Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ondol
networks of pipes that carry hot water under homes, warming the floors
panchan
side dishes of seasoned or pickled vegetables, seaweed, eggs, and the like
ppali ppali
literally, “hurry, hurry,” or “me first”
pungsu
Korean pronunciation of “feng shui,” the Chinese art of geomancy
pyeong
or
pyong
unit of measurement, equivalent to around 3.3 square meters
pyojunmal
standard Korean
san
mountain
seollal
lunar New Year
seon
known as
chan
in Chinese, or Zen in Japanese, a form of Buddhism
si
city
ssanghwa-cha
“double harmony,” medicinal tea
ssirum
form of wrestling
supa
miniature supermarkets
supyo
preprinted checks
teukbyeolsi
special city title
tukshil
first class train car
uchaeguk
post office
waeguk-saram
or
waeguk-in
foreigner; literally “outside country person”
wolse
monthly payments to rent an apartment, like the system used in the West
won
South Korean (and North Korean) currency unit
yakguk
pharmacy
yangban
wealthy nobility
yeogwan
inn or motel
yobosaeyo
expression used when answering the telephone
Korean translations by Yu-kyoung Moon
The romanization provided generally follows the government transliteration system, with
a few exceptions where alternatives better mimic the standard pronunciations. The English
alphabet can only approximate some of the sounds found in hangul, and the transliterations
found here should be viewed as a rough guide.
