Which Four Questions Should You Learn First?
Learn four questions first: 한국어로 어떻게 말해요?, 이거 한국어로 뭐예요?, 다시 한번 말해 주세요 and 천천히 말해 주세요. Together they let you collect words and phrases from any Korean speaker.
| Order | Job | Korean | Revised Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask how to say it | 한국어로 어떻게 말해요? | hangugeoro eotteoke malhaeyo |
| 2 | Ask what a thing is called | 이거 한국어로 뭐예요? | igeo hangugeoro mwoyeyo |
| 3 | Ask for repetition | 다시 한번 말해 주세요 | dasi hanbeon malhae juseyo |
| 4 | Ask for slow speech | 천천히 말해 주세요 | cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo |
Revised Romanization (the South Korean government standard of 2000) is shown only as a reading aid. Learn the Hangul first. The sound of the first question is not what the spelling suggests: it is [한구거로 어떠케 말해요], and in fast speech the ㅎ of 해 often fades to [마래요]. The ending 로 means "in" or "by means of", so 한국어로 means "in Korean". The next section explains how to choose the level.
Which Politeness Level Should You Use to Ask How to Say Something?
Choose by the listener: the polite -요 form works with almost everyone, the formal form suits service and work, and the casual form is only for close friends. Korean marks the listener with three speech styles, explained in the guide to Korean speech levels. The polite style (해요체) is the everyday default, the casual style (해체) is for friends, and the formal style (합쇼체) is for speeches and customers.
| Level | Question | Use with |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | 한국어로 어떻게 말합니까? | Customers, a formal interview |
| Polite | 한국어로 어떻게 말해요? | Strangers, colleagues, teachers |
| Casual | 한국어로 어떻게 말해? | Close friends, younger people |
When you are unsure, choose the polite form. A stranger will never feel insulted by -요. The same table works for the other questions: 뭐예요 (polite), 뭡니까 (formal) and 뭐야 (casual). Next, how to use tools when you cannot ask a person.
How Do You Ask How to Say Something in Korean?
You have three good tools: a person, a picture and a translation app. A person answers best, because they can say the word and show the level.
- Ask a person. Point and say 이거 한국어로 뭐예요?
- Use a picture or the phrase on a menu. Show it and ask 이거 어떻게 읽어요? (how do you read this?).
- Use a translation app. Papago, a translation app from the Korean company Naver, gives a draft in polite Korean. Check any phrase against a guide here before you use it with someone important.
An app can choose the wrong level, so always read the Korean aloud once. The audio on each guide helps you copy the rhythm. A handy rule is to say the English word first, then the question: "water, 한국어로 어떻게 말해요?". Koreans will usually answer 물이요 (it's water).
Which "How to Say in Korean" Searches Are Single Words?
Many "how to say ... in Korean" searches are really about one word, such as an animal, a colour or a food. Those belong in the vocabulary hub, Korean Words A to Z, so this section stays focused on phrases. The map is simple:
- Family terms: mom, dad, grandmother, sister, brother.
- Food and drink: water, rice, kimchi, coffee, fruit.
- Colours, numbers and days: red, one, Monday, summer.
- Places and body parts: airport, hand, head.
- Names of countries and languages: Korea, English, Japan.
If your question is "how do I say hello" or "how do I apologise", you are in the right place. If it is "what is the word for dog", go to the vocabulary hub. A new learner may also start with Korean greetings, which holds the most common first phrases.
All How to Say in Korean Guides
This cluster has one guide, shown below with its lead phrase and a short audio clip. It follows the same layout as every phrase guide: a quick answer, a register table, pronunciation with audio, usage scenes, short dialogues and common mistakes. The Korean phrases hub holds the other situation clusters.
Start Here
How Do You Say in Korean
The lead phrase is 한국어로 어떻게 말해요? (hangugeoro eotteoke malhaeyo?), which means "how do you say it in Korean?". The page covers four polite questions for saying, naming, reading and writing, the pronunciation [한구거로 어떠케 말해요], and short dialogues at a street food stall and in a classroom.
More Phrases
No other guides are in this cluster yet. Until more are added, the phrase flashcards and the main Korean phrases hub cover related lines for asking, thanking and apologising.
How Do You Practise Asking How to Say Things in Korean?
Practise in three steps: listen, repeat, then use it. Play the clip once, say the question aloud twice, and then ask a real person or an imaginary one. The phrase flashcards drill this cluster with audio.
- Listen to 한국어로 어떻게 말해요? and copy the sound [한구거로 어떠케 말해요].
- Repeat it three times, and then swap the object: 이거, 저거, 그거.
- Use it with a photo of an object, and write the answer down in Hangul.
A short habit works well. Each day, find five things around you, ask 이거 한국어로 뭐예요?, and check the answer in the vocabulary hub. Within a week, you have about thirty-five words and a confident question.
What Mistakes Do Learners Make When Asking How to Say Things?
Most mistakes come from using the wrong level or searching in the wrong section.
| Mistake | Why it is a problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Asking a stranger with the casual 어떻게 말해? | Too familiar | Add 요: 어떻게 말해요? |
| Looking for single words here | Those live in vocabulary | Go to the Korean Words A to Z hub |
| Saying [한국어로 어떻게] letter by letter | Misses the sound change | Say [한구거로 어떠케] |
| Copying an app answer without checking | The level may be wrong | Check the guide and the audio |
| Forgetting 로 | 한국어 어떻게 말해요 misses "in" | Say 한국어로 |
Learners often assume that every "how to say" needs a long sentence. Actually, 이거 뭐예요? and one pointing finger are enough to start a useful answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up how to say something in Korean?
First check this section by situation. If you only have a single word, search the vocabulary hub. If you have a sentence, a translation app such as Papago gives a draft, and you can check the audio here. Then ask a person: 이거 한국어로 어떻게 말해요? works with any gesture or picture.
Are single words in this section?
No. This section covers phrases and sentences, such as how to ask for help or how to apologise. Single words, such as the names of animals, colours, food and family members, are in the Korean Words A to Z hub. Each word page gives the Hangul, a Revised Romanization reading aid and audio.
What question do I ask to learn a word?
Ask 이거 한국어로 뭐예요? (igeo hangugeoro mwoyeyo?), which means what is this in Korean? Or ask 한국어로 어떻게 말해요? (how do you say it in Korean?) after you say the English word. Both are polite. Point at the thing when you ask, and Koreans will usually answer with a smile.
Do you cover slang?
Not in this section. The phrases here use standard polite and casual Korean, as in the National Institute of Korean Language rules. Common colloquial forms may appear on a phrase page as a note. Strong slang and swear words belong to separate vocabulary and culture pages, because they need context and a careful warning.
Is Papago reliable for phrases?
Papago, a translation app from the Korean company Naver, is useful for a first draft, especially for polite speech. Treat it as a helper, not a final answer: it may choose a level you did not intend. Check the phrase here for register and audio, then try it with a person.
Which Korean should I learn first if I want to ask how to say things?
Learn 한국어로 어떻게 말해요? and 이거 한국어로 뭐예요? first, plus 다시 한번 말해 주세요 (please say it once more) and 천천히 말해 주세요 (please speak slowly). These four questions let you collect new words from any Korean speaker. Practise them with the audio and with the phrase flashcards.