Key Facts
- Hangul: 교통카드; Revised Romanization: gyotongkadeu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: mixed (Sino-Korean + English loanword)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean.
- Hanja: 交通 (交 exchange + 通 pass through) + loanword 카드 (card)
Transit Card in Korean: How Do You Pronounce 교통카드?
Four syllables: gyo-tong-ka-deu, read as written. The ㅋ of 카 is aspirated, with a strong puff of air, and 드 ends in the short vowel eu, not a full "d" sound as in English.
Example Sentences with 교통카드
교통카드가 있어요?
Gyotongkadeuga isseoyo?
Do you have a transit card?
A question a friend or station clerk might ask: 있어요 means "have", and the rising intonation makes it a question.
저는 교통카드로 버스를 타요.
Jeoneun gyotongkadeuro beoseureul tayo.
I take the bus with a transit card.
Fare payment. 버스를 is bus as the object, and 교통카드로 marks the card as the means.
교통카드에 돈을 충전했어요.
Gyotongkadeue doneul chungjeonhaesseoyo.
I topped up my transit card.
A top-up: 돈을 is money and 충전했어요 means "charged" or "topped up", in the past tense.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 교통카드를 충전하다 | to top up a transit card |
| 교통카드 잔액 | transit card balance |
| 교통카드를 찍다 | to tap a transit card |
교통카드를 충전하다 is to top up, 교통카드 잔액 is the balance, and 교통카드를 찍다 is the tap at the reader.
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners call every transit card "T-money".
- Wrong: using 티머니 as the general word for any fare card.
- Correct: 교통카드 for transit cards in general; 티머니 is one brand of 교통카드.
교통카드 Compared with Similar Words
티머니 is a brand of Korean transit card. 카드 is a general card, so it needs a modifier to mean a fare card.
| Word | Meaning | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| 교통카드 | transit card | This page's word |
| 티머니 | T-money | 티머니 is a brand of Korean transit card. |
| 카드 | card | 카드 is a general card. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
교통 is written 交通: 交 (exchange) and 通 (pass through), combined with the loanword 카드. Besides fares, T-money and similar cards can also pay for purchases at some convenience stores.
At a Shop: Topping up a Transit Card
A customer asks a cashier to add money to a prepaid transit card. The amount is part of this practice exchange.
Customer
교통카드 충전해 주세요.
Gyotongkadeu chungjeonhae juseyo.
Please top up my transit card.
Cashier
얼마 충전해 드릴까요?
Eolma chungjeonhae deurilkkayo?
How much would you like me to add?
Customer
만 원 충전해 주세요.
Man won chungjeonhae juseyo.
Please add ten thousand won.
Cashier
네, 충전됐어요.
Ne, chungjeondwaesseoyo.
Yes, it has been topped up.
충전해 주세요 asks for a top-up, while 충전됐어요 confirms completion. The cashier's 드릴까요 offers a service politely. The customer leaves out the object particle after 교통카드, which is natural in this short request because the card and the requested action are clear.
What Do 충전, 잔액 and 찍다 Tell You?
충전 literally involves charging or replenishing something. With 교통카드, it means adding stored money, rather than charging a battery. The existing example includes 돈, “money”, making that meaning explicit. The dialogue uses the shorter request a customer can make while presenting the card.
잔액 means the remaining balance. 교통카드 잔액 therefore names what is left on the card, rather than what you just added. A top-up amount and a remaining balance can be different figures: the second can include money that was already there.
교통카드를 찍다 means to tap a card against a reader. 찍다 has other meanings, including taking a photograph, but the card and reader make the intended action clear. In this setting, the phrase is a routine payment instruction rather than an instruction to photograph the card.
The particles in the examples also separate actions. 교통카드로 marks the means of paying when you take the bus. 교통카드에 marks the destination for money being added. The first concerns using the stored value; the second concerns putting value onto the card.
Where Will You Hear or See 교통카드?
Look for the word in transport payment information, top-up instructions and conversations at a counter. A label containing 충전 concerns adding value. A display containing 잔액 concerns the remaining amount. Recognising those two words gives you more information than recognising 카드 alone.
In a bus or station setting, a request to 찍다 concerns presenting the card to a reader. Listen for whether the speaker is naming the card, the action or a balance problem. The same noun may appear in all three exchanges, but the surrounding words tell you what needs attention.
교통카드 is the general category; 티머니 identifies a brand. If someone asks which card you have, the brand may matter. If you are asking where transit cards are sold, the general category is a natural starting point. A brand name and a product category answer different questions.
The noun itself is neutral. The cashier's polite service language in the dialogue comes from the verb ending. In a machine menu, you may see only the short nouns 충전 and 잔액, with no spoken sentence ending.
Payment Words to Recognise Next
| Korean | Meaning | What it helps you understand |
|---|---|---|
| 충전 | top-up | Adding stored money to the card. |
| 잔액 | remaining balance | How much stored money is left. |
| 요금 | fare or charge | The amount charged for the journey. |
| 환승 | transfer | Changing from one service to another. |
The transportation word list groups these terms with vehicles and travel actions. 환승 names the transfer itself; the word alone does not specify a fare rule. 요금 names a charge, while 잔액 names money still available on your card.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word means adding value: 충전 or 잔액?
- What does 교통카드를 찍다 mean beside a fare reader?
- Is 교통카드로 the card used for payment, or money being added to it?
Show answers
- 충전 means a top-up. 잔액 is the remaining balance.
- Tap the transit card against the reader.
- It marks the card as the means of payment. 교통카드에 can mark where money is added.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "transit card" in Korean?
Say 교통카드 (gyotongkadeu).
Is 티머니 the same thing?
No. 티머니 (T-money) is one brand of transit card. The general word is 교통카드.
How do I say "top up"?
Say 충전하다, as in 교통카드를 충전하다 (to top up a transit card).
What is the card balance?
The balance is 잔액, so the balance on your card is 교통카드 잔액.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: transportation word list. 교통카드 follows the transfer word there.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the card page. 카드 is the general word for any card.