Shop Like a K-Fashionista: Korean Phrases for Asking Friends’ Advice!
Hello! This is Maeil Hangeul, here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you ever been in a fitting room, staring at yourself in the mirror, and desperately wished you could ask your friend for their honest opinion? Today, we’re going to learn how to do exactly that, but in Korean!
Especially these days in Korea, shopping is a super social activity. It’s totally normal for people to send mirror selfies to their friends’ group chats for a real-time vote on their outfits. So, let’s learn the essential phrases you need to get the best fashion advice and sound like a local while doing it!
Core Expressions You Need to Know
Here are three key phrases to master before your next shopping trip in Korea.
1. 이거 어때? (How about this one?)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Igeo eottae?
- English Meaning: How about this one? / What do you think of this?
- Detailed Explanation: This is the most basic and useful phrase for asking for an opinion. ‘이거’ (igeo) means “this thing” or “this one,” and ‘어때?’ (eottae?) is a casual way of asking “how is it?”. You can use it while pointing to an item on a rack or holding something up for your friend to see. It’s a must-know phrase for any shopping situation!
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: The Korean vowel ‘어’ (eo) can be tricky! It’s not ‘o’ or ‘u’. Try to say the “o” sound in the English word “song” but without rounding your lips. Keep your mouth relaxed. It’s eo-ttae, not o-ttae!
2. 나한테 잘 어울려? (Does it look good on me?)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Nahante jal eoullyeo?
- English Meaning: Does it look good on me? / Does it suit me?
- Detailed Explanation: You’ve just tried something on and need that crucial feedback. This is the perfect phrase! ‘나한테’ (nahante) means “to me” or “on me” in a casual way. ‘잘’ (jal) means “well,” and ‘어울려?’ (eoullyeo?) comes from the verb ‘어울리다’ (eoullida), which means “to suit” or “to go well with.”
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: Listen closely! This is a great example of a Korean linking sound rule called ‘연음’ (yeoneum). Instead of saying ‘jal eoul-lyeo’, the final consonant ‘ㄹ’ (l) from ‘잘’ moves over to the next syllable. So, it sounds like one smooth word: [자러울려 (ja-reo-ul-lyeo)]. Practice this to sound much more natural!
3. 완전 네 스타일이야! (It’s totally your style!)
- Pronunciation [Romanization]: Wanjeon ne seutail-iya!
- English Meaning: It’s totally your style!
- Detailed Explanation: This is the best compliment you can give your friend! ‘완전’ (wanjeon) literally means “completely,” but in daily conversation, it’s used like “totally” or “so.” ‘네 스타일’ (ne seutail) means “your style” (네 is the casual form of ‘your’). You’ll hear young Koreans use ‘완전’ all the time to emphasize things.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: The word ‘스타일’ (seutail) is an example of Konglish (Korean-style English). It comes from the word “style,” so the pronunciation is quite similar! Just remember that in Korean, there’s a soft ‘ㅡ’ (eu) sound after the ‘s’, so it’s seu-ta-il, not s-tyle.
Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these phrases work in a real conversation. Imagine two friends, A and B, shopping in the trendy Hongdae district.
A: (Tries on a very chic, black dress)
이거 어때? 나한테 잘 어울려?
(Igeo eottae? Nahante jal eoullyeo?)
What about this? Does it look good on me?B: 와, 대박! 완전 네 스타일이야! 너무 예뻐!
(Wa, daebak! Wanjeon ne seutail-iya! Neomu yeppeo!)
Wow, awesome! It’s totally your style! So pretty!A: 진짜? 살까?
(Jinjja? Salkka?)
Really? Should I buy it?B: 응! 꼭 사!
(Eung! Kkok sa!)
Yes! You have to buy it!
Culture Tip & Trend Analysis
The Mirror Selfie Consultation (거울샷 컨펌)
In Korea, getting your friends’ approval before a purchase is a fun ritual. You’ll often see people in fitting rooms taking a quick mirror selfie (거울샷 – geoul-syat) and sending it to their KakaoTalk group chat with the message, “이거 어때?” The friends then flood the chat with their honest opinions, sometimes even voting with emojis!
This shows how much Koreans value shared experiences and the opinions of their peers, especially in fashion. So if your Korean friend sends you a photo from a store, now you know what to do! A quick “완전 네 스타일이야!” will make their day. This is a common practice among the Z generation, who grew up with social media and instant communication. It’s a fun, modern part of Korean shopping culture!
Wrap-up & Practice Time!
Today, we learned some essential phrases for getting shopping advice from friends.
- 이거 어때? (How about this one?)
- 나한테 잘 어울려? (Does it look good on me?)
- 완전 네 스타일이야! (It’s totally your style!)
Now it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the blank: You’re trying on a new hat and want to ask your friend if it suits you. You should say:
“나한테 잘 ___________?” -
Your Turn: Imagine you’re shopping with a friend. Find a picture of an outfit online and leave a comment below asking for an opinion using one of today’s phrases!
Let me know what you think in the comments. 오늘 수업 어때요? (How was today’s class?)
