Getting Around
Korean Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 12 Β· Getting Around: Trains, Buses & Tickets
π Getting Around β κ΅ν΅
The last chapter puts your Korean to work on the move. You will buy and top up a T-money card, ask which line and which exit, change lines, board a bus, and buy a train ticket. At the end there is a recap of the whole course.
eo = γ
(short, open "uh")
eu = γ
‘ (unrounded "oo")
ae = γ
(like the vowel in "bed")
[ ] = how the word is actually said, where it differs from the spelling
β A T-money Card β ν°λ¨Έλ μΉ΄λ μ£ΌμΈμ
μλ:
ν°λ¨Έλ μΉ΄λ νλ μ£ΌμΈμ.
Timeoni kadeu hana juseyo.
One T-money card, please.
μ μ:
λ€. μΌλ§ μΆ©μ ν΄ λ릴κΉμ?
Ne. Eolma chungjeonhae deurilkkayo?
Sure. How much shall I load on it?
μλ:
λ§ μ μΆ©μ ν΄ μ£ΌμΈμ.
Man won chungjeonhae juseyo.
Please put 10,000 won on it.
β‘ Which Line? β λͺ νΈμ μ΄μμ?
A:
μ€λ‘ν©λλ€. λͺ
λμμ λͺ νΈμ μ΄μμ?
Sillyehamnida. Myeongdongyeogeun myeot hoseonieyo?
Excuse me. Which line is Myeong-dong station on?
B:
μ¬ νΈμ μ΄μμ. μ¬κΈ°μ νμΉν΄μΌ ν΄μ.
Sa hoseonieyo. Yeogiseo hwanseunghaeya haeyo.
It's Line 4. You need to transfer here.
A:
μ΄λμ νμΉν΄μ?
Eodiseo hwanseunghaeyo?
Where do I transfer?
B:
λ€μ μμμ κ°μνμΈμ.
Daeum yeogeseo garataseyo.
Change at the next station.
β’ On the Bus β μ΄ λ²μ€ κ°μ?
A:
μ΄ λ²μ€ μμΈμμ κ°μ?
I beoseu Seoulyeoge gayo?
Does this bus go to Seoul Station?
B:
λ€, κ°μ. νμΈμ.
Ne, gayo. Taseyo.
Yes, it does. Get on.
A:
λ΄λ¦΄ λ λ§μν΄ μ£ΌμΈμ.
Naeril ttae malsseumhae juseyo.
Please tell me when to get off.
β£ Train Tickets β ν ν μ₯ μ£ΌμΈμ
μλ:
λΆμ° κ°λ ν ν μ₯ μ£ΌμΈμ.
Busan ganeun pyo han jang juseyo.
One ticket to Busan, please.
μ§μ:
νΈλμμ, μ볡μ΄μμ?
Pyeondoyeyo, wangbogieyo?
One-way or return?
μλ:
μ볡μΌλ‘ μ£ΌμΈμ. λͺ μ κΈ°μ°¨μμ?
Wangbogeuro juseyo. Myeot si gichayeyo?
A return, please. What time is the train?
β€ Formal Announcement β μλ΄ λ°©μ‘
λ°©μ‘:
μ΄λ² μμ μμΈμμ
λλ€.
Ibeon yeogeun Seoulyeogimnida.
This station is Seoul Station.
λ°©μ‘:
λ΄λ¦¬μ€ λ¬Έμ μΌμͺ½μ
λλ€.
Naerisil muneun oenjjogimnida.
The doors to exit are on the left.
β₯ Two Friends (casual) β μ§νμ² νκΉ?
A:
μ§νμ² νκ³ κ°κΉ, λ²μ€ νκΉ?
Jihacheol tago galkka, beoseu talkka?
Shall we go by subway, or take the bus?
B:
μ§νμ² μ΄ λΉ¨λΌ. μ§νμ² νμ!
Jihacheori ppalla. Jihacheol taja!
The subway is faster. Let's take the subway!
ποΈ Key Phrases β μ€μν νν
| Situation | Polite | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| A T-money card, please | ν°λ¨Έλ μΉ΄λ μ£ΌμΈμ timeoni kadeu juseyo | ν°λ¨Έλ μΉ΄λ μ€ timeoni kadeu jwo |
| Top up my card | μΆ©μ ν΄ μ£ΌμΈμ chungjeonhae juseyo | μΆ©μ ν΄ μ€ chungjeonhae jwo |
| Which line? | λͺ νΈμ μ΄μμ? myeot hoseonieyo? | λͺ νΈμ μ΄μΌ? myeot hoseoniya? |
| Where do I transfer? | μ΄λμ νμΉν΄μ? eodiseo hwanseunghaeyo? | μ΄λμ νμΉν΄? eodiseo hwanseunghae? |
| Does this go to β¦? | μ΄κ±° β¦μ κ°μ? igeo β¦e gayo? | μ΄κ±° β¦μ κ°? igeo β¦e ga? |
| One ticket, please | ν ν μ₯ μ£ΌμΈμ pyo han jang juseyo | ν ν μ₯ μ€ pyo han jang jwo |
| One-way / return | νΈλ / μ볡μ΄μ pyeondo / wangbogiyo | (same) |
| Which exit? | λͺ λ² μΆκ΅¬μμ? myeot beon chulguyeyo? | λͺ λ² μΆκ΅¬μΌ? myeot beon chulguya? |
π« Counting Tickets β μ₯
Tickets are counted with μ₯ (for flat things such as tickets and paper) and native numbers: ν μ₯ (1), λ μ₯ (2), μΈ μ₯ (3), λ€ μ₯ (4). The line and exit numbers use Sino-Korean numbers: μ΄ νΈμ (Line 2), μΌ λ² μΆκ΅¬ (Exit 3).
π€ Three Verbs You Can Already Use β λμ¬
| Verb | Everyday polite (-μ) | Formal (-γ λλ€) | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| to take; to ride (νλ€) | νμ / νμΈμ tayo / taseyo | νλλ€ tamnida | ν ta |
| to get off (λ΄λ¦¬λ€) | λ΄λ €μ / λ΄λ¦¬μΈμ naeryeoyo / naeriseyo | λ΄λ¦½λλ€ naerimnida | λ΄λ € naeryeo |
| to transfer (νμΉνλ€) | νμΉν΄μ hwanseunghaeyo | νμΉν©λλ€ hwanseunghamnida | νμΉν΄ hwanseunghae |
π Vocabulary β μ΄ν
| # | Korean | Say it | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | μ§νμ² | ji-ha-cheol | subway | noun |
| 2 | λ²μ€ | beo-seu | bus | noun |
| 3 | κΈ°μ°¨ | gi-cha | train | noun |
| 4 | μ | yeok | station | noun |
| 5 | ν | pyo | ticket | noun |
| 6 | μ₯ | jang | sheet; ticket (counter) | counter |
| 7 | νΈμ | ho-seon | (subway) line number | counter |
| 8 | μΆκ΅¬ | chul-gu | exit | noun |
| 9 | ν°λ¨Έλ | ti-meo-ni | T-money (transport card) | noun |
| 10 | μΆ©μ | chung-jeon | charging; topping up | noun |
| 11 | νμΉ | hwan-seung | transfer | noun |
| 12 | νΈλ | pyeon-do | one-way | noun |
| 13 | μ볡 | wang-bok | return; round trip | noun |
| 14 | λ€μ | da-eum | next | adj. |
| 15 | νλ€ | ta-da | to take; to ride | verb |
| 16 | λ΄λ¦¬λ€ | nae-ri-da | to get off | verb |
| 17 | νμΉνλ€ | hwan-seung-ha-da | to transfer | verb |
| 18 | κ°μνλ€ | ga-ra-ta-da | to change (trains/buses) | verb |
| 19 | λΉ λ₯΄λ€ | ppa-reu-da | to be fast | adj. |
| 20 | μΆ©μ νλ€ | chung-jeon-ha-da | to top up; to charge | verb |
Tap In, Tap Out
A ν°λ¨Έλ card works on subways and buses: tap it on the reader at the gate (and again when you leave); on a bus tap when you get on and when you get off. You can buy one at a convenience store, with ν°λ¨Έλ μΉ΄λ μ£ΌμΈμ, and top it up with μΆ©μ . A transfer between a bus and the subway is cheaper when you use the same card. Ask μ΄λμ νμΉν΄μ? ("where do I transfer?") if you are unsure.
One-way or Return
νΈλ means one-way and μ볡 means a return (round trip). For long-distance trains you will see KTX (the fast train) and slower intercity trains; buy at the counter or a machine with ν ν μ₯ μ£ΌμΈμ, adding your destination and the time (λͺ μ κΈ°μ°¨μμ?). Station announcements are formal: μ΄λ² μμ β¦μ
λλ€ ("this station isβ¦").
As Heard in Dramas β λλΌλ§μμ
Journeys are classic drama scenes: λ§μ°¨ ("the last train/bus") and 첫차 ("the first one") carry a lot of emotion. You will also hear νμ! and κΈ°μ¬λ, μ¬κΈ°μ λ΄λ € μ£ΌμΈμ ("driver, please let me out here"). Between friends, -γΉκΉ? and -μ make suggestions, as in dialog 6.
Grammar Pointer
The particle μ for "to" and μμ for "at/from" are in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 4; the counter-with-number system in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 9; and the polite requests -μΈμ and -μ/μ΄ μ£ΌμΈμ in Korean Grammar 1, chapter 10.
βοΈ Try It Yourself β μ°μ΅
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Ask for a T-money card and ask them to put 10,000 won on it.
Show answer
ν°λ¨Έλ μΉ΄λ μ£ΌμΈμ. λ§ μ μΆ©μ ν΄ μ£ΌμΈμ.
2. Ask which line Myeong-dong station is on.
Show answer
λͺ λμμ λͺ νΈμ μ΄μμ?
3. Ask where to transfer.
Show answer
μ΄λμ νμΉν΄μ?
4. Ask if this bus goes to Seoul Station.
Show answer
μ΄ λ²μ€ μμΈμμ κ°μ?
5. Buy two return tickets.
Show answer
μ볡 ν λ μ₯ μ£ΌμΈμ.
6. Suggest to a friend: "Let's take the subway."
Show answer
μ§νμ² νμ!
π Course Complete β μκ³ νμ ¨μ΅λλ€!
You have finished Korean Basic Conversation 1. Here is what each chapter gave you.
| # | Chapter | You can now⦠|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greetings & Goodbyes | greet, thank, apologise and say goodbye, bowing and all |
| 2 | Introducing Yourself | give your name and say you're pleased to meet someone |
| 3 | Numbers, Age & Contact Details | count with both number systems and give a phone number |
| 4 | Where You're From | say countries, nationalities and where you live |
| 5 | Your Family | name relatives and ask about someone's family |
| 6 | Your Job | ask and say what you do, and use work titles with λ |
| 7 | Days, Dates & Time | give the day, the date and the time |
| 8 | At the CafΓ© | order food and drink and pay |
| 9 | Shopping & Prices | ask a price, choose size and colour, and bargain at a market |
| 10 | Directions | ask where a place is and follow simple directions |
| 11 | Booking a Hotel | check in, ask about rooms, breakfast and check-out |
| 12 | Getting Around | use a T-money card, change lines and buy a train ticket |
Where Next?
Korean Basic Conversation 2 continues from here with the next set of everyday situations. Meanwhile keep watching your Korean TV shows: you now recognise the polite endings, the casual λ°λ§ between friends, and the titles and kinship words that drama characters use all the time. Korean Grammar 1 explains the "why" behind every pattern you have met in these twelve chapters.