- 01
Who Is Survival Korean for, and Who Should Skip It?
- 02
Do You Need Hangul for Survival Korean?
- 03
Module 1: Read Signs and Menus
- 04
Module 2: Polite Essentials
- 05
Module 3: Numbers and Prices
- 06
Module 4: Order Food
Who Is Survival Korean for, and Who Should Skip It?
This course is for people who need working Korean fast: a trip, a short stay, a first visit to family, or a month in Korea before real classes. It assumes no Korean and no grammar. You learn whole phrases, in the order you meet the situations.
Skip it, or choose another route, if:
- You want to hold conversations. Phrases do not teach you to build new sentences. The Korean for Beginners course does.
- You have more than a few weeks and a trip planned. Korean for Travel follows a trip stage by stage and goes deeper.
- You want to read before you speak. Start with the Hangul course and come back.
Do You Need Hangul for Survival Korean?
No, but a little Hangul changes what you can do. You can survive on audio alone, since the phrases are short. But signs, menus and station names are written in Hangul, and you cannot ask someone to say them. Even two days of the Hangul course make signs and menus readable, which is why Module 1 is a crash version.
The rest of the course uses Hangul with audio. Revised Romanization is an optional aid, hidden by default, and it is never the only form shown.
Module 1: Read Signs and Menus
Module 1 teaches you to recognise a handful of sight words, not to read fluently. Signs repeat, so a short list covers most of what you will see. The real-world reading lessons give more.
| Sign | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| 출구 | exit | stations, malls |
| 입구 | entrance | buildings, parks |
| 화장실 | toilet | everywhere |
| 지하철 | subway | street signs |
| 버스 | bus | stops |
| 메뉴 | menu | restaurants |
Learn each shape as a whole, then check the letters. For example, 출구 is ㅊ+ㅜ+ㄹ then ㄱ+ㅜ. The first syllable has a final ㄹ, and the word is said [출구].
Checkpoint: point to the right word for each meaning without looking at the table.
Lesson Review
Module 2: Polite Essentials
Module 2 gives you the six phrases that open every exchange. They are set phrases, so learn them as units. The polite expressions page lists more, and two have their own pages: thank you in Korean and sorry in Korean.
| Phrase | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | Hello | greeting, any time of day |
| 감사합니다 | Thank you | most polite everyday thanks |
| 죄송합니다 | I'm sorry | apology, also "excuse me" when you bump into someone |
| 실례합니다 | Excuse me | passing by or entering a space |
| 네 / 아니요 | Yes / No | answers |
| 괜찮아요 | It's okay / No, thanks | reassuring or declining |
An expert tip: 괜찮아요 is the most flexible survival phrase. Said with a smile and a small wave, it declines an offer, such as a bag or a brochure. Said while holding out a hand, it can also mean "I'm okay". The tone decides.
Checkpoint: greet, thank and apologise aloud in under 15 seconds.
Lesson Review
Module 3: Numbers and Prices
Module 3 teaches Sino-Korean numbers, because prices use them. The Sino-Korean system is one of two Korean number systems, and it is the one for money, phone numbers, dates and floors. The Sino-Korean numbers lesson teaches the system, and the saying prices in Korean page drills it.
The digits 1-10 are 일, 이, 삼, 사, 오, 육, 칠, 팔, 구, 십. Then: 백 (100), 천 (1,000) and 만 (10,000). Korean counts in units of 만, so 15,000 is "one 만, five 천": 만 오천. Money adds 원 (won).
| Price | Say | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 원 | 천 원 | one thousand won |
| 5,000 원 | 오천 원 | five thousand won |
| 10,000 원 | 만 원 | ten thousand won |
| 15,000 원 | 만 오천 원 | one 만 and five 천, in won |
| 30,000 원 | 삼만 원 | three 만, in won |
To count items, Korean uses native numbers instead (하나, 둘, 셋), as in 커피 두 잔 주세요 ("Two coffees, please"). Learn those as phrases; the full system is part of the beginner course.
Listen for 만. Learners expect "ten thousand" as one unit and miss that Korean says "one 만" for 10,000. Practise hearing 만 and 천 first.
Checkpoint: write the price you hear for 3,000, 12,000 and 50,000 won, from audio.
Lesson Review
Module 4: Order Food
Module 4 gives you one pattern for almost everything: N 주세요, which means "Please give me N". N is a noun, so you only need nouns to order. The restaurant phrases page adds the rest.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 저기요 | Excuse me (to call staff) |
| 메뉴 주세요 | The menu, please |
| 이거 주세요 | This one, please |
| 물 주세요 | Water, please |
| 안 맵게 해 주세요 | Please make it not spicy |
| 계산해 주세요 | The bill, please |
| 맛있어요 | It's delicious |
Use 저기요 or 여기요 to call staff. Avoid calling an older stranger 아저씨 or 아줌마 ("mister", "ma'am"): the words describe middle-aged men and women and can sound impolite or too familiar when addressed to a stranger.
Checkpoint: order a drink, a dish by pointing, and the bill, using only the 주세요 phrases above.
Lesson Review
Module 5: Get Around
Module 5 teaches you to ask where things are, and to name where you want to go. The pattern is a place plus 어디예요? ("Where is it?"). The asking for directions and taxi and transport pages give more.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 화장실이 어디예요? | Where is the toilet? |
| 지하철역이 어디예요? | Where is the subway station? |
| 여기 가 주세요 | Please go here (show the address) |
| 이 버스 가요? | Does this bus go (there)? |
| 여기서 내려 주세요 | Please let me off here |
In a taxi, hold up a screenshot of the Korean address and say 여기 가 주세요. This works even when your pronunciation of the place name is unsure, and it is the safest way to avoid mistakes between similar station names.
Checkpoint: ask where three places are, and show a destination to a driver.
Lesson Review
Module 6: Shop
Module 6 covers the four questions that finish most purchases: price, payment, size or choice, and a polite way to leave. The shopping phrases page has more, and the full explanation of how much is it in Korean has its own page.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 이거 얼마예요? | How much is this? |
| 카드 돼요? | Can I pay by card? |
| 이거 주세요 | I'll take this one |
| 너무 비싸요 | It's too expensive |
| 그냥 구경해요 | I'm just looking |
When you hear the price, listen for 천, 만 and 원. If you miss it, hold out your phone and ask for it to be typed on the calculator. That is a normal habit, and shop staff are used to it.
Checkpoint: ask the price of three things, hear the answer in Korean, and say the amount aloud.
Lesson Review
Module 7: Ask for Help
Module 7 teaches the phrases you hope never to use, in a form you can say under stress. The emergency phrases page lists more.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 도와주세요 | Please help me |
| 아파요 | I'm in pain / I'm sick |
| 병원이 어디예요? | Where is the hospital? |
| 경찰 불러 주세요 | Please call the police |
| 다시 말해 주세요 | Please say that again |
| 천천히 말해 주세요 | Please speak slowly |
| 영어 할 수 있어요? | Can you speak English? |
In Korea, 112 reaches the police and 119 reaches fire and ambulance services. Save both numbers in your phone before you travel, and learn 도와주세요 as a single sound.
Checkpoint: say 도와주세요 and 천천히 말해 주세요 with a clear, loud voice, from memory.
Lesson Review
What Should You Do When You Cannot Understand the Answer?
When you cannot understand the answer, use the point-and-say fallback: ask for repetition, ask for slow speech, and then show or point. It works because staff expect it and the phrases are short. In order:
- Say 다시 말해 주세요 (please say it again).
- Say 천천히 말해 주세요 (please speak slowly).
- Hold out your phone for a number to be typed on the calculator.
- Point at the menu, product or map.
- Ask 영어 할 수 있어요? (can you speak English?) as a last step, not a first.
Keep your reply short. A confident 네 or 아니요 is easier to read than a long, hesitant sentence in either language.
How Long Does Survival Korean Take?
Survival Korean typically takes 10-15 study hours: about 2 hours for the signs and Hangul, 1 to 2 hours for each of the other modules, and review. That is two to three weeks at 30 minutes a day. These are typical estimates for adult self-learners, not promises. The 30 to 60 hours given for a survival milestone on how long Korean takes to learn include extra listening practice and review beyond these lessons.
After the course you will be able to greet, thank and apologise, read common signs, say and hear prices, order food, ask where things are and ask for help. You will not be able to follow replies, discuss anything beyond the phrases, or build new sentences. That is the purpose of the course: a safety net, not fluency. With more time, continue to Korean for Travel.
What Comes after Survival Korean?
After this course, choose by goal: Korean for Travel for a longer trip, the Korean for Beginners course for real conversation, or compare all Korean course paths. Anyone who needs survival Korean in a hurry can finish the seven modules in a few weeks and still have time to review them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is romanization enough for a short trip?
It can work for a few memorised phrases, but it is unreliable. Romanization hides sounds such as ㅓ and ㅡ, and you cannot match it to signs or menus. Two days of Hangul takes you further: you can read station names, 출구 (exit) and menu words. Use romanization only as a short-term aid beside Hangul.
Which phrase is most useful in restaurants?
이거 주세요 ("This one, please"). Point at the menu item or the dish and say it. The pattern N 주세요 also works for water (물 주세요), the bill (계산해 주세요) and extra side dishes. If you learn only one ordering phrase before a trip, learn this one and the word 저기요 to call staff.
Will Koreans understand my accent?
Usually yes, if you speak slowly and clearly. Staff in tourist areas are used to learners, and Korean has no tones to mispronounce. The biggest problems are rushed syllables and sounds like ㅓ versus ㅗ. Practise each phrase with the audio, and repeat it more slowly if the listener looks unsure.
Should I learn formal or polite phrases?
Learn the polite -요 forms first, and a few formal -ㅂ니다 set phrases such as 감사합니다 and 죄송합니다. The -요 form suits nearly every stranger, and the formal set phrases are common in shops and on announcements. Skip casual speech with strangers: it sounds rude, even when your Korean is correct.