Directions

Korean Basic Conversation 1

Chapter 10 · Asking for Directions

🧭 Asking for Directions — 길 묻기

You will learn to ask where a place is, to understand the main answers (straight, left, right, at the crossing), and to say where something is in relation to something else (in front of, behind, next to, above, below). In Korean cities the subway is the usual landmark, so you will also use exit numbers.

eo = ㅓ (short, open "uh") eu = ㅡ (unrounded "oo") ae = ㅐ (like the vowel in "bed") [ ] = how the word is actually said, where it differs from the spelling

① Where Is It? — 어디에 있어요?

A: 실례합니다. 지하철역이 어디에 있어요? Sillyehamnida. Jihacheollyeogi eodie isseoyo? Excuse me. Where is the subway station?

B: 저기에 있어요. 쭉 가세요. Jeogie isseoyo. Jjuk gaseyo. It's over there. Go straight.

A: 멀어요? Meoreoyo? Is it far?

B: 아니요, 가까워요. 오 분쯤 걸려요. Aniyo, gakkawoyo. O bunjjeum geollyeoyo. No, it's close. It takes about five minutes.

② Turn Left, Turn Right — 오른쪽으로 가세요

A: 저기요, 은행이 어디예요? Jeogiyo, eunhaengi eodiyeyo? Excuse me, where's the bank?

B: 쭉 가세요. 사거리에서 오른쪽으로 가세요. Jjuk gaseyo. Sageorieseo oreunjjogeuro gaseyo. Go straight. At the crossroads, go right.

A: 오른쪽이요? 감사합니다! Oreunjjogiyo? Gamsahamnida! To the right? Thank you!

③ Next To, In Front Of — 편의점 옆에 있어요

A: 화장실이 어디에 있어요? Hwajangsiri eodie isseoyo? Where is the toilet?

B: 편의점 옆에 있어요. Pyeonuijeom yeope isseoyo. It's next to the convenience store.

A: 이 건물 안에는 없어요? I geonmul aneneun eopseoyo? There isn't one inside this building?

B: 네, 건물 밖에 있어요. Ne, geonmul bakke isseoyo. No, it's outside the building.

④ Subway Exit — 몇 번 출구예요?

A: 서울역에 어떻게 가요? Seoulyeoge eotteoke gayo? How do I get to Seoul Station?

B: 지하철을 타세요. 일 호선이에요. Jihacheoreul taseyo. Il hoseonieyo. Take the subway. It's Line 1.

A: 몇 번 출구로 나가요? Myeot beon chulguro nagayo? Which exit do I take?

B: 두 번 출구로 나가세요. Du beon chulguro nagaseyo. Go out through exit 2.

⑤ Formal Directions — 길을 안내해 드리겠습니다

A: 호텔은 어디에 있습니까? Hotereun eodie itseumnikka? Where is the hotel?

B: 앞으로 쭉 가십시오. 왼쪽에 있습니다. Apeuro jjuk gasipsio. Oenjjoge itseumnida. Go straight ahead. It's on the left.

A: 감사합니다. Gamsahamnida. Thank you.

⑥ Two Friends (casual) — 어디야?

A: 너 지금 어디야? Neo jigeum eodiya? Where are you now?

B: 카페 앞이야. 너는? Kape apiya. Neoneun? In front of the café. And you?

A: 나는 지하철역 안이야. 금방 가! Naneun jihacheollyeok ani-ya. Geumbang ga! I'm inside the subway station. I'll be right there!

🗝️ Key Phrases — 중요한 표현

Situation	Polite	Casual
Where is …?	…이/가 어디에 있어요? …i/ga eodie isseoyo?	…이/가 어디에 있어? …i/ga eodie isseo?
Where is …? (short)	…이/가 어디예요? …i/ga eodiyeyo?	…이/가 어디야? …i/ga eodiya?
How do I get to …?	…에 어떻게 가요? …e eotteoke gayo?	…에 어떻게 가? …e eotteoke ga?
Go straight	쭉 가세요 jjuk gaseyo	쭉 가 jjuk ga
Go right / left	오른쪽 / 왼쪽으로 가세요 oreunjjok / oenjjogeuro gaseyo	오른쪽 / 왼쪽으로 가 oreunjjok / oenjjogeuro ga
It's over there	저기에 있어요 jeogie isseoyo	저기 있어 jeogi isseo
Is it far?	멀어요? meoreoyo?	멀어? meoreo?

📍 Position Words — 위치

Put the position word after the place and add 에: 편의점 옆에 있어요 ("It's next to the convenience store").

English	Korean	Say it
in front of	앞	ap
behind	뒤	dwi
next to; beside	옆	yeop
above; on top	위	wi
below; under	아래 / 밑	a-rae / mit
inside	안	an
outside	밖	bak
right	오른쪽	o-reun-jjok
left	왼쪽	oen-jjok
straight	똑바로 / 쭉	ttok-ba-ro / jjuk

🔤 Three Verbs You Can Already Use — 동사

Verb	Everyday polite (-요)	Formal (-ㅂ니다)	Casual
to go (가다)	가요 / 가세요 gayo / gaseyo	갑니다 gamnida	가 ga
to be (located); to have (있다)	있어요 isseoyo	있습니다 itseumnida	있어 isseo
to take (a vehicle); to ride (타다)	타요 / 타세요 tayo / taseyo	탑니다 tamnida	타 ta

📖 Vocabulary — 어휘

#	Korean	Say it	English	Type
1	길	gil	road; way	noun
2	지하철역	ji-ha-cheol-lyeok	subway station	noun
3	출구	chul-gu	exit	noun
4	사거리	sa-geo-ri	crossroads	noun
5	건물	geon-mul	building	noun
6	화장실	hwa-jang-sil	toilet; restroom	noun
7	은행	eun-haeng	bank	noun
8	호텔	ho-tel	hotel	noun
9	어디	eo-di	where	question word
10	어떻게	eo-tteo-ke	how	question word
11	저기	jeo-gi	over there	noun
12	앞	ap	front; in front of	noun
13	옆	yeop	side; next to	noun
14	오른쪽	o-reun-jjok	right	noun
15	왼쪽	oen-jjok	left	noun
16	가다	ga-da	to go	verb
17	타다	ta-da	to take; to ride	verb
18	멀다	meol-da	to be far	adj.
19	가깝다	ga-kkap-tta	to be close	adj.
20	쭉	jjuk	straight on; all the way	adverb

Two Ways to Ask "Where?" The short …이/가 어디예요? ("where is …?") is enough in most situations: even 화장실 어디예요? with no particle is understood. …이/가 어디에 있어요? ("where is … located?") is a little fuller. Use 이 after a consonant and 가 after a vowel (지하철역이, 은행이 vs 호텔이, 화장실이). To ask how to get somewhere, use …에 어떻게 가요?.

Landmarks and Exits Korean directions lean on landmarks: a 사거리 (crossroads), a convenience store, a café, or a 지하철역. For the subway, stations have numbered exits, so people say 두 번 출구 ("exit number 2") or, with Sino-Korean numbers, a line number: 일 호선 (Line 1). When you hear -(으)로 after a direction (오른쪽으로), it means "towards". A map app on your phone is perfectly normal, and a passer-by will often point and say 저기요.

As Heard in Dramas — 드라마에서 In dramas, one character phones another with 너 어디야? ("where are you?"), answered by 지금 가고 있어 ("I'm on my way") or 거의 다 왔어 ("I'm almost there"). The honorific request -세요 (쭉 가세요) is the polite way strangers give directions, and in dramas taxi drivers get 기사님 and a place to stop: 여기서 세워 주세요 ("please stop here").

Grammar Pointer The location particle 에 and the direction particle (으)로 are explained in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 4; 있다 as "to be (located)" and the polite requests with -세요 in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 10.

✍️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. Ask politely where the toilet is.

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화장실이 어디예요? or 화장실이 어디에 있어요?

2. Ask how to get to Seoul Station.

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서울역에 어떻게 가요?

3. Tell someone "Go straight, then turn left at the crossroads."

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쭉 가세요. 사거리에서 왼쪽으로 가세요.

4. Say "The bank is next to the café."

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은행은 카페 옆에 있어요.

5. Ask which exit number to take.

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몇 번 출구로 나가요?

6. Text a friend: "Where are you now?"

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너 지금 어디야?