12. Friendly small talk and culture

You may hear 어디에서 왔어요? (Where are you from?) or 한국은 처음이에요? (Is this your first time in Korea?).

캐나다에서 왔어요. — I’m from Canada.

네, 처음이에요. — Yes, it’s my first time.

아니요, 두 번째예요. — No, it’s my second time.

한국 음식에 관심이 많아요. — I’m very interested in Korean food.

추천해 주세요. — Please recommend something.

Compliments:

정말 맛있어요. — It’s really delicious.

여기가 정말 좋아요. — I really like this place.

친절하게 도와주셔서 감사합니다. — Thank you for helping me kindly.

Avoid treating every Korean person as a free language tutor. Ask 한국어를 연습해도 괜찮아요? (Is it okay if I practice Korean?) when the situation is relaxed. Staff during a rush may need a quick order, not a lesson.

Names and age can affect Korean social language, but a visitor can safely use polite -요 speech and the person’s role title. Do not assume all customs or personalities are the same.