Paying Cash: Korean Street Food Tips
Hello! It’s [Daily Korean], here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Welcome back, passionate learners! Today, we are going to learn how to pay with cash in Korea.
You might hear that Korea is a “card-only” society where everyone uses credit cards or smartphones to pay. While that is mostly true, these days in Korea, carrying a little bit of cash is actually a huge trend during the winter season! Why? Because of delicious street foods like Bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry) and Hotteok (sweet pancakes).
Even the most tech-savvy Koreans keep 3,000 won in their pockets just for these snacks. Let’s learn the essential expressions you need to buy these treats like a local!
✨ Key Expressions for Today
Here are the 3 most useful expressions when paying with cash.
1. 얼마예요? (How much is it?)
- Pronunciation: [Eolmayeyo?]
- English Meaning: How much is it?
- Detail: This is the most essential phrase for shopping. You can point to an item and ask this. It is polite and can be used with anyone.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip (Liaison):
- If you read it letter by letter, it looks like eol-ma-ye-yo.
- However, it flows very smoothly. There isn’t a tricky sound change here, but remember to raise your intonation at the end to make it a clear question! [Eol-ma-ye-yo?] ↗
2. 현금 돼요? (Do you accept cash?)
- Pronunciation: [Hyeongeum dwaeyo?]
- English Meaning: Is cash okay? / Do you accept cash?
- Detail: ‘현금’ means cash, and ‘돼요?’ means “Is it okay?” or “Does it work?”. Some modern kiosks are “card only,” so this is a great question to ask before ordering.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip (Hard Sound):
- ‘현금’ is pronounced [hyeongeum].
- ‘돼요’ is [dwaeyo].
- Make sure to pronounce the ‘eo’ in hyeon and geum clearly. It is not ‘hyun’, but slightly more open like the ‘u’ in ‘run’.
3. 여기 있어요. (Here it is.)
- Pronunciation: [Yeogi isseoyo.]
- English Meaning: Here it is. / Here you go.
- Detail: You use this phrase when you are handing the money to the seller. It’s a polite way to say, “I am giving this to you now.”
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip (Liaison / Linking Sound):
- ‘있어요’ is not pronounced as [it-eo-yo].
- Because ‘있’ has a bottom consonant ‘ㅆ (ss)’ and the next letter ‘어’ starts with a vowel, the ‘ss’ sound moves over!
- It sounds like [이써요 / i-sseo-yo]. This makes your Korean sound much more natural and fluid!
💬 Let’s Practice: At a Bungeoppang Stall
Let’s see how these words are used in real life. Imagine you found a trendy Bungeoppang stall on the street!
A (You): 안녕하세요! 이거 얼마예요?
(Hello! How much is this?)B (Vendor): 2개에 천 원이에요.
(It’s 1,000 won for two.)A (You): 아, 카드 없는데… 현금 돼요?
(Ah, I don’t have a card… Is cash okay?)B (Vendor): 네, 당연하죠!
(Yes, of course!)A (You): 네, 2개 주세요. 여기 있어요.
(Okay, please give me two. Here it is.)
🇰🇷 Culture Tip & Trend Check
“Do I really need cash in Korea?”
While 99% of stores, taxis, and restaurants in Korea accept credit cards, street food stalls (Nojeom) and traditional markets often prefer cash.
Trending Now:
Recently, a funny phrase among Korean Z-generation is “Gaseumsok 3-cheon won” (3,000 won in your heart/chest pocket). It means you should always carry 3,000 won cash in your coat pocket during winter, just in case you meet a Bungeoppang seller!
Also, if you don’t have cash, many vendors now accept “Gyejwa-iche” (Bank Transfer). You might see a bank account number written on a piece of cardboard at the stall. But for travelers, cash is the easiest way!
📝 Today’s Review
Let’s wrap up what we learned today! Paying with cash is simple if you know these phrases.
Pop Quiz! (Fill in the blanks)
- To ask the price: “________?” (How much is it?)
- To hand over the money: “여기 ________.” (Here it is.)
Try using these expressions next time you visit a market or buy street food in Korea. You will sound like a pro!
Please leave a comment below with your answers! See you next time! 👋
