Shopping and Money: Buying What You Need - Everyday Korean Conversation: Practical Phrases for Real Life

Q: You think a jacket is too expensive and want to politely ask for a lower price. Which Korean sentence is the most natural?

좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.. The correct answer is "좀 더 싸게 해 주세요." (jom deo ssa-ge hae ju-se-yo.), which means "Please make it a bit cheaper." "얼마예요?" means "How much is it?"; "다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요." means "Please say that one more time"; and "봉투 필요하세요?" means "Do you need a bag?"

New Words and Phrases (Shopping and Money)

In this step, you will learn practical shopping expressions for asking prices, sizes, and small negotiations in Korean.

Word	Pronunciation	Translation	Example
얼마예요?	eol-ma-ye-yo?	How much is it?	이 티셔츠 얼마예요?(How much is this T-shirt?)
좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.	jom deo ssa-ge hae ju-se-yo.	Please make it a bit cheaper.	현금으로 내면 좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.(If I pay in cash, please make it a bit cheaper.)
생각해 볼게요.	saeng-ga-khae bol-kke-yo.	I’ll think about it.	조금 비싸네요. 생각해 볼게요.(It’s a little expensive. I’ll think about it.)
작은 사이즈 있어요?	ja-geun sa-i-jeu i-sseo-yo?	Do you have a smaller size?	이 바지 작은 사이즈 있어요?(Do you have a smaller size for these pants?)
다른 색 있어요?	da-reun saek i-sseo-yo?	Do you have a different color?	이 모자 다른 색 있어요?(Do you have a different color of this hat?)
봉투 필요하세요?	bong-tu pi-ryo-ha-se-yo?	Do you need a bag?	계산 끝나고 직원이 "봉투 필요하세요?" 라고 물었어요.(After paying, the staff asked, “Do you need a bag?”)
현금이요.	hyeon-geum-i-yo.	By cash. / It’s cash.	직원: 결제는 어떻게 하세요? 손님: 현금이요.(Staff: How will you pay? Customer: By cash.)
다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.	da-si han beon mal-sseum-hae ju-se-yo.	Please say that one more time.	죄송한데, 다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.(Sorry, please say that one more time.)

Language Pattern: Polite Questions and Price Talk

1. Using 얼마예요? (eol-ma-ye-yo?) – “How much is it?”

Structure: [item] + 얼마예요?
You can point or use "이 (this)" to show the item.

Examples:

이 책 얼마예요?
i chaek eol-ma-ye-yo?
How much is this book?
그 가방 얼마예요?
geu ga-bang eol-ma-ye-yo?
How much is that bag?

You will often hear prices with Sino-Korean numbers:

10,000원 → 만 원 (man won)
15,000원 → 만 오천 원 (man o-cheon won)

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2. Polite request pattern: ~해 주세요 (hae ju-se-yo)

Use ~해 주세요 to politely ask someone to do something.

Basic form: [verb stem] + 해 주세요 (or other polite request endings like 해 주세요 / 해 주시겠어요, but we focus on 해 주세요 here.)

In this module:

좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.
jom deo ssa-ge hae ju-se-yo.
"Please make it a bit cheaper."
싸다 (ssa-da, to be cheap) → 싸게 (ssa-ge, cheaply) + 해 주세요 (please make/do)

You can reuse this pattern:

천천히 말해 주세요.
cheon-cheon-hi mal-hae ju-se-yo.
Please speak slowly.
영어로 써 주세요.
yeong-eo-ro sseo ju-se-yo.
Please write it in English.

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3. Polite softening words: 좀 (jom) and 생각해 볼게요 (saeng-ga-khae bol-kke-yo)

좀 (jom) literally means "a bit", but often softens the request, making it more polite.
좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.
Please make it a bit cheaper. (softer than just "싸게 해 주세요")
생각해 볼게요.
Literally: "I will try thinking about it."
Natural meaning in shopping: "I’ll think about it" / "Let me think" (a polite way to not buy right now).

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4. Store questions: 있어요? (i-sseo-yo?) – “Do you have…?”

Pattern: [item or description] + 있어요?

작은 사이즈 있어요?
ja-geun sa-i-jeu i-sseo-yo?
Do you have a smaller size?
다른 색 있어요?
da-reun saek i-sseo-yo?
Do you have a different color?

You can replace the description:

흰색 있어요?
huin-saek i-sseo-yo?
Do you have it in white?
L 사이즈 있어요?
el sa-i-jeu i-sseo-yo?
Do you have size L?

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5. Cashier questions and your short answers

Common question patterns:

봉투 필요하세요?
bong-tu pi-ryo-ha-se-yo?
Do you need a bag?
결제는 어떻게 하세요?
gyeol-je-neun eo-tteo-ke ha-se-yo?
How will you pay?

Short, natural answers:

네, 필요해요.
ne, pi-ryo-hae-yo.
Yes, I need (it).
아니요, 괜찮아요.
a-ni-yo, gwaen-chan-a-yo.
No, it’s okay. / I’m fine.
현금이요.
hyeon-geum-i-yo.
By cash.
카드요.
ka-deu-yo.
By card.

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6. Asking for repetition: 다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.

다시 (da-si) = again
한 번 (han beon) = one time / once
말씀해 주세요 (mal-sseum-hae ju-se-yo) = please say (honorific/polite)

Use it when you don’t understand:

죄송한데, 다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.
joe-song-han-de, da-si han beon mal-sseum-hae ju-se-yo.
I’m sorry, please say that one more time.

Practice Dialogue: At a Clothing Shop

You are in a clothing shop in Korea, buying a T-shirt. Practice asking about price, size, and color, and responding to the cashier.

At a clothing shop counter in a shopping street.

Customer

이 티셔츠 얼마예요?

How much is this T-shirt?

Clerk

그거 만 오천 원이에요.

That one is 15,000 won.

Customer

조금 비싸네요. 좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.

It’s a little expensive. Please make it a bit cheaper.

Clerk

그럼 만 삼천 원에 드릴게요.

Then I’ll give it to you for 13,000 won.

Customer

좋아요. 근데 작은 사이즈 있어요?

Okay. But do you have a smaller size?

Clerk

네, 작은 사이즈 있고요, 다른 색도 있어요. 이 색 어때요?

Yes, we have a smaller size, and we also have other colors. How is this color?

Customer

좋아요, 이 색으로 할게요.

Nice, I’ll take it in this color.

Clerk

네, 결제는 어떻게 하세요? 카드요, 현금이요?

Sure. How will you pay? By card or cash?

Customer

현금이요.

By cash.

Clerk

네, 감사합니다. 봉투 필요하세요?

Okay, thank you. Do you need a bag?

Customer

죄송한데, 다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.

Sorry, please say that one more time.

Clerk

봉투 필요하세요?

Do you need a bag?

Customer

아, 네. 봉투 주세요.

Ah, yes. A bag, please.

Check Your Understanding (Shopping Expressions)

Answer this question about the shopping expressions you just learned.

You think a jacket is too expensive and want to politely ask for a lower price. Which Korean sentence is the most natural?

좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.
얼마예요?
다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.
봉투 필요하세요?

Show Answer

Answer: A) 좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.

The correct answer is "좀 더 싸게 해 주세요." (jom deo ssa-ge hae ju-se-yo.), which means "Please make it a bit cheaper." "얼마예요?" means "How much is it?"; "다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요." means "Please say that one more time"; and "봉투 필요하세요?" means "Do you need a bag?"

Key Terms

카드요.: By card. – Short answer telling the cashier you will pay by card.
얼마예요?: How much is it? – Basic question for price.
현금이요.: By cash. / It’s cash. – Short answer to payment method question.
생각해 볼게요.: I’ll think about it. – Soft way to delay or refuse buying.
다른 색 있어요?: Do you have a different color? – Asking for color options.
봉투 필요하세요?: Do you need a bag? – Common cashier question in shops and convenience stores.
작은 사이즈 있어요?: Do you have a smaller size? – Asking for size options.
좀 더 싸게 해 주세요.: Please make it a bit cheaper. – Polite negotiation phrase.
결제는 어떻게 하세요?: How will you pay? – Cashier question about payment method.
다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.: Please say that one more time. – Polite way to ask for repetition.