Welcome back to Simply Korea 101!
In the previous chapters, we learned how to greet people, introduce ourselves, talk about family, share our likes, tell time, and talk about days and dates.
Today, we’re going to learn a skill that can make exploring Korea much easier: asking for directions.
Whether you’re looking for a subway station, a café, a restaurant, or a famous landmark, these expressions will help you communicate with confidence.
🧭 5 Useful Korean Vocabulary Words
① 길 — Road / Way
길
Pronunciation: gil
English: road / way
길 is a very common Korean word related to roads, streets, and ways to get somewhere.
Example
길을 물어봐요.
→ I ask for directions.
② 여기 — Here
여기
Pronunciation: yeogi
English: here
Use 여기 to refer to the place where you are now.
Example
여기에서 가요.
→ I go from here.
③ 오른쪽 — Right
오른쪽
Pronunciation: oreunjjok
English: right side
Use 오른쪽 when talking about the right side or direction.
Example
오른쪽으로 가세요.
→ Go to the right.
④ 왼쪽 — Left
왼쪽
Pronunciation: oenjjok
English: left side
Use 왼쪽 when talking about the left side or direction.
Example
왼쪽으로 가세요.
→ Go to the left.
⑤ 어디 — Where
어디
Pronunciation: eodi
English: where
어디 is one of the most useful question words for beginners.
Example
화장실이 어디예요?
→ Where is the restroom?
💬 5 Practical Korean Conversation Phrases
① 실례합니다, ___가 어디에 있어요? — Excuse me, where is ___?
실례합니다, ___가 어디에 있어요?
Pronunciation: sillyehamnida, ___ga eodie isseoyo?
English: Excuse me, where is ___?
실례합니다 is a polite way to get someone’s attention before asking a question.
Examples
실례합니다, 경복궁이 어디에 있어요?
→ Excuse me, where is Gyeongbokgung Palace?
실례합니다, 화장실이 어디에 있어요?
→ Excuse me, where is the restroom?
② 여기에서 어떻게 가요? — How do I get there from here?
여기에서 어떻게 가요?
Pronunciation: yeogieseo eotteoke gayo?
English: How do I get there from here?
This is useful when you know the destination but don’t know how to get there.
Example
명동에 여기에서 어떻게 가요?
→ How do I get to Myeongdong from here?
③ 직진하세요. — Go straight.
직진하세요.
Pronunciation: jikjinhaseyo
English: Go straight.
You’ll often hear this when someone gives you directions.
Example
여기에서 직진하세요.
→ Go straight from here.
④ 지하철역이 어디예요? — Where is the subway station?
지하철역이 어디예요?
Pronunciation: jihacheol-yeogi eodieyo?
English: Where is the subway station?
This is especially useful when traveling around Seoul or other Korean cities.
You can replace 지하철역 with another place.
카페가 어디예요?
→ Where is the café?
식당이 어디예요?
→ Where is the restaurant?
은행이 어디예요?
→ Where is the bank?
⑤ 가까워요? — Is it nearby?
가까워요?
Pronunciation: gakkawoyo?
English: Is it nearby? / Is it close?
This is a simple question you can ask after getting directions.
Example
지하철역이 가까워요?
→ Is the subway station nearby?
네, 가까워요.
→ Yes, it’s nearby.
🗣️ Mini Conversation
Let’s ask for directions!
→ 길을 물어볼까요?
A: 실례합니다, 경복궁이 어디에 있어요?
→ Excuse me, where is Gyeongbokgung Palace?
B: 여기에서 직진하세요.
→ Go straight from here.
A: 여기에서 어떻게 가요?
→ How do I get there from here?
B: 오른쪽으로 가세요.
→ Go to the right.
A: 가까워요?
→ Is it nearby?
B: 네, 걸어서 10분 정도 걸려요.
→ Yes, it takes about 10 minutes on foot.
A: 감사합니다!
→ Thank you!
Korean Culture Tip: Start With 실례합니다
When asking a stranger for directions in Korea, starting with 실례합니다 is a polite and natural choice.
You can then ask your question:
실례합니다, 지하철역이 어디예요?
→ Excuse me, where is the subway station?
You may also hear Koreans say:
저기요!
→ Excuse me!
Both can be used to get someone’s attention, but 실례합니다 has a more explicitly polite feel.
🗺️ Korean Direction Words
Once you know the basic expressions, you can combine them to understand more detailed directions.
오른쪽 → right
왼쪽 → left
직진 → straight
앞 → front
뒤 → behind
옆 → next to
For example:
오른쪽으로 가세요.
→ Go to the right.
왼쪽으로 가세요.
→ Go to the left.
직진하세요.
→ Go straight.
🗣️ Read Aloud & Repeat
→ 소리 내어 읽고 따라 해보세요.
길
gil
Road / way
여기
yeogi
Here
오른쪽
oreunjjok
Right
왼쪽
oenjjok
Left
어디
eodi
Where
실례합니다, ___가 어디에 있어요?
sillyehamnida, ___ga eodie isseoyo?
Excuse me, where is ___?
여기에서 어떻게 가요?
yeogieseo eotteoke gayo?
How do I get there from here?
직진하세요.
jikjinhaseyo.
Go straight.
지하철역이 어디예요?
jihacheol-yeogi eodieyo?
Where is the subway station?
가까워요?
gakkawoyo?
Is it nearby?
Try saying each expression three times.
Click, listen, read aloud, and repeat.
🎯 Today’s Korean Challenge
Ask for directions in Korean!
Imagine you’re visiting Seoul and want to find Myeongdong.
Try saying:
실례합니다, 명동이 어디에 있어요?
→ Excuse me, where is Myeongdong?
Now try another destination:
실례합니다, ______가 어디에 있어요?
→ Excuse me, where is ______?
You can use:
지하철역 → subway station
카페 → café
식당 → restaurant
화장실 → restroom
호텔 → hotel
Great job!
🌸 One Small Step
You don’t need perfect Korean to communicate in Korea.
A few simple phrases can help you ask questions, understand basic directions, and feel more comfortable exploring on your own.
Start with 실례합니다, 어디예요?, and 어떻게 가요?
Then add direction words like 오른쪽, 왼쪽, and 직진.
Little by little, you’ll be able to navigate Korea in Korean.
See You in Chapter 8!
In Chapter 8, we’ll continue building your everyday Korean with another practical topic you can use in real situations in Korea.
Keep practicing, one phrase at a time.
See you in Chapter 8!
— Ayla
Let’s discover Korea, one word, one dish, and one story at a time.