How to Type Korean on a Computer or Phone: A Beginner’s Guide

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Want to search for a restaurant in Korean, message a café, or send your teacher an assignment? Learning to type Korean makes these everyday tasks easier. You can start with the computer or phone you already own. This guide covers keyboard setup on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android. You will also learn how Korean letters join together, fix common typing problems, and practise messages you can use in Korea. 1. Understand How a Korean Keyboard Works 한글 (hangeul)—“the Korean alphabet” groups letters into syllable blocks. For example, 한 contains three letters: ㅎ, ㅏ, and ㄴ. You enter the letters in order, and the keyboard builds the block. Start with 두벌식 (dubeolsik)—“the two-set Korean keyboard layout.” Its basic consonants sit on the left and its vowels on the right. This gives you a useful starting point for practising on both computers and phones. A standard two-set keyboard uses letter positions, rather than English spellings of Korean sounds. Typing “han” will not automatica...

Korean Politeness Levels: Using 존댓말 and 반말 Naturally

You know the Korean word for “thanks.” But should you say it the same way to a café worker, your manager, and a close friend? In Korean, sentence endings help show the relationship between you and the person you’re speaking to.

You don’t need to memorise every speech level before visiting Korea. Start with everyday polite speech, learn a few useful expressions, and understand when casual speech is welcome. This guide covers practical choices for cafés, shops, work, school, and friendships.

Romanization is a pronunciation aid, not an exact guide to Korean sounds. Read the Hangul alongside it, and listen to recordings when you can.

1. What Are 존댓말 and 반말?

존댓말 (jondaenmal) means respectful or polite speech. It is the usual starting point with unfamiliar adults, customers, teachers, and senior colleagues. For example, 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo)—“Hello” works when greeting a new neighbour or entering a small shop.

반말 (banmal) means speech without polite endings addressed to the listener. It is common between close friends who are comfortable speaking casually. 안녕 (annyeong)—“Hi” or “Bye” is a simple example.

Meeting a neighbour:
A: 안녕하세요. — Hello.
B: 안녕하세요. — Hello.

Greeting a close friend:
A: 안녕! — Hi!
B: 안녕! — Hi!

Banmal is not automatically rude. Between people who welcome it, it can sound relaxed and affectionate. Used without that understanding, especially with an unfamiliar adult, it can sound disrespectful.

Age matters, but it is only part of the picture. Familiarity, workplace roles, and the setting also affect speech choices. Someone looking younger than you is not a reliable reason to start using banmal.

2. Everyday Polite Speech vs. Formal Polite Speech

The most useful starting point is 해요체 (haeyoche), everyday polite speech, typically ending in -요 (-yo). It works in restaurants, shops, classrooms, and many workplace conversations. It sounds polite without necessarily sounding ceremonial.

One useful example is 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo)—“It’s okay,” “I’m fine,” or “No, thank you.” The meaning depends on the situation. You might reassure someone after a small mistake or politely decline an offer.

At a restaurant:
Staff: 더 드릴까요? (deo deurilkkayo?) — Would you like some more?
You: 아니요, 괜찮아요. (aniyo, gwaenchanayo.) — No, thank you.

하십시오체 (hasipsioche) is a more formal polite style. Common endings include -ㅂ니다/-습니다 (-mnida/-seumnida) for statements and -ㅂ니까/-습니까 (-mnikka/-seumnikka) for questions. You will hear it in presentations, interviews, announcements, and customer service.

감사합니다 (gamsahamnida)—“Thank you” belongs to this formal style, yet it is extremely common in everyday life. 고마워요 (gomawoyo)—“Thank you” is also polite and can feel more conversational. The difference is not simply how grateful you are.

Starting a work presentation:
안녕하세요. 발표를 시작하겠습니다.
(annyeonghaseyo. balpyoreul sijakagetseumnida.)
Hello. I’ll begin the presentation.

Notice that the greeting and the following sentence use different styles. This kind of combination is natural. You do not have to choose one ending and use it throughout every conversation.

This is also why “formal versus informal Korean” can be misleading. Everyday polite speech is less formal than presentation language, but it still shows politeness. Think about politeness and formality as related choices rather than identical categories.

3. Useful Polite Korean for Everyday Situations

Ordering at a café

주세요 (juseyo)—“Please give me…” or “I’d like…” is a useful polite request form. Use it when ordering a drink or asking for an item. It does not replace the English word “please” in every possible sentence.

아메리카노 한 잔 주세요.
(amerikano han jan juseyo.)
I’d like one Americano, please.

You do not need a formal presentation-style ending to order politely. A clear request with 주세요 is perfectly normal. A friendly tone helps, too.

Asking a price while shopping

얼마예요 (eolmayeyo)—“How much is it?” is short but polite. Use it with shop staff when a price is unclear. Add “this” while indicating the item.

이거 얼마예요?
(igeo eolmayeyo?)
How much is this?

Asking a colleague for help

At work, start politely even if a colleague is your age. Teams differ in how casually they speak, so follow the established relationship rather than guessing from someone’s appearance. This request is useful with a colleague you do not know well.

잠깐 도와주실 수 있어요?
(jamkkan dowajusil su isseoyo?)
Could you help me for a moment?

Meeting someone in class

Polite speech is also a comfortable starting point with an unfamiliar adult classmate. You may switch to casual speech as you become friends. Keep using respectful speech with your teacher or professor.

여기 앉아도 돼요?
(yeogi anjado dwaeyo?)
Is it okay if I sit here?

4. When Can You Switch to Banmal?

Being the same age does not mean you must immediately speak casually. Some close friends continue using polite speech because it feels comfortable. Let the relationship develop without treating banmal as a required milestone.

말 놓아도 돼요? (mal noado dwaeyo?)—“Would it be okay if I spoke casually?” is a way to ask about switching. It suits someone of a similar age whom you have got to know. It is not a question to casually drop into a conversation with your boss or professor.

Two acquaintances who have become friendly:
A: 우리 말 놓아도 돼요? (uri mal noado dwaeyo?) — Would it be okay if we spoke casually?
B: 네, 좋아요. (ne, joayo.) — Yes, that sounds good.

Once you both agree, 고마워 (gomawo)—“Thanks” becomes a natural option. For example, 도와줘서 고마워 (dowajwoseo gomawo)—“Thanks for helping me” works with a close friend. With an unfamiliar adult, choose a polite expression instead.

Speech levels are not always symmetrical. An older person may use banmal while a younger person continues using polite speech. Someone speaking casually to you does not automatically mean they expect you to do the same.

If you feel unsure, continuing with polite speech is usually fine. You can sound friendly through your tone and interest in the conversation. Casual endings are not the only way to build a friendship.

5. Common Mistakes and Pronunciation Tips

Adding 요 to every casual expression

Some forms work this way: 고마워 becomes 고마워요. Others require a different expression, so do not learn “안녕요” as your standard polite greeting. Learn complete phrases such as 안녕하세요, 감사합니다, and 주세요 first.

Translating “you” too directly

당신 (dangsin) can mean “you,” but it is not a general polite way to address strangers. Depending on the relationship and context, it can sound intimate, confrontational, or unnatural. Korean often leaves “you” out when the listener is obvious.

To get a server’s attention, use 저기요 (jeogiyo)—“Excuse me.” Then make your request. This is much more natural than calling the person 당신.

저기요, 물 좀 주세요.
(jeogiyo, mul jom juseyo.)
Excuse me, could I have some water, please?

Confusing politeness with every kind of honorific

Korean can show respect to the listener and to someone mentioned in a sentence. In 선생님이 오세요 (seonsaengnimi oseyo)—“The teacher is coming,” the honorific element -시- (-si-) respects the teacher. The final -요 makes the sentence polite to the listener.

You do not need to master this distinction immediately. Just remember that polite Korean involves more than attaching one ending. Familiar phrases will help you recognise the patterns gradually.

Dropping the ending when speaking

Practise the whole expression, including its final syllables. 괜찮아요 sounds roughly like “괜차나요,” and 감사합니다 sounds like “감사함니다.” Listening and repeating will help more than treating the romanization as English spelling.

Quick Practice

  1. You enter a café for the first time. Should you greet the staff with 안녕 or 안녕하세요?
  2. You and a close friend of a similar age have agreed to use banmal. Can you say 고마워 after they help you?
  3. A colleague says 괜찮아요. Is it banmal because it does not end in -습니다?

Answers

  1. 안녕하세요. A polite greeting is appropriate with unfamiliar staff.
  2. Yes. 고마워 is natural between friends who are comfortable using banmal.
  3. No. 괜찮아요 uses everyday polite speech, 해요체. Polite Korean does not always use formal endings.

Start Polite, Then Follow the Relationship

Start with polite speech when meeting unfamiliar adults, and make everyday -요 expressions your foundation. Use more formal expressions where the setting calls for them. Switch to banmal when the relationship and mutual understanding support it.

Try saying 안녕하세요, 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요, and 감사합니다 aloud today. These short expressions will take you through real interactions in Korea. As you use them, pay attention to who is speaking, who is listening, and how well they know each other.

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If you are in Korea around Chuseok, you may hear the same phrase everywhere: at work, in a café, after class, or just before saying goodbye to a Korean friend. That phrase is 추석 잘 보내세요 . It is one of the most useful Korean holiday greetings you can learn, especially if you are a beginner. It may look simple, but translating it word for word does not quite explain how Koreans actually use it. In this lesson, you will learn what it really means, when to say it, how to make it casual or polite, and what to say after the holiday is over. 1. What Does “추석 잘 보내세요” Mean? 추석 잘 보내세요 (Chuseok jal bonaeseyo) Natural meaning: “Have a good Chuseok,” “Enjoy your Chuseok,” or “Have a nice Chuseok holiday.” This is probably the safest Chuseok greeting for a Korean learner to remember. The verb 보내다 (bonaeda) can mean “to send,” but when Koreans use it with time, a weekend, a vacation, or a holiday, it can mean “to spend” that time. So you do not need to translate 추석 잘 보내세요 word by word. T...
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