Shopping in Korea: Find Your Perfect Color!

Introduction

Hello! This is [Daily Hangeul], here to upgrade your Korean skills!

Today, we are going to learn essential phrases for shopping, specifically how to ask about colors.

Are you planning a trip to Korea? Lately, “Personal Color Analysis” has become a huge trend in Korea. From K-Pop idols to tourists, everyone is visiting specialized studios to find out if they are a “Warm Tone” or “Cool Tone.” Because of this, finding the exact right color when shopping for clothes or makeup has become super important!

Let’s learn how to ask for the colors that make you shine! ✨

Core Expressions

Here are 4 useful expressions to help you shop like a pro in Korea.

1. 이거 무슨 색이에요?

• Pronunciation: [I-geo mu-seun sae-gi-e-yo?]
• English Meaning: What color is this?
• Detail: This is the most basic and useful phrase. You can point at a shirt, a lipstick, or a bag and ask this.
  • 이거 (I-geo): This
  • 무슨 (Mu-seun): What / Which
  • 색 (Saek): Color
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Notice the spelling is ‘색’ (saek) + ‘이’ (i).
  • When a final consonant (batchim) like ㄱ(k/g) meets a vowel, it slides over to the next spot!
  • So, instead of saying “Saek-i-e-yo” with a break, connect it smoothly: [Sae-gi-e-yo]. It sounds much more natural!

2. 다른 색 있어요?

• Pronunciation: [Da-reun saek i-sseo-yo?]
• English Meaning: Do you have other colors?
• Detail: Use this when you like the design of the clothes but want to see if it comes in black, white, or pink.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Similar to the first tip, the ㅆ(ss) in ‘있(it)’ moves over to ‘어(eo)’.
  • So, ‘있어요’ is pronounced [i-sseo-yo], not [it-eo-yo]. Keep the ‘S’ sound strong!

3. 검은색 있어요?

• Pronunciation: [Geo-meun-saek i-sseo-yo?]
• English Meaning: Do you have this in black?
• Detail: You can replace “검은색” (Black) with any other color.
  • 흰색 (Huin-saek): White
  • 파란색 (Pa-ran-saek): Blue
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • ‘검은’ is pronounced [Geo-meun]. The ㅁ(m) sound from ‘검’ moves to the next block.

4. 이거 입어 봐도 돼요?

• Pronunciation: [I-geo i-beo bwa-do dwae-yo?]
• English Meaning: Can I try this on?
• Detail: Before you buy, you must check the fit! This is a polite way to ask the staff for the fitting room.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • ‘입어’ connects the sounds to become [i-beo].
  • ‘봐도’ sounds like [bwa-do]. Make sure to round your lips for the ‘w’ sound!

Real-Life Dialogue

Let’s see how these phrases work in a trendy clothing store in Hongdae!

(A: Customer / B: Staff)

A: 저기요, 이거 무슨 색이에요?
(Excuse me, what color is this?)

B: 아, 이건 ‘네이비(Navy)’ 색이에요. 요즘 인기 많아요!
(Ah, this is ‘Navy’ color. It’s very popular these days!)

A: 예쁘네요! 혹시 다른 색 있어요?
(It’s pretty! Do you have other colors by any chance?)

B: 네, 흰색이랑 검은색도 있어요.
(Yes, we also have white and black.)

A: 흰색 입어 봐도 돼요?
(Can I try on the white one?)

B: 네, 저쪽 피팅룸(fitting room) 이용하세요.
(Yes, please use the fitting room over there.)

Culture Tip & Trend Analysis

🎨 “Warm Tone” vs. “Cool Tone”

In Korea right now, knowing your Personal Color is essential for shopping. You might hear shop assistants say:
* “Customer, this color is perfect for Warm Tone (웜톤) skin!”
* “This pink is great for Cool Tone (쿨톤).”

If you know your type, you can ask:
* “웜톤한테 어울리는 색 있어요?” (Do you have colors that suit a Warm Tone?)

Also, many colors in Korea are referred to by their English names but with a Korean accent, like 베이지 (Be-i-ji) for Beige or 카키 (Ka-ki) for Khaki. Don’t be afraid to use English color names if you forget the Korean word!

Wrap-up & Quiz

Great job today! You are now ready to find the perfect outfit in Korea. Remember to practice the “linking sounds” to sound like a native speaker.

📝 Mini Quiz
Fill in the blank to complete the sentence!

Q: You want to ask if they have a specific color.
“__________ 있어요?” (Do you have other colors?)

1. 무슨 색 (Mu-seun saek)
2. 다른 색 (Da-reun saek)

(The answer is at the bottom!)

Leave a comment below with the answer and tell us: What is your favorite color in Korean?
See you in the next lesson!

(Answer: 2. 다른 색)