How to Say What's Your Phone Number in Korean (전화번호가 뭐예요?)

What you'll learn

• Say 전화번호가 뭐예요? aloud as [전화번호가 뭐예요].
• Choose between 전화번호가 뭐예요?, 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 and 번호 줄래요? for a stranger, staff and a new friend.
• Answer with Sino-Korean digits: 공일공 for 010.
• Avoid native numbers such as 하나 and 둘 in a phone number.

Before you start: you need to read Hangul; romanization is shown as an aid and can be hidden. Time: about 9 minutes. Audio plays only when you press a button.

How Do You Say What's Your Phone Number in Korean?

The most natural way to ask for a number is 전화번호가 뭐예요?. It joins 전화번호 (phone number), the subject marker 가 and 뭐예요 (what is it). Three polite lines cover the question, and the table below shows the listener for each.

The table lists the choices. The next section shows when each one fits.

What Are the Formal, Polite and Casual Ways to Say What's Your Phone Number?

Korean changes the sentence ending to match the listener's age, status and closeness. These endings are called speech levels, and the guide to Korean speech levels explains them in full. With a close friend, drop -요: 전화번호 뭐야? (jeonhwabeonho mwoya) or 번호 알려 줘 (beonho allyeo jwo). In a formal setting, such as an office form, say 전화번호가 어떻게 되십니까? (jeonhwabeonhoga eotteoke doesimnikka). The three polite lines below cover most daily needs.

Polite: 전화번호가 뭐예요? (jeonhwabeonhoga mwoyeyo)

전화번호가 뭐예요? is the direct, neutral question. 전화 means phone and 번호 means number. It is clear, short and polite, but it works best when there is a reason, such as a plan to meet.

Polite: 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 (jeonhwabeonho jom allyeo juseyo)

전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 is a request. 좀 softens it, like "a little" or "please", and 알려 주세요 means "please let me know". Staff at shops, clinics and restaurants often use it when they take a booking.

Polite: 번호 줄래요? (beonho jullaeyo)

번호 줄래요? literally asks "will you give me the number?". The ending -(으)ㄹ래요 asks about the other person's will, so it is warm and informal even with -요. It fits new friends, not seniors or customers.

Three lines cover nearly every case. Saying the main question cleanly comes next.

How Do You Pronounce 전화번호가 뭐예요?

전화번호가 뭐예요? is written with eight syllables and spoken as [전화번호가 뭐예요], jeonhwabeonhoga mwoyeyo. The only change is a soft ㅎ.

1. 전 (jeon): "juhn"; the vowel ㅓ is open and not rounded
2. 화 (hwa): "hwah"; in fast speech the ㅎ gets very light
3. 번 (beon): "buhn"
4. 호 (ho): "hoh"; again the ㅎ can be light
5. 가 (ga): "gah"
6. 뭐 (mwo): a short "mwuh"
7. 예 (ye): "yeh"
8. 요 (yo): "yoh"; the question word 뭐 marks the question, so the end falls

Sound Changes to Listen For

Three points matter here, from the National Institute of Korean Language Standard Pronunciation (표준 발음법) and everyday speech.

• A light ㅎ. Between voiced sounds, ㅎ often gets very light in fast speech, so 전화번호 may sound like [저놔버노]. Careful speech keeps the ㅎ: [전화번호].
• Double ㄹ in 알려 and 줄래요. Two ㄹ in a row make one long, light ㄹ: 알려 is [알려] (allyeo) and 줄래요 is [줄래요] (jullaeyo). Revised Romanization writes ll for both.
• Aspiration in 예약해. The final ㄱ of 예약 and the ㅎ of 해 merge into one ㅋ: 예약해 is [예야캐], and Revised Romanization writes yeyakae. See liaison (resyllabification) for how final consonants move.

With the sounds set, the next question is who to ask.

When Should You Use 전화번호가 뭐예요?, and When Should You Not?

Ask 전화번호가 뭐예요? when there is a reason to call. Use the softer 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 with staff, elders and anyone you do not know well.

Situations Where It Fits

• A booking. Staff say 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 as part of the reservation.
• A new friend. 번호 줄래요? is warm and quick.
• A group or club. 전화번호가 뭐예요? helps you add a member to a list.
• An office form. The formal 전화번호가 어떻게 되십니까? suits writing and official talk.

Situations to Avoid

• Asking right away. A phone number is personal, so talk first.
• Using native numbers. Read the digits with 공, 일, 이, 삼 and so on.
• Using 몇 번이에요? It asks for a number in a list, such as a bus line, not a phone number.
• Using 번호 줄래요? with a senior. Choose 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요.

These choices are easier to feel in real exchanges, so here are three.

What Does What's Your Phone Number Sound Like in a Real Conversation?

A phone-number exchange is short. One person asks, and the other reads the digits one by one.

What to notice: Kim reads the digits in groups, which makes them easy to write down.

What to notice: the guest answers with only the digits, which is normal in a booking.

What to notice: both friends use casual endings, and 줄게 means "I will do it for you".

Behind these lines sits some social culture worth knowing.

What Should You Know about the Culture behind What's Your Phone Number?

In Korea, a phone number is personal, so how you ask matters as much as what you ask.

• Give a reason. People are more comfortable giving a number when you explain why, such as a booking or a plan.
• Mobile numbers. Korean mobile numbers usually start with 010, read 공일공, and have eleven digits.
• Last four digits. Shops and cafes sometimes ask only for the last four digits, called 뒷자리 (the back digits), for a member lookup.
• Other ways to connect. Many people now swap KakaoTalk IDs or QR codes instead. See what's your KakaoTalk ID in Korean.

An expert tip: Korean phone digits are read one by one, with Sino-Korean numbers: 0 is 공 (or 영), 1 is 일, 2 is 이, 3 is 삼, 4 is 사, 5 is 오, 6 is 육, 7 is 칠, 8 is 팔 and 9 is 구. A hyphen is sometimes read as 에 or 의. This page covers asking for a number. Reading a long number aloud is on the page about how to say a phone number in Korean.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with What's Your Phone Number in Korean?

Most mistakes come from the digits, the level and the word 번호.

Learners often read a phone number as one big figure, like one hundred and twenty-three. Korean reads it digit by digit, in short groups. Practise the ten digits once and every number becomes easy.

Is It the Same as Phone Number, Your Number or Give Me Your Number?

Partly. The short answers below cover the other ways people search for this phrase.

• Phone number in Korean: the word is 전화번호 (jeonhwabeonho). A mobile number is 휴대폰 번호 (hyudaepon beonho) or 핸드폰 번호 (haendeupon beonho).
• Your number in Korean: the short form is 번호 (beonho), as in 번호 알려 주세요. A contact detail is 연락처 (yeollakcheo).
• Give me your number in Korean: use 번호 줄래요? (polite) or 번호 알려 줘 (casual). A flat 번호 줘 can sound abrupt.
• What is your phone number in Korean: the same question, 전화번호가 뭐예요?.

Reading the forms is one thing; producing them on cue is another, so practise now.

Practice: Say It Aloud

Play the slow clip of 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요, repeat it three times, then choose a form for each situation. Answers follow.

1. You are taking a booking at a shop.
2. You ask a new friend at a club.
3. How do you read 010?
4. Why do you not use 하나 and 둘 in a phone number?

Answers

1. 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요.
2. 번호 줄래요?
3. 공일공.
4. Phone digits use the Sino-Korean set.

The phrase flashcards drill all three lines with audio.

Related Phrases to Learn Next

Asking for a number sits with the other phone and contact phrases.

• Call me in Korean: the request to use once you have the number.
• Text me in Korean: the request for a message instead.
• What's your KakaoTalk ID in Korean: the other common contact question.
• How to say a phone number in Korean: the page on reading a long number aloud.

This guide belongs to the korean phone phrases collection. What this page does not cover: reading a full number aloud and phone-call openings. When in doubt, ask 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요, and you can ask what's your phone number in Korean to almost anyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say what's your phone number in Korean?

Say 전화번호가 뭐예요? (jeonhwabeonhoga mwoyeyo). For a softer request, say 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요. With a new friend, say 번호 줄래요?. Answer by reading the digits one by one.

How do you pronounce 전화번호가 뭐예요?

It is [전화번호가 뭐예요], with a light ㅎ in fast speech. Revised Romanization writes jeonhwabeonhoga mwoyeyo. The end falls, because 뭐 is a question word.

What is the difference between 전화번호가 뭐예요? and 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요?

전화번호가 뭐예요? is a direct question. 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 is a polite request and sounds softer. Use the second with staff, elders and people you do not know well.

Can I use 전화번호가 뭐예요? with friends, elders and strangers?

Yes with colleagues and new acquaintances. With elders and strangers, the request form 전화번호 좀 알려 주세요 is safer. With close friends, drop -요 and say 전화번호 뭐야?.

What is the most common mistake with what's your phone number in Korean?

The most common mistake is using native numbers such as 하나 and 둘 for the digits. Phone digits are Sino-Korean: 공, 일, 이, 삼. The second is asking 몇 번이에요?, which asks for a number in a list.

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