If you’re planning to visit Korea, learning useful expressions in a taxi is a great way to make your travels much smoother. Taxi culture in Korea is a bit different from what you might be used to in other countries. While ride-sharing apps like Uber are common in many places, Korea has its own popular ride-hailing service called KakaoTaxi, which makes booking a taxi quick and easy. If you’re planning to take a taxi in Korea, knowing a few key phrases in Korean can help you navigate the ride with ease. In this post, I’ll share some useful expressions that I personally found helpful when traveling in Korea.
Useful Expressions in a Taxi #1: Please take me to Namsan Tower
Please take me to Namsan Tower.
남산타워로 가주세요.
[Namsan-Tower-ro-ga-ju-se-yo]
In Korea, if you want to go to a specific place, you need to tell the taxi driver where you want to go. If you say you want to visit Namsan Tower, you can use the phrase “남산타워로 가주세요[Namsan-Tower-ro-ga-ju-se-yo]” which means “Please take me to Namsan Tower.”
This is a great example, but if you want to go somewhere else, just replace “Namsan Tower” with your destination. Simply remember to use “~로 가주세요[~ro-ga-ju-se-yo]” (Please take me to ~). For example, if you want to go to Seoul Station, you could say “서울역으로 가주세요[Seo-ul-yeok-eu-ro-ga-ju-se-yo]” (Please take me to Seoul Station). It’s a simple and straightforward way to ask the driver to take you where you want to go.
Useful Expressions in a Taxi #2: Please take me to this spot
Please take me to this spot.
여기로 가주세요.
[yeo-gi-ro-ga-ju-se-yo]
If you’re using Google Maps and want to show the taxi driver the location you’re trying to get to, this expression is very useful. I remember when I was traveling in Vietnam, there were times when I would tell the taxi driver a place name, but they didn’t recognize it. That’s when I started showing the driver the address on Google Maps and asking them to take me there. I found this to be a simple and effective way to make sure I reached my destination without confusion. I think this phrase is essential for any foreigner visiting Korea who might rely on maps to get around.
Useful Expressions in a Taxi #3: Please drop me off here
Please drop me off here.
여기서 내려주세요
[yeo-gi-seo-nae-ryeo-ju-se-yo]
Sometimes you don’t need to go all the way to the exact address, and you might want to get off earlier. In such cases, saying “여기서 내려주세요[yeo-gi-seo-nae-ryeo-ju-se-yo]” (Please drop me off here) will let the driver know you want to get out at your current location. I’ve used this phrase when I was in a busy area, and I didn’t want to drive any further into heavy traffic. It’s a useful phrase if you want to stop at a particular spot without reaching the full destination. The driver will understand and drop you off at a safe and convenient spot.
Useful Expressions in a Taxi #4: Please drop me off at the crosswalk ahead
Please drop me off at the crosswalk ahead.
앞에 횡단보도에서 내려주세요.
[a-pe-hoeng-dan-bo-do-e-seo-nae-ryeo-ju-se-yo]
If you want to be dropped off at a specific point, like a crosswalk or an intersection, you can say “앞에 횡단보도에서 내려주세요[a-pe-hoeng-dan-bo-do-e-seo-nae-ryeo-ju-se-yo]” (Please drop me off at the crosswalk ahead).
You can simply replace “crosswalk” with any other specific point. Simply remember to use “~에서 내려주세요[~e-seo-nae-ryeo-ju-se-yo]” (Please drop me off at ~). For example, if you want to drop off at the intersection ahead, you could say “앞에 사거리에서 내려주세요[a-pe-sa-geo-ri-e-seo-nae-ryeo-ju-se-yo]” (Please drop me off at the intersection ahead).
Useful Expressions in a Taxi #5: How much is it?
How much is it?
얼마예요?
[eol-ma-ye-yo]
When you reach your destination, you’ll likely want to know how much the fare is. In Korea, taxis usually have a meter that displays the fare automatically. Even though you can see the fare on the meter, if you want to double-check or make sure, you can use this expression. It’s a simple way to ask, “How much is it?” and confirm the total.
Additionally, this phrase is not only useful in taxis but can also come in handy in other situations when you want to ask about the price of something. For example, when you’re shopping or buying something at a store, you can use this expression to ask the price. It’s a versatile phrase that can be used in various contexts to inquire about costs.
Useful Expressions in a Taxi #6: I’ll pay by card
I’ll pay by card.
카드로 계산할게요.
[card-ro-ge-san-hal-ge-yo]
In Korea, paying by card is the most common way to settle taxi fares. When you want to pay by card, simply say “카드로 계산할게요[card-ro-ge-san-hal-ge-yo]” and hand your card to the driver. Taxi drivers in Korea often use their smartphones as navigation devices, and most of them attach the card machine to their phone. Because of this, they typically won’t hand you a separate card machine. So once you give them your card, they’ll process the payment directly through their phone.
If you prefer to pay with cash instead of a card, you can simply replace the word “card” with “현금[hyeon-geum]” (cash) in the sentence. For example, you could say, “현금으로 계산할게요[hyeon-geu-meu-ro-ge-san-hal-ge-yo]” to let the driver know you’ll be paying with cash.
In conclusion, these simple yet effective expressions can really help you navigate your taxi rides in Korea. While KakaoTaxi is a convenient app for calling a ride, knowing these key phrases will make your taxi experience smoother and more comfortable.
If you want to browse more Korean expressions, look into my previous posts.
