What Are the Most Useful Korean Texting Phrases to Learn First?
Learn four lines first, in the order a new friendship uses them: ask for a contact, ask for a message, promise a message and report that you are coming. They cover the full cycle from meeting someone to meeting up with them.
| Step | Korean | Revised Romanization | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| what's your KakaoTalk ID? | 카카오톡 아이디가 뭐예요? | kakaotok aidiga mwoyeyo | what's your kakaotalk id in korean |
| please text me | 문자 보내 주세요 | munja bonae juseyo | text me in korean |
| I'll text you | 문자 드릴게요 | munja deurilgeyo | i'll text you in korean |
| I'm on my way | 가는 중이에요 | ganeun jungieyo | i'm on my way in korean |
Each line is in the polite style, so you can send it to a new friend, a teacher or a coworker. The table lists the lead form of each guide. Revised Romanization (the South Korean government system of 2000) is a reading aid only, so learn the Hangul first. Play the sample chain to hear how a plan moves from invitation to arrival.
The next section shows which style fits a message and how a chat changes tone over time.
How Do You Choose between Formal, Polite and Casual Korean Texting Phrases?
Write in the polite 요 style to anyone you do not know well, in the formal style to a boss or a business contact, and in the casual style (반말) only after both of you agree. The page on Korean speech levels explains the three styles. The table shows the same message in each.
| Message | Formal (business) | Polite (safe default) | Casual (friends) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I'll text you | 문자 드리겠습니다 (munja deurigetseumnida) | 문자 드릴게요 (munja deurilgeyo) | 문자 할게 (munja halge) |
| Please text me | 문자 주시기 바랍니다 (munja jusigi baramnida) | 문자 보내 주세요 (munja bonae juseyo) | 문자 보내 줘 (munja bonae jwo) |
| I'm on my way | 가고 있습니다 (gago itseumnida) | 가는 중이에요 (ganeun jungieyo) | 가는 중이야 (ganeun jungiya) |
KakaoTalk and How to Ask for an ID
KakaoTalk (카카오톡, or 카톡 in speech) is the chat app most people in Korea use for messages and group chats. To ask for a contact, say 카카오톡 아이디가 뭐예요? ("what's your KakaoTalk ID?"), or ask 카톡 해요? ("do you use KakaoTalk?"). Many people also add a friend by phone number, so 전화번호가 뭐예요? works too, as the guide on phone numbers shows.
A Plan Message from Invitation to Arrival
A plan message has five short steps: ask, propose, confirm, leave and arrive. Each step is a single polite sentence, and the whole chain fits on one phone screen.
| Step | Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ask | 내일 시간 있어요? | Are you free tomorrow? |
| 2. Propose | 일곱 시에 만날까요? | Shall we meet at seven? |
| 3. Confirm | 좋아요, 거기서 만나요. | Good, let's meet there. |
| 4. Leave | 지금 출발해요. | I'm leaving now. |
| 5. Arrive | 가는 중이에요. / 거의 다 왔어요. / 도착했어요. | I'm on my way. / I'm almost there. / I've arrived. |
For step 1 and step 2, see the small-talk guides on are you free and when shall we meet. If you will be late, add an apology as in sorry I'm late.
Slang and Abbreviations
This hub teaches message phrases for plans and arrival, not slang. Abbreviations such as ㅋㅋ (a laugh) and ㅇㅇ (a quick "yeah") live in the vocabulary section, on the page for Korean texting slang. Learn the polite lines here first, because slang only works with friends.
The cards below list every guide in the cluster.
All Korean Texting Phrases Guides
The list has all 4 guides, each with its lead phrase and an audio clip. Read them in order, because each one builds on the last. The Korean conversation hub holds the other conversation clusters.
Start Here
I'll Text You
The key phrase is 문자 드릴게요 (munja deurilgeyo), which means "I'll text you." It promises a message with the humble verb 드리다 (give), which shows respect to the receiver.
I'm on My Way
The key phrase is 가는 중이에요 (ganeun jungieyo), which means "I'm on my way." It tells a friend that you are in the middle of travelling, and the pattern -는 중이에요 means "in the middle of".
Text Me
The key phrase is 문자 보내 주세요 (munja bonae juseyo), which means "please text me." It asks someone to send a message, using the request pattern verb + -아/어 주세요.
What's Your KakaoTalk ID
The key phrase is 카카오톡 아이디가 뭐예요? (kakaotok aidiga mwoyeyo), which means "what's your KakaoTalk ID?" It asks for the contact name used in the most common chat app in Korea.
How Do You Practise Korean Texting Phrases?
Texting phrases improve fastest when you type them yourself. Use this routine for ten minutes:
- Play the sample chain and repeat each line aloud.
- Type the five-step plan message in Hangul on your phone keyboard, with the Korean layout switched on.
- Change the time, the place and the person, and type it again.
- Rewrite each message once in the casual style, then once in the formal style.
- Review the lines with the phrase flashcards, which pair each phrase with audio.
Typing the Hangul is the point, because most real messages are typed, not spoken. After a few rounds, check yourself against the mistakes below.
What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Korean Texting Phrases?
Learners most often copy slang they see in chats and send it to the wrong person. Four mistakes appear again and again:
- Using ㅋㅋ or 반말 with a new acquaintance. It reads as too close. Fix: stay in the polite 요 style until the other person changes first.
- Writing 문자 드릴게요 to a close friend. The humble 드리다 sounds stiff. Fix: use 문자 할게 or 카톡할게.
- Forgetting the arrival message. A silent arrival worries the other person. Fix: send 가는 중이에요 or 도착했어요.
- Mixing Romanization into a Korean sentence. It confuses the reader. Fix: type the sentence in full Hangul; only the ID itself stays in Latin letters.
Each fix comes from matching the message to the person, which is the main skill in Korean texting phrases. The questions below cover details that the cards do not.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers add details about Korean texting phrases beyond the guides above.
What app do Koreans use for texting?
Most people in Korea use KakaoTalk (카카오톡, 카톡) for chats and group messages. A plain text message is called 문자, and people still use it for short notices and codes. When you ask someone to message you, say 카톡 보내 주세요 for KakaoTalk or 문자 보내 주세요 for a text message.
How do I ask for someone's KakaoTalk in Korean?
Say 카카오톡 아이디가 뭐예요? ("what's your KakaoTalk ID?") or ask 카톡 해요? ("do you use KakaoTalk?"). Some people prefer to swap phone numbers or scan a QR code instead of using an ID. Offer yours with 제 아이디는 ...예요 ("my ID is ..."), and wait for a reply before sending a long message.
How do I say I am on my way in Korean?
Say 가는 중이에요 (ganeun jungieyo) for "I'm on my way", or 가고 있어요 for "I'm going". Use 거의 다 왔어요 ("I'm almost there") when you are close, and 도착했어요 ("I've arrived") at the door. To a friend, drop the ending to 가는 중이야. If you will be late, add 죄송해요 first.
Where do I learn Korean texting slang?
Texting slang such as ㅋㅋ (laughing) and ㅇㅇ (a quick "yeah") is covered on the vocabulary page for Korean texting slang, not in this phrase hub. Learn the polite message lines first, because slang suits close friends. When a chat partner starts using it, you can follow their lead and copy a few terms.
Should I use polite or casual forms when I text?
Use the polite 요 form with anyone new, older than you or in a work setting. Switch to casual forms only after the other person does, or after you both agree. Texting is less formal than speaking, but a first message in casual speech can still seem rude. Short polite lines such as 네 or 감사해요 are always safe.