Signs in Korean

When you understand these important signs in Korean you’ll never walk into the wrong restroom, light up in a no-smoking area, or worse – miss out on a sale!

Most of the time you’ll probably only need to recognize the written Korean word or phrase, but we’ve included audio so you can listen to the Korean pronunciation. This way you’ll be able to find out if something is open or closed, or more importantly, a bargain!

Resources for further reading:

Did you know?

Did you know that many public stalls in Korea have squat-style toilets? If you’re wondering what these are, they're basically porcelain holes in the ground with a little "splash guard" at the front. Start working on your flexibility as these “squat toilets” require flexibility and thigh strength!

At the other extreme of toilet “styles,” there are some toilet seats with super-fancy buttons - they heat the seat, auto wash, and even play a tune for you. It’s a luxurious toilet experience you don’t want to miss!

Now, let’s get on with some basics. What does the sign on the door of the restroom say? Would you know which one is for you, and which one you shouldn’t go into? What does “shinsa” (gentleman) mean? You are about to find out…

Pronouncing signs in Korean

Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Rocket Record lets you perfect your Korean pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!

숙녀

sooknyuh

ladies

신사

shinsa

gentleman

당기시오

dangishio

pull

미시오

mishio

push

열었음

yurutseum

open

닫았음

datchutseum

closed

사용중

sayongjoong

occupied

청소중

chungsojoong

cleaning

미끄러움

Mikgeuruwoom

Watch your step

Signs in Korean

Now that you’re familiar with essential public toilet signs, let’s move on to the topic of public smoking in Korea. If you’re a smoker, this may be bad news for you – since 2011, Korea has moved to ban smoking in public spaces, both indoor and outdoor! For now, it might be helpful to learn what “금연/geumyun” means.

흡연 구역

Heubyun gooyuk

Smoking Area

금연 구역

Geumyun gooyuk

Non-smoking Area

금역석 주세요.

Geumyunsuk jooseyo.

Please give me a non-smoking seat.

Seoul is well-known for being a shopping mecca. Head to the thriving shopping heaven Myeong-dong, where you can really shop till you drop! Watch out for the big bright colored signs in the store window. That’s where you'll find a sale!

세일

Seil

Sale

염가 세일

Yumga seil

Bargain

이십오프로 세일

Ee ship oh peuro seil

25% off

That’s it for this lesson. I hope you had fun!

For more lessons on Korean vocabulary I recommend these!

Anyoung hee gaseyo!

Sujung Lee: Rocket Korean

Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement

Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!