Culture
Korean culture and daily life, and the language that comes with it
10 Korean Phrases for Taking Out the Trash (분리수거)
Korean trash is sorted, and the bag costs money. Here are 10 phrases for 분리수거, 종량제 봉투 and 음식물 쓰레기 — plus what your neighbors will say to you.
What to Bring to a Korean Housewarming (집들이) and What to Say
At a Korean housewarming you bring toilet paper or laundry detergent — not wine. Here's why, and the Korean you need at the door, at the table and on the way out.
8 Korean Phrases for Leaving a Work Dinner (회식) Early
How to excuse yourself from a Korean 회식 without looking rude — the standard line, a believable reason, and what to say on your way out.
배달 vs 택배 vs 배송: Korean Words for Delivery
Korean has three words for "delivery" and they are not interchangeable. Here's which one to use, plus the one sentence every resident learns: 문 앞에 놔 주세요.
9 Korean Phrases for Table Manners and Pouring Drinks
What to say — and what to do with your hands — at a Korean table: pouring for an elder, accepting a glass, starting the meal, and turning down a drink politely.
How to Ask for More 반찬 (Side Dishes) in Korean
반찬 refills are free and normal in Korea. Here's the one phrase that gets them, when to say 리필 instead, and what 셀프 means at your table.
9 Korean Food Words on Every Menu: 밥, 국, 찌개, 반찬
밥, 국, 찌개, 반찬, 김치 and the words that organise a Korean menu — what each one means, what arrives at your table, and how to ask for more.
Bowing in Korea: How to Bow and What to Say in Korean
In Korea the bow and the words are one gesture. Here's how deep to go, what to say with it, and the small nod you'll actually use ten times a day.
10 Korean Phrases for Sharing Food from the Same Pot
In Korea the stew sits in the middle and everyone eats from it. Here are ten phrases for serving, offering, refilling and thanking around a shared table.
고향 and 내려가다: Korean Words for Going Home at Chuseok
At Chuseok, Koreans don't say they're "going to" their hometown — they say they're going *down*. Here's why, and the travel words you'll hear all week.
Chuseok (추석): What Happens and What to Say in Korean
Koreans don't say "Happy Chuseok" — they say "spend Chuseok well." Here's why 추석 잘 보내세요 is the phrase, plus the words for the food, the traffic and the family table.
9 Ways to Address Strangers in Korean: 저기요, 사장님, 이모
Korean almost never says "you" to a stranger. Instead you pick a title — 저기요, 사장님, 이모, 기사님 — and each one lands differently. Here's which to use, and when.
Korean Gift-Giving Etiquette: What to Say When You Give a Gift
In Korea the giver shrinks the gift and the receiver makes it big. Learn the exact phrases for handing something over, taking it with two hands, and saying thank you.
노래방, PC방, 찜질방: How to Survive Korea's "방" Culture
노래방, PC방, 찜질방 — Korea rents you a room by the hour. Learn the handful of counter phrases that work at all three, and you can walk into any of them.