Key Facts
- Hangul: 수수료 (susuryo)
- Meaning: fee; commission
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: neutral; used for service or handling fees
- Hanja: 手數料 (手 hand + 數 number + 料 fee)
- Level: B1
Fee in Korean: What Does 수수료 Mean?
수수료 is the charge a business adds for handling something for you: sending money, exchanging currency or arranging a deal. It also translates as commission. It is not the word for a general price. The last syllable 료 appears in other charge words, and it fits here because the hanja 料 means fee. Its closest neighbours, 요금 and 비용, cover usage charges and total cost, so choosing between the three comes down to what the money pays for.
How Do You Pronounce 수수료?
수수료 has three syllables: su-su-ryo. The ㄹ of 료 comes after a vowel, so it is a light tap, written r in the Revised Romanization. The word is said with an even rhythm and no tensing. With the subject marker the vowel simply continues: 수수료가 is susuryoga, as in the first example.
How Do You Use 수수료 in a Sentence?
송금 수수료가 얼마예요?
How much is the remittance fee?
songgeum susuryoga eolmayeyo? 송금 수수료가 얼마예요? asks how much the remittance fee is. 송금 is sending money, 얼마예요 asks how much, and 가 marks 수수료 as the subject. This is the form you would use at a bank counter.
수수료는 무료예요.
There is no fee.
susuryoneun muryoyeyo. 수수료는 무료예요 says there is no fee. The topic marker 는 sets 수수료 apart as the thing being described, and 무료예요 means it costs nothing.
환전할 때 수수료를 내요.
You pay a fee when you exchange money.
hwanjeonhal ttae susuryoreul naeyo. 환전할 때 수수료를 내요 says you pay a fee when you exchange money. 환전할 때 means when exchanging, and 를 marks 수수료 as what you pay.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 수수료를 내다 | to pay a fee |
| 수수료가 붙다 | a fee is added |
| 수수료 무료 | no fee |
| 중개 수수료 | brokerage fee |
수수료를 내다 is the everyday verb phrase for paying a fee, and 수수료가 붙다 literally means a fee gets attached. 수수료 무료 is the sign you see when a service charges nothing, and 중개 수수료 is the brokerage fee paid to an agent.
Common Mistake
Mix-up: Using 수수료 for any kind of cost.
Instead: 수수료 is a service or commission fee. Use 요금 for usage charges such as 택시 요금, and 비용 for the total cost of something.
Ask yourself whether the money is paid for a service charge on top of something else. If yes, 수수료 fits.
How Does 수수료 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How it differs from 수수료 |
|---|---|---|
| 요금 | charge | A usage charge, such as a fare or a phone bill. |
| 비용 | cost | The general cost of doing something, which may include several fees. |
Asking about a Transfer Fee
A customer already discussing a money transfer asks about sending it online. The amount is left open: the useful language concerns whether a fee exists and how it is paid.
Customer
인터넷으로 보내도 수수료가 있어요?
Inteoneseuro bonaedo susuryoga isseoyo?
Is there a fee even if I send it online?
Bank employee
네, 수수료가 있어요.
Ne, susuryoga isseoyo.
Yes, there is a fee.
Customer
수수료는 따로 내요?
Susuryoneun ttaro naeyo?
Do I pay the fee separately?
Bank employee
네, 따로 내셔야 해요.
Ne, ttaro naesyeoya haeyo.
Yes, you need to pay it separately.
보내도 means “even if I send it”. The customer is checking whether the payment method changes the fee. 따로 means separately, so the next question distinguishes the service fee from the money being sent. 내셔야 해요 is a respectful way for the employee to say the customer needs to pay.
The dialogue does not give a fee amount. In a real exchange, the earlier question 송금 수수료가 얼마예요 asks for that missing information. Asking whether a fee exists and asking how much it is are separate questions.
Reading Fee Labels on Screens and Notices
송금 수수료 is a money-transfer fee; 환전 수수료 is a currency-exchange fee. The noun before 수수료 identifies the transaction being handled. You can use that pattern to read a bank screen without mistaking the fee for the amount you are transferring or exchanging.
예매 수수료 is a booking fee, often encountered while reserving tickets. 취소 수수료 is a cancellation fee. The second label matters when a screen explains what happens if you cancel. Both name a charge for handling an action, rather than the ticket price itself.
수수료 포함 means the fee is included. 수수료 별도 means the fee is separate. These short labels often omit a full sentence ending. 별도 alerts you that the displayed amount and the fee are presented separately; the surrounding notice supplies the actual payment terms.
수수료 면제 means the fee is waived. 무료 says there is no charge, while 면제 emphasizes exemption from a charge that could otherwise apply. If a notice names a particular fee, keep that scope: one waived fee does not tell you that every part of the transaction costs nothing.
Which Verb Goes with 수수료?
수수료를 내다 describes the customer's action: paying the fee. 수수료를 받다 describes the business's action: receiving or charging a fee. The same noun can be the object of either verb, so the subject tells you whose side of the transaction you are hearing about.
수수료를 부과하다 means to impose or charge a fee. It belongs comfortably in written terms and formal notices. The everyday expression 수수료가 붙다, literally “a fee attaches”, instead describes the fee being added. It is a normal collocation, not an image you need to translate literally into English.
중개 수수료 names a brokerage fee for arranging a transaction. 수수료 can therefore be a handling charge or a commission; it is not limited to banking. 비용 is broader and can include the fee among other expenses. Asking about 비용 may invite a total rather than a breakdown of this one charge.
Related Words for Paying and Transferring Money
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 송금 | money transfer | Names sending money, rather than the fee for doing so. |
| 환전 | currency exchange | Names changing one currency into another. |
| 금액 | amount of money | Useful when identifying which number a screen shows. |
| 영수증 | receipt | Proof of a payment. |
The money vocabulary lesson teaches the wider payment set. On a receipt, look at the label beside an amount: 수수료 names a particular charge, while a total can include several different amounts.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 수수료 별도 mean the fee is already included?
- Which expression describes paying a fee: 수수료를 내다 or 수수료를 받다?
- What action does 취소 수수료 concern?
Show answers
- No. It means the fee is separate.
- 수수료를 내다. 받다 describes receiving it.
- Cancellation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does 수수료 Mean?
It means a fee or commission charged for a service.
How Do I Ask about the Fee at a Bank?
Say 송금 수수료가 얼마예요? to ask how much the remittance fee is.
Is 수수료 the Same as 요금?
No. 요금 is a usage charge like a fare or phone bill. 수수료 is a service or handling fee.
How Do I Say No Fee?
Say 수수료 무료. To say a fee is added, use 수수료가 붙다.
Where to Go Next
For related money words, open the money vocabulary list or browse Korean words A to Z. Next, see interest, and review the set in the vocabulary flashcard decks.