Key Facts
- Word: 카드 (kadeu)
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: Neutral everyday loanword.
- Senses: card; credit or debit card
Card in Korean: Meaning and Register
카드 means a card in general and, most often, a credit or debit card. It is a neutral loanword.
The examples show both uses: paying with a card, and writing a birthday card for a friend.
Compounds mark the type. 신용카드 is a credit card, and 교통카드 is a transit card.
Pronunciation
카드 has two syllables, and the RR is kadeu. There is no sound change. The final 드 has the short ㅡ vowel that Korean adds after the English d.
Example Sentences
카드로 계산할게요.
kadeuro gyesanhalgeyo.
I will pay by card.
카드로 계산할게요. (I will pay by card.) 계산할게요 means I will pay, and 로 shows the means. The sentence is a clear way to tell a cashier how you pay.
카드 있어요?
kadeu isseoyo?
Do you have a card?
카드 있어요? (Do you have a card?) 있어요 asks if you have one. The question mark and rising tone make it a quick shop question.
친구에게 생일 카드를 썼어요.
chinguege saengil kadeureul sseosseoyo.
I wrote a birthday card to my friend.
친구에게 생일 카드를 썼어요. (I wrote a birthday card to my friend.) 생일 is birthday, and 썼어요 is the past of write. The sentence uses 에게 for the person who receives the card.
Collocations
- 카드로 계산하다: to pay by card
- 신용카드: credit card
- 교통카드: transit card
- 카드를 긁다: to swipe a card
카드로 계산하다 is to pay by card. 카드를 긁다 is to swipe a card. 신용카드 and 교통카드 are two kinds of card.
Common Mistake
Learners mark the card as the object of 계산하다 (to pay, literally "to calculate").
- Wrong: 카드를 계산해요
- Right: 카드로 계산해요 (I pay by card)
The card is the means of payment, so it takes 로, not the object marker.
카드 vs 현금
| Word | Meaning | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| 카드 | card; credit/debit card | this page's word |
| 현금 | cash | The alternative to paying by card. |
| 엽서 | postcard | A postcard, not a greeting card. |
현금 is cash, the alternative to paying by card. 엽서 is a postcard, not a greeting card. Use 카드 for payment and for greeting cards.
At a Shop: Paying by Card
A customer has chosen an item and is ready to pay. The cashier points out the terminal, so the payment method and the action are both clear.
Customer
카드로 계산할게요.
Kadeuro gyesanhalgeyo.
I will pay by card.
Cashier
네, 여기에 카드를 꽂아 주세요.
Ne, yeogie kadeureul kkoja juseyo.
Yes, please insert your card here.
Customer
여기요?
Yeogiyo?
Here?
Cashier
네, 맞아요.
Ne, majayo.
Yes, that is right.
The first line gives a payment method with 카드로. The second treats the physical card as the thing being inserted, so it uses 카드를. Both particles are useful: the choice follows what the card does in the sentence. 여기 means “here”, letting the cashier explain the terminal while pointing to it.
Where Will You Hear 카드?
At a checkout, 카드 usually means a payment card. In a stationery shop, 생일 카드 means a birthday card, and in a travel conversation 교통카드 means a transit card. The word alone does not identify the material, issuer or payment system. Look for the word before 카드, or the action that follows it.
카드 있어요? can ask about different cards in different settings. A cashier might be asking whether you have a membership card, especially after mentioning points or membership. It is not always a question about your ability to pay. Naming the type, such as 신용카드, makes the question more specific.
카드 is neutral and works in polite service conversations. 카드로 계산할게요 is a complete, clear sentence for telling a cashier how you plan to pay. A short answer such as 카드요 can also work after the cashier has asked which payment method you want. The 요 keeps that brief reply polite.
Common Card Actions
카드를 긁다 literally means to scrape or swipe a card. In payment talk, it can also refer more broadly to putting a purchase on a card. Hearing the phrase does not guarantee that someone physically swiped a magnetic stripe. At a terminal, follow the specific action requested rather than assuming every card must be swiped.
카드를 꽂다 means to insert a card, as in the dialogue. 카드를 찍다 can mean to tap a card on a reader, particularly with a transit card. The same verb 찍다 is used for taking photographs, but the card and reader give it a different meaning here.
신용카드 means credit card. 체크카드 is a debit card linked to an account. 회원카드 is a membership card, which may identify a member or collect points without being a payment card. These compounds all end in 카드, but they do different jobs. Knowing the final word is only the first step toward understanding a cashier's question.
Related Words at the Checkout
| Korean | Meaning | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 결제 | payment | Names the payment process on a screen or receipt. |
| 영수증 | receipt | A payment record you may receive after paying. |
| 비밀번호 | password; PIN | In a card transaction, the code requested by the terminal. |
| 현금 | cash | The payment option contrasted with a card. |
The shopping vocabulary lesson teaches the wider checkout set. 결제 concerns making the payment, while 영수증 is proof of it. A card and a receipt are different objects, so asking for one does not mean asking for the other.
For written cards, 엽서 is a postcard and 생일 카드 is a birthday card. The payment expressions above belong to the shop transaction. Writing a message in a card uses 쓰다, as in the birthday example, because the card holds words rather than paying for an item.
Quick Self-Test
- Fill the gap: 카드___ 계산할게요.
- Does 회원카드 necessarily mean a payment card?
- At a transit reader, what does 카드를 찍다 mean?
Show answers
- 로: 카드로 계산할게요.
- No. It is a membership card.
- To tap the card on the reader.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say card in Korean? It is 카드, with the RR kadeu.
How do I say I will pay by card? Say 카드로 계산할게요.
What is the difference between 카드 and 현금? 카드 is a card; 현금 is cash.
What does 교통카드 mean? It means transit card.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: daily life shopping vocabulary puts 카드 next to its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every word page.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word: Cash in Korean