Shop in Seoul Like a Pro: Your K-Fashion Color Guide!
Hello! This is [Maeil Hangul], here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever been shopping in Korea and seen the perfect sweater, but you wanted it in a different color? Today, we’re going to solve that problem! We’ll learn how to talk about colors in Korean so you can shop with confidence.
Lately in Korea, “dopamine dressing” (도파민 드레싱) is a huge trend! It means wearing bright, happy colors to boost your mood. You’ll see it all over the streets of Hongdae and in K-dramas. So, if you want to find that perfect bright yellow jacket or a cool blue pair of pants, this lesson is for you!
Core Expressions You Need to Know
Here are the key phrases that will turn you into a shopping expert!
- 한국어 표현: -색 (saek)
- 발음 [로마자]: -saek
- 영어 뜻: -color
- 상세 설명: This is the magic word for colors! You add
색(saek) to the end of a color word. For example,빨갛다(to be red) becomes빨간색(the color red). It’s super easy and you’ll hear it everywhere.
- 한국어 표현: 빨간색 (ppalgan-saek) & 파란색 (paran-saek)
- 발음 [로마자]: ppalgan-saek & paran-saek
- 영어 뜻: Red & Blue
- 상세 설명: Let’s start with two basic, powerful colors!
빨간색is red, like spicy tteokbokki or a love heart.파란색is blue, like the sky on a sunny day in Seoul. These are great to practice with.
- 한국어 표현: 이거 무슨 색이에요? (Igeo museun saeg-ieyo?)
- 발음 [로마자]: I-geo mu-seun saeg-i-e-yo?
- 영어 뜻: What color is this?
- 상세 설명: This is your go-to question when you see something and want to know its color. Let’s break it down:
이거(this) +무슨(what/which) +색(color) +이에요?(is it?). It’s a full, polite sentence that’s incredibly useful!
- 한국어 표현: [Color] 있어요? ([Color] iss-eoyo?)
- 발음 [로마자]: [Color] iss-eo-yo?
- 영어 뜻: Do you have [Color]?
- 상세 설명: This is the ultimate shopping phrase! Just put the color you want in the blank and you’re ready to go. For example, if you’re looking for something white, you would ask, “하얀색 있어요?” (Do you have white?). You can use this for anything, not just clothes!
Example Dialogue
Let’s see these phrases in action at a clothing store in Seoul!
- A (You, the customer): 안녕하세요. 이 티셔츠… 파란색 있어요?
- (Annyeonghaseyo. I tisyocheu… paran-saek iss-eoyo?)
- (Hello. This t-shirt… Do you have it in blue?)
- B (Shop Assistant): 네, 잠시만요… 여기 있습니다!
- (Ne, jamsimanyo… yeogi issseumnida!)
- (Yes, one moment… Here it is!)
- A: 감사합니다! 아, 저 가방은 이거 무슨 색이에요?
- (Gamsahamnida! A, jeo gabang-eun igeo museun saeg-ieyo?)
- (Thank you! Ah, that bag over there, what color is it?)
- B: 저건 초록색이에요. 요즘 정말 인기 많은 색이에요!
- (Jeogeon chorok-saeg-ieyo. Yojeum jeongmal ingi man-eun saeg-ieyo!)
- (That’s green. It’s a very popular color these days!)
See? Simple and effective!
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
As we mentioned, “dopamine dressing” is huge, and K-Pop idols are the masters of it. Think of the vibrant, colorful outfits in NewJeans’ music videos or the powerful 빨간색 stage costumes of idols during a comeback. Color isn’t just for clothes; it’s a way to express energy and confidence in Korea.
Pro Tip: When you’re using these phrases, a smile goes a long way! Korean shopkeepers are usually very friendly and will appreciate you trying to speak Korean. If you want to sound even more like a native, you can add “혹시 (hoksi)” before your question, like “혹시 파란색 있어요?” It makes the question a little softer, like saying, “By any chance, do you have blue?” You’ll sound super polite!
Let’s Review & Practice!
Amazing work today! You learned how to say different colors using -색 and how to ask the two most important questions for shopping: “What color is this?” and “Do you have [Color]?”
Now, it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill-in-the-blank: You see a black hat you love. How do you ask the shopkeeper if they have it? (Hint: Black is 검은색 [geom-eun-saek])
- “________________ 있어요?”
- Sentence Building: Unscramble these words to ask “What color is this jacket?”
- (이 / 색이에요 / 무슨 / 재킷은?) -> 이 재킷은 무슨 색이에요?
You are now ready to add some color to your Korean vocabulary!
Try making your own sentence using a color you learned today and leave it in the comments below! Keep up the great work
