Korean Shopping Phrases: Shop Like a Local
Whether you're browsing Myeongdong, haggling at Namdaemun Market, or ordering on Coupang, knowing shopping vocabulary in Korean makes the experience smoother, and cheaper. Here are 50 essential words and phrases for every shopping situation.
Basic Shopping Words
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가게 | gage | Store / Shop |
| 시장 | sijang | Market |
| 백화점 | baekhwajeom | Department store |
| 편의점 | pyeonuijeom | Convenience store |
| 마트 | mateu | Supermarket / Mart |
| 가격 | gagyeok | Price |
| 할인 | harin | Discount |
| 세일 | seil | Sale |
| 영수증 | yeongsujeung | Receipt |
| 카드 | kadeu | Card (credit/debit) |
Asking About Products
These phrases will get you through 90% of shopping interactions:
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 이거 얼마예요? | igeo eolmayeyo? | How much is this? |
| 다른 색 있어요? | dareun saek isseoyo? | Do you have other colors? |
| 더 큰 거 있어요? | deo keun geo isseoyo? | Do you have a bigger one? |
| 더 작은 거 있어요? | deo jageun geo isseoyo? | Do you have a smaller one? |
| 입어 봐도 돼요? | ibeo bwado dwaeyo? | Can I try it on? |
| 카드 돼요? | kadeu dwaeyo? | Do you accept cards? |
| 현금만 돼요? | hyeongeumman dwaeyo? | Cash only? |
Bargaining at Traditional Markets
Korean traditional markets (시장) often allow bargaining, especially for clothing, accessories, and souvenirs. These phrases are your secret weapons:
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 좀 깎아 주세요 | jom kkakka juseyo | Please give me a discount |
| 너무 비싸요 | neomu bissayo | It's too expensive |
| 좀 싸게 해 주세요 | jom ssage hae juseyo | Please make it cheaper |
| 두 개 사면 얼마예요? | du gae samyeon eolmayeyo? | How much for two? |
| 만 원에 안 돼요? | man wone an dwaeyo? | Can't you do 10,000 won? |
| 현금이면 깎아 줘요? | hyeongeumimyeon kkakka jwoyo? | Discount for cash? |
Bargaining Tips
- Start at 60-70% of the asking price and work up
- Walk away slowly, they'll often call you back with a better price
- Buy multiple items from the same vendor for leverage
- Be friendly, a smile goes further than aggressive haggling
- Don't bargain at convenience stores, department stores, or places with fixed prices
Clothing & Sizes
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 옷 | ot | Clothes |
| 신발 | sinbal | Shoes |
| 치마 | chima | Skirt |
| 바지 | baji | Pants |
| 셔츠 | syeocheu | Shirt |
| 원피스 | wonpiseu | Dress (one-piece) |
| 사이즈 | saijeu | Size |
| 소 | so | Small (S) |
| 중 | jung | Medium (M) |
| 대 | dae | Large (L) |
| 탈의실 | taruisil | Fitting room |
Korean sizing tip: Korean clothing often runs smaller than Western sizes. If you normally wear M, try L or XL. Shoe sizes use mm (e.g., 260 = US men's 8 / EU 40).
Payment & Checkout
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 계산해 주세요 | gyesanhae juseyo | Please ring me up |
| 일시불이요 | ilsibulliyo | One-time payment (no installments) |
| 할부로 해 주세요 | halburo hae juseyo | Installments please |
| 포인트 적립 돼요? | pointeu jeoglip dwaeyo? | Can I earn points? |
| 봉투 필요 없어요 | bongtu pilyeo eopseoyo | I don't need a bag |
| 포장해 주세요 | pojanghae juseyo | Please wrap it (gift) |
| 교환 가능해요? | gyohwan ganeunghaeyo? | Can I exchange this? |
| 환불 돼요? | hwanbul dwaeyo? | Can I get a refund? |
Online Shopping Vocabulary
Korea is one of the world's biggest online shopping markets. If you're on Coupang, Gmarket, or Naver Shopping, you'll see these terms everywhere:
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 장바구니 | jangbaguni | Shopping cart |
| 주문하기 | jumunhagi | Place order |
| 배송 | baesong | Delivery / Shipping |
| 무료배송 | muryobaesong | Free shipping |
| 로켓배송 | loketbaesong | Rocket delivery (Coupang's same-day) |
| 품절 | pumjeol | Out of stock |
| 리뷰 | ribyu | Review |
| 별점 | byeoljeom | Star rating |
| 쿠폰 | kupon | Coupon |
| 결제 | gyeolje | Payment / Checkout |
Convenience Store Essentials
You'll visit 편의점 (convenience stores like CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) daily in Korea:
- "데워 주세요" (dewo juseyo), "Please heat it up" (for 도시락/lunchboxes)
- "봉투 주세요" (bongtu juseyo), "Can I have a bag?"
- "충전해 주세요" (chungjeonhae juseyo), "Please charge it" (for T-money cards)
Practice Dialogue
You: 이거 얼마예요? (How much is this?)
Vendor: 삼만 원이에요. (It's 30,000 won.)
You: 너무 비싸요. 이만 원에 안 돼요? (Too expensive. Can't you do 20,000?)
Vendor: 이만 오천 원이요. (25,000 won.)
You: 좋아요! 카드 돼요? (OK! Do you take cards?)
Vendor: 네, 돼요. (Yes, we do.)
Quick Reference Card
Save these five phrases, they'll handle most shopping situations:
- 이거 얼마예요?, How much is this?
- 좀 깎아 주세요, Please give me a discount
- 카드 돼요?, Do you take cards?
- 영수증 주세요, Receipt please
- 감사합니다, Thank you
Ready to practice shopping Korean with real conversations? Try Chamelingo's interactive shopping scenarios, practice bargaining with AI shopkeepers who respond naturally in Korean.