopping scenarios.
- 얼마예요? – How much is it?
- 이것 주세요 – Please give me this
- 할인되나요? – Is there a discount?
- 카드 받나요? – Do you accept cards?
- 영수증 주세요 – Please give me a receipt
- 바꿀 수 있어요? – Can I exchange this?
- 환불 가능해요? – Is a refund possible?
- 더 큰 사이즈 있어요? – Do you have a larger size?
- 다른 색상 있어요? – Do you have this in another color?
- 그 것을 어디서 살 수 있어요? – Where can you buy that?
- 필요한 게 있어요? – Do you need anything?
- 너무 비싸요 – It is too expensive.
- 이거 입어봐도 되나요? – Can I try this on?
- 적립카드가 있어요? – Do you have a point card?
- 영수증이 필요하세요? – Do you need the receipt?
- 봉지가 필요하세요? – Do you need a bag?
- 카드로 계산할게요 – I’ll pay for this by a card.
- 환불은 안 됩니다 – Refund is not available.
- 책 2권 샀어요 – I bought 2 books.
Example sentences
- 쇼핑하다 (syo-ping-ha-da)- To shop
Example – 오늘 하루 중일 쇼핑하자! (Let us shop all day today!)
- 가게 (ga-ge) – Shop / Store
Example- 그 가게는 예쁜 것 많아요. (That shop has many pretty things.)
- 고객 (go-gaek)- Customer
Example- 저 가게는 이 가게보다 고객들이 더 있어요. (That store has more customers than this one.)
- 점원 (jeom-won) – Store employee
Example- 점원의 성격이 나빠서 그 가게에 가는 것을 싫은데요. (I hate going to that store because the store clerk has a nasty personality.)
- 사다 (sa-da) – To buy / To purchase
Example- 사고 싶은 것들 많은데, 자제할 거예요. (There are many things I want to buy but I will control myself.)
- 팔다 (pal-da) – To sell
Example- 그 가게는 뭘 팔아요? (What does that store sell?)
- 기념품 (gi-nyeom-pum) – Souvenirs
Example- 기념품을 어디에서 사야지? (Where should I buy souvenirs from?)
- 시장 (si-jang) – Market
Example- 우리는 명동 시장에 가서 예쁜 옷들 샀어요. (We went to Myeongdong market and bought pretty clothes.)
- 편의점 (pyeon-i-jeom) – Convenience store
Example- 저번에 편의점에서 먹었던 라면이 너무 맛있었어요. (The ramen I ate at the convenience store last time was very delicious.)
- 슈퍼마켓 (syu-peo-ma-ket) – Supermarket
Example- 이 슈퍼마켓에 없는 게게 없어요! (This supermarket has everything!)
- 백화점 (baek-hwa-jeom) – Department store
Example- 이 백화점에 구경해봐요. 원하는 것 다 사줄게요! (Take a look around this department store. I will buy you anything you want.)
- 빵집 (ppang-jib) – Bakery
Example- 이 빵집은 제가 제일 좋아하는 도넛 팔아요. (This bakery sells my favorite donuts.)
- 문구점 (mun-gu-jeom) – Stationery shop
Example- 네 동생은 문구점에서 볼펜 샀어요. (Your younger sibling bought a ball pen at the stationery shop.)
- 옷 가게 (ot ga-ge) – Clothing store
Example- 곧 엄마 생일인데, 옷 가게에서 예쁜 원피스를 선물으로 살 거예요. (It’s my mom’s birthday soon. I am going to buy a pretty dress as a gift from the clothing store.)
- 신발 가게 (sin-bal ga-ge) – Shoe store
Example- 그 신발 가게에 운동화 여러가지가 있어요. (That shoe store has a lot of sneakers.)
- 과일 가게 (kwa-il ga-ge) – Fruit store
Example- 우리 아빠는 과일 가게를 운영해요. (My dad runs a fruit shop.)
- 꽃 가게 (kkot ga-ge) – Flower shop
Example- 내 남자친구가 이 꽃 가게에서 알바하는 사람이에요. (My boyfriend is the part-timer working at this flower shop.)
- 화장품 가게 (hwa-jang-pum ga-ge) – Cosmetic store
Example- 새로운 립스틱 살고 싶어서 나랑 화장품 가게 가줄래? (I want to buy a new lipstick. Will you come with me to the cosmetic store?)
- 액세서리 가게 (aek-se-seo-ri ga-ge) – Accessory store
Example- 한국의 액세서리 가게들 엄청 많아요. (There are many accessory stores in South Korea.)
- 장바구니 (jang-ba-gu-ni) – Shopping basket
Example- 우리 장바구니 필요하니? (Do we need a shopping basket?)
- 쇼핑 카트 (syo-ping kat-eu) – Shopping cart
Example- 쇼핑 카트 이제 한개만 남았어. (Now there is only one shopping cart left.)
- 가격 (ga-gyeok) – Price
Example- 그 가방은 너무 좋은 가격으로 샀어요. (I bought that bag at a great price.)
- 싼 (ssan) – Cheap
Example- 요즘에 과일은 싸지 않아요. (These days fruits are not cheap.)
- 비싼 (bi-ssan) – Expensive
Example- 원래 비싼 것 좋은 것 아니야? (Aren’t expensive things normally good?)
- 돈 (ton) – Money
Example- 새 바지를 사고 싶은데 지금은 돈이 없어요. (I want to buy a new pair of pants but I have no money right now.)
- 현금 (hyeon-geum) – Cash
Example- 그만큼 현금 갖는 사람 어디 있어요? (Who carries that much cash?)
- 신용 카드 (sin-yong kad-eu) – Credit card
Example- 대신 신용 카드를 사용할 수 있습니까? (Can I use a credit card instead?)
- 체크 카드 (che-keu kad-eu) – Debit card
Example- 신용 카드 없으시면 체크 카드 있으신가요? (If you do not have a credit card, do you have a debit card?)
- 계산대 (gye-san-dae) – Cash register
Example- 이것 좀 주세요. 계산대는 어디에 있어요? (Please give me this one. Where is the cash register?)
- 영수증 (yeong-su-jeung) – Receipt
Example- 저 영수증을 필요 없어요. (I do not need a receipt.)
- 지불하다 (ji-bul-ha-da) – To make payment
Example- 신용 카드로 지불하겠습니다. (I will pay by credit card.)
- 계산서 (gye-san-seo) – Bill
Example- 계산서 주세요. (Can I have the bill, please?)
- 교환 (gyo-hwan) – Exchange
Example- 언제까지 교환 할 수 있어요? (Until when can I exchange this?)
- 원 (won) – Won (Korean Currency)
Example- 이런 손목시계는 유행하니까, 좀 비싸요. (Since these watches are in trend, they are a bit expensive.)
- 달러 (dal-leo) – Dollar
Example- 1 달러 원으로 얼마예요? (How many Wons is one Dollar?)
- 할인 (har-in)- Discount / Reduction in price
Example- 할인 좀 줄 수 있으신가요? (Could you give me some discount, please?)
- 퍼센트(peo-sen-teu) – Percent
Example- 몇퍼센트 할인이 되나요? (How much percent is off?)
- 할인 카드 (har-in kad-eu) – Discount card
Example- 저기요, 저 할인 카드 있어요. 어떻게 사용해야 돼죠? (Excuse me, I have a discount card. How should I use it?)
- 쿠폰 (ku-pon) – Coupon
Example- 이 쿠폰 쓰면 얼마나 될 거에요? (How much will it cost with this coupon?)
- 깎다 (kkak-tta) – To lower the price or amount
Example- 아저씨, 값이 좀 깎아주시면 안돼요? (Can’t you lower the price a bit, sir?)
- 양 (yang) – Quantity
Example- 몇 양으로 팔아요? (What quantity do you sell?)
- 질 (jil) – Quality
Example- 양보다 질 더 중요하죠? (Quality is more important than quantity, right?)
- 탈의실 ( tar-ui-sil) – Fitting room
Example- 이걸 입어보고 싶어요. 탈의실 어디로 있어요? (I would like to try this on. Which way is the fitting room?)
- 사이즈 ( sa-i-jeu) – Size
Example- 이 사이즈 안 맞아요. 다른 사이즈가 있어요? (This size does not fit me. Do you have other sizes?)
- 디자인 (di-ja-in) – Design
Example- 요즘에 그 디자인 돼게 유행하다! (These days that design is very popular)
Additional tip
Looking around and shopping might be one thing. However, when it comes to dealing with numbers, Korean vocabulary can be quite confusing. These might be some useful tips to keep in mind when you want to talk numbers- quantity, price etc.
Use Sino Korean numbers for money
| 일 | One |
| 이 | Two |
| 삼 | Three |
| 사 | Four |
| 오 | Five |
| 육 or 륙 | Six |
| 칠 | Seven |
| 팔 | Eight |
| 고 | Nine |
| 십 | Ten |
| 이십 | Twenty |
| 삼십 | Thirty |
| 사십 | Forty |
| 오십 | Fifty |
| 육십 | Sixty |
| 칠십 | Seventy |
| 팔십 | Eighty |
| 구십 | Ninety |
| 백 | Hundred |
| 천 | Thousand |
| 만 | Ten thousand |
| 십만 | Hundred thousand |
| 백만 | Million |
| 억 | Trillion |
| 조 | One trillion |
To make numbers of your own, simply add digits before the unit.
Example- Fifty six thousand in Korean would be 오만 육천.
For units (of clothes, make-up products etc.) use Native Korean Numbers.
| 하나 | One |
| 둘 | Two |
| 셋 | Three |
| 넷 | Four |
| 다섯 | Five |
| 여섯 | Six |
| 일곱 | Seven |
| 여덟 | Eight |
| 아홉 | Nine |
| 열 | Ten |
| 스물 | Twenty |
| 서른 | Thirty |
| 마흔 | Forty |
| 쉰 | Fifty |
| 예순 | Sixty |
| 일흔 | Seventy |
| 여든 | Eighty |
| 아흔 | Ninety |
Example- Ninety eight in Korean would be 아흔 여덟.
If you want to sound like a pro, be sure to add counters at the end of numbers.
The counter for things is 개.
Example- 이건 두 개 주세요. (Please give me two of these.)
Some other counters that might be useful while shopping:
- Counter for flowers- 송이
- Counter for bottles- 병
- Counter for books-권
- Counter for paper- 장
- Counter for glasses- 잔
- Counter for slices- 조각
- Counter for clothes- 벌
- Counter for pair of shoes- 켤레
Activity 1
Find as many words as you can.
Activity 1 Answers
Summary
Shopping in a new country can be exciting and frightening. It is an experience in itself! Add to that the pressure of speaking that foreign land’s language, and you have a recipe for disaster. Except, now you know just the right words to say when you want to go shopping in South Korea.
Watch this space to further sharpen your Korean vocabulary and till then 화이팅!
WRITTEN BY: Megha Pandya
EDITED BY: the skapetokorea team