Basic Speaking Comprehensive Drill

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TL;DR 🦄

🙋 안녕하세요, 처음 뵙겠습니다 [an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, cheo-eum bwep-get-seum-ni-da] — "Hello, nice to meet you for the first time"

💰 이거 얼마예요? [i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo?] — "How much is this?"

🚻 화장실이 어디예요? [hwa-jang-shi-ri eo-di-ye-yo?] — "Where's the bathroom?"

🐢 천천히 말해 주세요 [cheon-cheon-hi ma-rae ju-se-yo] — "Please speak slowly"

👋 다음에 또 봐요 [da-eu-me tto bwa-yo] — "See you again sometime"

🔊

🎧 Iru Helper Note: Hear every phrase in this lesson spoken aloud and practice your pronunciation with the Iru Helper Widgets.

🌈 The Big Picture

You've come a long way! From your very first greeting to ordering food, shopping, taking transportation, making phone calls, asking for directions, and navigating everyday situations like the pharmacy and hair salon — you now have a real toolkit for getting through a day in Korea using only Korean. This drill pulls it all together into one comprehensive review.

안녕하세요 → 이거 얼마예요? → 화장실이 어디예요? → 다음에 또 봐요 — a whole day's worth of interactions, start to finish

Every phrase you've learned shares a common foundation: polite requests (~주세요), questions (~이 어디예요?/~가 뭐예요?), and natural reactions (~네요/~것 같아요)

🎭 The Big Idea: Three Patterns That Unlock Everything

Almost every phrase in Basic Speaking comes back to three patterns:

Polite requests — ~주세요 / ~해 주시겠어요? ("please [do this]" / "could you please...?")

Questions — ~이 어디예요? ("where is...?") / ~이 뭐예요? ("what is...?") / ~할 수 있어요? ("can I...?")

Reactions & connectors — ~네요 (reacting), ~것 같아요 ("I think..."), ~아/어서 ("because...")

(request) 봉투 하나 주세요 — "One bag, please"

(question) 이 근처에 지하철역 있어요? — "Is there a subway station near here?"

(reaction) 오늘 날씨 진짜 좋네요! — "The weather's really nice today!"

Once these three patterns are second nature, you can adapt them to almost any situation — that's the real milestone of Basic Speaking.

🧳 Key Phrase Refresher

처음 뵙겠습니다, 잘 부탁드립니다 [cheo-eum bwep-get-seum-ni-da, jal bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da] — "Nice to meet you, I look forward to working with you"

이거 얼마예요? 좀 더 싸게 해 주세요 [i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo? jom deo ssa-ge hae ju-se-yo] — "How much is this? Please make it a bit cheaper"

여기서 가까운 지하철역이 어디예요? [yeo-gi-seo ga-kka-un ji-ha-cheol-yeo-gi eo-di-ye-yo?] — "Where's the nearest subway station from here?"

이거 데워 주세요 [i-geo de-wo ju-se-yo] — "Please heat this up"

천천히 말해 주세요, 한국어를 배우고 있어서요 [cheon-cheon-hi ma-rae ju-se-yo, han-gu-geo-reul bae-u-go i-sseo-seo-yo] — "Please speak slowly, I'm learning Korean"

머리가 아파요, 두통약 있어요? [mo-ri-ga a-pa-yo, du-tong-yak i-sseo-yo?] — "I have a headache, do you have headache medicine?"

여보세요, 민수 씨 좀 바꿔 주세요 [yeo-bo-se-yo, min-su ssi jom ba-kkwo ju-se-yo] — "Hello (phone), may I speak to Minsu please?"

다듬어 주세요, 너무 짧게 자르지 마세요 [da-deum-eo ju-se-yo, neo-mu jjap-ge ja-reu-ji ma-se-yo] — "Please trim it, don't cut it too short"

오늘 날씨 좋네요, 주말 잘 보냈어요? [o-neul nal-ssi jo-ne-yo, ju-mal jal bo-nae-sseo-yo?] — "The weather's nice today, did you have a good weekend?"

감사합니다, 도움이 많이 됐어요. 다음에 또 봐요! [gam-sa-hap-ni-da, do-u-mi man-i dwae-sseo-yo. da-eu-me tto bwa-yo!] — "Thank you, that was really helpful. See you again!"

🛠️ Putting Together

A. (At a café, meeting someone new)

민수: 처음 뵙겠습니다. 저는 민수예요.

지은: 안녕하세요, 저는 지은이에요. 만나서 반가워요.

민수: 여기 커피 진짜 맛있네요. 자주 와요?

Translation:

M: "Nice to meet you. I'm Minsu."

J: "Hello, I'm Jieun. Nice to meet you."

M: "The coffee here is really good. Do you come often?"

🦄 Combining a greeting pattern (처음 뵙겠습니다) with a small talk reaction (~네요) right away makes a first meeting feel natural, not robotic.

B. (At a market stall)

지은: 이거 얼마예요?

상인: 오천 원이에요.

지은: 좀 더 싸게 해 주세요. 두 개 살게요.

상인: 좋아요, 그럼 팔천 원에 드릴게요.

Translation:

J: "How much is this?"

M: "It's 5,000 won."

J: "Please make it a bit cheaper. I'll buy two."

M: "Okay, then I'll give them to you for 8,000 won."

🦄 이거 얼마예요? + 좀 더 싸게 해 주세요 is a complete, polite negotiation pattern you can use almost anywhere with small vendors.

C. (Lost, then recovering)

민수: 실례합니다, 여기서 가까운 지하철역이 어디예요?

행인: 이 길로 쭉 가시면 왼쪽에 있어요.

민수: 감사합니다, 도움이 많이 됐어요!

지은: 휴, 다행이에요. 이제 약국 가서 두통약도 사야 돼요.

민수: 그래요, 머리 아파요? 천천히 가요.

Translation:

M: "Excuse me, where's the nearest subway station from here?"

P: "If you go straight down this road, it's on your left."

M: "Thank you, that was really helpful!"

J: "Phew, what a relief. Now I also need to go to the pharmacy for headache medicine."

M: "I see, does your head hurt? Let's go slowly."

🦄 Notice how naturally the conversation flows from directions into a pharmacy need — real conversations chain topics together just like this.

🗣️ Speaking Practice: Mini Dialogue

민수: 지은 씨, 오늘 정말 바쁜 하루였네요. 아침엔 회의, 점심엔 약속, 저녁엔 장보기까지!

[ji-eun ssi, o-neul jeong-mal ba-ppeun ha-ru-yeon-ne-yo. a-chi-men hwe-ui, jeom-shi-men yak-sok, jeo-nyeo-gen jang-bo-gi-kka-ji!]

"Jieun, today was really a busy day. A meeting in the morning, an appointment for lunch, and grocery shopping in the evening!"

지은: 맞아요. 그래도 다 한국어로 잘 해냈어요. 편의점에서 봉투 값도 물어봤고, 약국에서 증상도 설명했어요.

[ma-ja-yo. geu-rae-do da han-gu-geo-ro jal hae-nae-sseo-yo. pyeon-ui-jeo-me-seo bong-tu gap-do mu-ro-bwat-go, yak-gu-ge-seo jeung-sang-do seol-myeong-hae-sseo-yo]

"Right. But we managed it all in Korean. I asked about the bag fee at the convenience store, and explained my symptoms at the pharmacy."

민수: 저는 전화로 예약도 했어요. "여보세요, 예약하고 싶은데요"라고 잘 말했어요.

[jeo-neun jeon-hwa-ro ye-yak-do hae-sseo-yo. "yeo-bo-se-yo, ye-ya-ka-go si-peun-de-yo"-ra-go jal ma-rae-sseo-yo]

"I even made a reservation by phone. I said '여보세요, I'd like to make a reservation' well."

지은: 진짜 잘했어요! 처음엔 떨렸는데, 이제 자연스럽게 나와요.

[jin-jja jal-hae-sseo-yo! cheo-eu-men ddeol-lyeon-neun-de, i-je ja-yeon-seu-rop-ge na-wa-yo]

"You did really well! At first I was nervous, but now it comes out naturally."

민수: 그러니까요. 오늘 하루도 시간 가는 줄 몰랐어요. 내일도 화이팅이에요!

[geu-reo-ni-kka-yo. o-neul ha-ru-do shi-gan ga-neun jul mol-la-sseo-yo. nae-il-do hwa-i-ting-i-e-yo!]

"Exactly. Today flew by too. Let's do our best tomorrow too!"

지은: 네! 그럼 오늘은 여기까지 — 다음에 또 봐요!

[ne! geu-reom o-neu-reun yeo-gi-kka-ji — da-eu-me tto bwa-yo!]

"Yes! Then that's it for today — see you again!"

🧭 Speaking Tip

The biggest shift from "studying phrases" to "speaking Korean" happens when you stop translating sentence-by-sentence and start reaching for patterns. Instead of recalling a whole memorized sentence, recall the shape: [thing] + 주세요, [place] + 어디예요?, [feeling] + 것 같아요. Fill in the blank with whatever situation you're in.

Every phrase in this drill is a variation of a pattern you already know — that's the real takeaway from Basic Speaking.

⚠️ Common Mix-ups Review

❌ Defaulting to English when a conversation gets fast → ✅ Use 천천히 말해 주세요 — you've earned the right to ask for that

❌ Saying "있어요" when you mean "이에요" (identity vs. possession) → ✅ Double-check: am I describing what something is, or what someone has?

❌ Treating polite requests (~주세요) as the only tool → ✅ Mix in reactions (~네요) and questions (~이 어디예요?) for natural-sounding conversation

❌ Worrying about sounding perfect → ✅ Native speakers respond warmly to effort — small mistakes rarely get in the way

You've completed a full review of Basic Speaking — 정말 잘했어요! You're ready for the next stage. 🏆✨

<summary>Try this exercise

Instructions: Read each prompt and think about how you'd say it in Korean, drawing on everything from Basic Speaking. Click each item to reveal the answer.

How do you greet someone you're meeting for the first time?

<summary>Answer

처음 뵙겠습니다

How do you ask "How much is this?" and ask for a discount?

<summary>Answer

이거 얼마예요? 좀 더 싸게 해 주세요

How do you ask where the nearest subway station is?

<summary>Answer

여기서 가까운 지하철역이 어디예요?

How do you ask someone to heat up your food at a convenience store?

<summary>Answer

이거 데워 주세요

How do you ask someone to speak slowly, explaining you're learning Korean?

<summary>Answer

천천히 말해 주세요, 한국어를 배우고 있어서요

How do you tell a pharmacist you have a headache and ask for medicine?

<summary>Answer

머리가 아파요, 두통약 있어요?

How do you answer the phone and ask for someone by name?

<summary>Answer

여보세요, 민수 씨 좀 바꿔 주세요

How do you ask a hairstylist to trim your hair without cutting it too short?

<summary>Answer

다듬어 주세요, 너무 짧게 자르지 마세요

How do you start small talk about the weather and ask about someone's weekend?

<summary>Answer

오늘 날씨 좋네요, 주말 잘 보냈어요?

How do you thank someone for their help and say goodbye warmly?

<summary>Answer

감사합니다, 도움이 많이 됐어요. 다음에 또 봐요!

📚

Vocabulary Box

처음 뵙겠습니다 — "nice to meet you" (first time)

얼마예요? — "how much is it?"

천천히 — slowly

데우다 — to heat up

두통약 — headache medicine

바꿔 주세요 — "please switch (the phone) to..."

다듬다 — to trim

도움이 되다 — to be helpful

자연스럽다 — to be natural

화이팅 — "you got this!" / "good luck!"

Pitfalls 💡

Three patterns cover almost everything: ~주세요 (requests), ~어디예요?/뭐예요? (questions), ~네요/것 같아요 (reactions)

Don't aim for perfect — aim for understandable and polite

🚀

Want more reps? Head to the Practice Hub below for three full rounds of comprehensive practice! 🏆

📦

🎯 Practice Hub — Basic Speaking Comprehensive Drill

Time to put it all together! Work through these three exercises drawing on everything you've learned in Basic Speaking.

🎧 Remember, you can use the Iru Helper Widgets to hear the correct pronunciation for any phrase below.

Exercise 1 — Out & About 🚶

A. Greet someone you're meeting for the first time and introduce yourself as Jieun.

<summary>Answer

처음 뵙겠습니다, 저는 지은이에요

B. Ask "How much is this?" at a market.

<summary>Answer

이거 얼마예요?

C. Ask for a small discount.

<summary>Answer

좀 더 싸게 해 주세요

D. Ask "Is there a subway station near here?"

<summary>Answer

이 근처에 지하철역 있어요?

E. Ask "How do I get to Myeongdong Station?"

<summary>Answer

명동역에 어떻게 가요?

F. Ask "Can I walk there?"

<summary>Answer

걸어서 갈 수 있어요?

G. Ask "Is this the right way?"

<summary>Answer

이 길이 맞아요?

H. Thank someone for directions and say it was really helpful.

<summary>Answer

감사합니다, 도움이 많이 됐어요

I. Ask "Do you need a bag?" (as a cashier) or respond declining one.

<summary>Answer

봉투 필요하세요? / 아니요, 괜찮아요

J. Ask the cashier to heat up your food.

<summary>Answer

이거 데워 주세요

📚

Cheat Sheet

처음 뵙겠습니다 — first greeting

얼마예요? / 싸게 해 주세요 — shopping

~에 어떻게 가요? / 이 길이 맞아요? — directions

봉투 / 데워 주세요 — convenience store

Exercise 2 — Health, Phone & Personal Care 📞

A. Tell a pharmacist your head hurts and ask for medicine.

<summary>Answer

머리가 아파요, 두통약 있어요?

B. Ask how many times a day to take medicine.

<summary>Answer

하루에 몇 번 먹어요?

C. Tell the pharmacist you have an allergy.

<summary>Answer

알레르기가 있어요

D. Answer the phone with the standard greeting.

<summary>Answer

여보세요

E. Ask to speak to Minsu on the phone.

<summary>Answer

민수 씨 좀 바꿔 주세요

F. Say "I'll call you back later."

<summary>Answer

이따가 다시 전화할게요

G. Ask a hairstylist to just trim your hair.

<summary>Answer

다듬어 주세요

H. Tell the hairstylist not to cut it too short.

<summary>Answer

너무 짧게 자르지 마세요

I. Ask someone to speak more slowly because you're learning Korean.

<summary>Answer

천천히 말해 주세요, 한국어를 배우고 있어서요

J. Ask "How do you say this in Korean?"

<summary>Answer

이거 한국어로 뭐라고 해요?

📚

Cheat Sheet

두통약 / 알레르기 — pharmacy basics

여보세요 / 바꿔 주세요 — phone basics

다듬어 주세요 / 짧게 자르지 마세요 — hair salon

천천히 말해 주세요 / ~뭐라고 해요? — clarification

Exercise 3 — Full Day, Full Conversations 🗣️

A. Open a conversation by commenting on the nice weather and asking about someone's weekend.

<summary>Answer

오늘 날씨 좋네요, 주말 잘 보냈어요?

B. Ask "How have you been lately?" and respond "nothing much going on."

<summary>Answer

요즘 어떻게 지내요? — 별일 없어요

C. Ask someone about their hobby and compliment them on it.

<summary>Answer

취미가 뭐예요? — 그거 진짜 잘하시네요!

D. Say "I didn't notice the time passing" and close with "see you again."

<summary>Answer

시간 가는 줄 몰랐어요. 다음에 또 봐요!

E. Say "I am a teacher" correctly (not using 있어요).

<summary>Answer

저는 선생님이에요

F. Say "I can't eat spicy food" (health reason).

<summary>Answer

매운 거 못 먹어요

G. Say "That movie was boring" (about the movie, not yourself).

<summary>Answer

그 영화 재미없었어요

H. Describe a busy day: meeting in the morning, lunch appointment, shopping in the evening.

<summary>Answer

아침엔 회의, 점심엔 약속, 저녁엔 장보기였어요

I. Say "At first I was nervous, but now it comes out naturally."

<summary>Answer

처음엔 떨렸는데, 이제 자연스럽게 나와요

J. Wish someone good luck for tomorrow.

<summary>Answer

내일도 화이팅이에요!

📚

Cheat Sheet

날씨 + 주말/요즘 — small talk openers

이다 vs 있다 — identity vs possession

안 vs 못 — choice vs inability

화이팅 — encouragement

🎉 잘했어요! You've completed the comprehensive Basic Speaking drill — 정말 축하해요! 🏆