Asking for directions

Start with 실례합니다 (sillyehamnida, "excuse me") or 저기요 (jeogiyo), then ask your question. For example: 실례지만, 명동역 어디예요? (sillyejiman, myeongdongyeok eodiyeyo, "Excuse me, where is Myeongdong Station?"). Shop staff or tourist information centers are often easier to ask than people rushing by.

Add 어디예요? (eodiyeyo) after a place name to ask "Where is ○○?" For example: 화장실 어디예요? (hwajangsil eodiyeyo, "Where's the restroom?") or 지하철역 어디예요? (jihacheollyeok eodiyeyo, "Where's the subway station?"). A slightly fuller version is ○○ 어디에 있어요? (eodie isseoyo).

Say ○○에 어떻게 가요? (○○e eotteoke gayo, "How do I get to ○○?"), as in 경복궁에 어떻게 가요? (gyeongbokgunge eotteoke gayo, "How do I get to Gyeongbokgung?"). To ask whether to take the bus or subway, try 뭐 타고 가요? (mwo tago gayo, "What should I take to get there?").

Ask 걸어서 갈 수 있어요? (georeoseo gal su isseoyo, "Can I walk there?"). To ask about distance, say 여기서 멀어요? (yeogiseo meoreoyo, "Is it far from here?") or 걸어서 몇 분 걸려요? (georeoseo myeot bun geollyeoyo, "How many minutes on foot?"). You'll hear 가까워요 (gakkawoyo, close) or 멀어요 (meoreoyo, far).

Right is 오른쪽 (oreunjjok), and left is 왼쪽 (oenjjok). In directions you'll hear 오른쪽으로 가세요 (oreunjjogeuro gaseyo, "Go to the right") or 왼쪽으로 도세요 (oenjjogeuro doseyo, "Turn left"). People usually point as they speak, so watch their hand gestures too.

쭉 가세요 (jjuk gaseyo) means "Go straight ahead." You may also hear 직진하세요 (jikjinhaseyo), which means the same thing and is common in formal directions. Directions often chain together, as in 쭉 가다가 오른쪽으로 가세요 (jjuk gadaga oreunjjogeuro gaseyo, "Go straight, then turn right").

Useful words include 사거리 (sageori, four-way intersection), 삼거리 (samgeori, three-way junction), 횡단보도 (hoengdanbodo, crosswalk), 신호등 (sinhodeung, traffic light) and 골목 (golmok, alley). You might hear 사거리에서 왼쪽으로 가세요 ("Turn left at the intersection") or 횡단보도를 건너세요 (hoengdanbodoreul geonneoseyo, "Cross at the crosswalk").

건너편 (geonneopyeon) means "across the street" or "on the opposite side." 은행 건너편에 있어요 (eunhaeng geonneopyeone isseoyo) means "It's across from the bank." 맞은편 (majeunpyeon) is a similar word. When looking for a bus stop, the one for the opposite direction is often on the other side of the road.

In front is 앞 (ap), behind is 뒤 (dwi) and next to is 옆 (yeop). Put them after a place: 편의점 앞 (pyeonuijeom ap, in front of the convenience store), 역 뒤 (yeok dwi, behind the station), 은행 옆 (eunhaeng yeop, next to the bank). Also learn 안 (an, inside), 밖 (bak, outside), 위 (wi, above) and 아래 (arae, below).

Ask 이 근처에 ○○ 있어요? (i geuncheoe ○○ isseoyo, "Is there a ○○ near here?"). For example: 이 근처에 편의점 있어요? (pyeonuijeom, convenience store) or 이 근처에 약국 있어요? (yakguk, pharmacy). If there is one, people will usually point you in the right direction.

Ask 얼마나 걸려요? (eolmana geollyeoyo, "How long does it take?"). You can add a starting point or transport: 여기서 몇 분 걸려요? (yeogiseo myeot bun geollyeoyo, "How many minutes from here?") or 버스로 얼마나 걸려요? (beoseuro eolmana geollyeoyo, "How long by bus?"). Answers sound like 십 분쯤 걸려요 (sip bunjjeum geollyeoyo, "About ten minutes").

Say 길을 잃었어요 (gireul ireosseoyo, "I'm lost"). Then ask 여기가 어디예요? (yeogiga eodiyeyo, "Where am I?") to find out your location. Showing the name or address of your destination written in Korean helps people assist you much faster. You can also ask staff at a nearby shop or station.

Show the address on your phone or paper and ask 이 주소 어떻게 가요? (i juso eotteoke gayo, "How do I get to this address?"). Korea mainly uses road-name addresses, and adding the building name or nearest subway station makes it easier. Showing a map app screen also works well.

Ask 천천히 말해 주세요 (cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo, "Please speak slowly"). To hear it again, say 다시 한 번 말해 주세요 (dasi han beon malhae juseyo, "Please say it once more"). If you'd like them to mark it on a map, say 지도에 보여 주세요 (jidoe boyeo juseyo, "Please show me on the map").

모퉁이 (motungi) is a street corner, and 골목 (golmok) is a narrow side street or alley. 모퉁이를 돌면 있어요 (motungireul dolmyeon isseoyo) means "It's right around the corner." Korean city centers have many small restaurants and cafes tucked into alleys, so you'll often hear 골목 안으로 들어가세요 ("Go into the alley").

Ask 관광안내소 어디예요? (gwangwangannaeso eodiyeyo, "Where's the tourist information center?"). Major stations and attractions often have centers marked with an "i" sign. For phone help in foreign languages, you can call the Korea Travel Hotline at 1330, which offers interpretation and travel information.

Korean subway stations often have many numbered exits, so knowing the right one makes finding your destination much easier. Ask 몇 번 출구로 나가요? (myeot beon chulguro nagayo, "Which exit should I take?"). Station maps near the gates list nearby landmarks by exit. Koreans also use exit numbers to set meeting points, such as 강남역 11번 출구 (Gangnam Station, Exit 11).

Inside buildings you'll hear 위층 (wicheung, upstairs) and 아래층 (araecheung, downstairs). Directions sound like 한 층 내려가세요 (han cheung naeryeogaseyo, "Go down one floor"). The elevator is 엘리베이터 (ellibeiteo), stairs are 계단 (gyedan) and an escalator is 에스컬레이터 (eseukeolleiteo), all handy in malls and stations.

감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) or 정말 감사합니다 (jeongmal gamsahamnida) is enough. If they walked with you or helped for a while, 덕분에 찾았어요 (deokbune chajasseoyo, "I found it thanks to you") sounds warmer. A slight bow while saying it conveys your thanks well, and people will appreciate the effort to speak Korean.

Handy words include 여기 (yeogi, here), 저기 (jeogi, over there), 이쪽 (ijjok, this way) and 저쪽 (jeojjok, that way). Asking 이쪽으로 가면 돼요? (ijjogeuro gamyeon dwaeyo, "Do I go this way?") lets you confirm the direction, and 맞아요? (majayo, "Is that right?") checks anything. Short yes-or-no questions like these are often the most useful.