Exploring historical sites like Korean castles often sparks curiosity about hidden features. This guide provides the essential Korean phrases a tourist needs to ask a guide about secret or hidden tunnels within a famous castle, covering key vocabulary, questions, and cultural context for a respectful and informative interaction.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
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Expression: 비밀 통로
Pronunciation: bi-mil tong-no
Meaning: Secret passage / Hidden tunnel
Asking the Guide
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Expression: 가이드님, 질문 있어요.
Pronunciation: ga-i-deu-nim, jil-mun is-seo-yo.
Meaning: Guide, I have a question. -
Expression: 이 성에 비밀 통로가 있나요?
Pronunciation: i seong-e bi-mil tong-no-ga it-na-yo?
Meaning: Are there hidden tunnels in this castle? -
Expression: 숨겨진 통로에 대해 물어봐도 될까요?
Pronunciation: sum-gyeo-jin tong-no-e dae-hae mul-eo-bwa-do doel-kka-yo?
Meaning: May I ask about hidden passages? -
Expression: 이 성의 역사에 비밀 통로 이야기가 있습니까?
Pronunciation: i seong-ui yeok-sa-e bi-mil tong-no i-ya-gi-ga it-seum-ni-kka?
Meaning: Is there a story about secret tunnels in this castle’s history? -
Expression: 비밀 통로는 어디에 있어요?
Pronunciation: bi-mil tong-no-neun eo-di-e is-seo-yo?
Meaning: Where are the secret tunnels? -
Expression: 그 통로를 볼 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: geu tong-no-reul bol su it-na-yo?
Meaning: Can we see those tunnels? -
Expression: 일반인에게 공개되어 있나요?
Pronunciation: il-ban-in-e-ge gong-gae-doe-eo it-na-yo?
Meaning: Are they open to the public? -
Expression: 비밀 통로에 얽힌 이야기가 궁금해요.
Pronunciation: bi-mil tong-no-e eol-kin i-ya-gi-ga gung-geum-hae-yo.
Meaning: I’m curious about the stories related to the secret tunnels. -
Expression: 가이드 투어에 비밀 통로 방문이 포함되어 있나요?
Pronunciation: ga-i-deu tu-eo-e bi-mil tong-no bang-mun-i po-ham-doe-eo it-na-yo?
Meaning: Does the guided tour include visiting the secret tunnels? -
Expression: 혹시 비상 탈출로로 사용되었나요?
Pronunciation: hok-si bi-sang tal-chul-lo-ro sa-yong-doe-eot-na-yo?
Meaning: Were they perhaps used as emergency escape routes? -
Expression: 이 성의 구조에 대해 더 알고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: i seong-ui gu-jo-e dae-hae deo al-go sip-eo-yo.
Meaning: I want to know more about the structure of this castle. -
Expression: 언제 만들어졌는지 아시나요?
Pronunciation: eon-je man-deul-eo-jyeot-neun-ji a-si-na-yo?
Meaning: Do you know when they were made?
Castle Related Vocabulary
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Expression: 성
Pronunciation: seong
Meaning: Castle -
Expression: 유명한 성
Pronunciation: yu-myeong-han seong
Meaning: Famous castle -
Expression: 역사적인 장소
Pronunciation: yeok-sa-jeok-in jang-so
Meaning: Historical place -
Expression: 오래된 성벽
Pronunciation: o-rae-doen seong-byeok
Meaning: Old castle wall -
Expression: 지하 통로
Pronunciation: ji-ha tong-no
Meaning: Underground passage -
Expression: 비밀 공간
Pronunciation: bi-mil gong-gan
Meaning: Secret space -
Expression: 방어 시설
Pronunciation: bang-eo si-seol
Meaning: Defensive facilities -
Expression: 전설
Pronunciation: jeon-seol
Meaning: Legend -
Expression: 왕족
Pronunciation: wang-jok
Meaning: Royalty / Royal family -
Expression: 건축
Pronunciation: geon-chuk
Meaning: Architecture -
Expression: 복원
Pronunciation: bok-won
Meaning: Restoration -
Expression: 유적
Pronunciation: yu-jeok
Meaning: Ruins / Remains
Understanding the Guide’s Response
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Expression: 네, 몇 군데 있습니다.
Pronunciation: ne, myeot gun-de it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, there are a few places. -
Expression: 아니요, 공식적으로 확인된 것은 없습니다.
Pronunciation: a-ni-yo, gong-sik-jeok-eu-ro hwa-gin-doen geos-eun eop-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: No, there are none that have been officially confirmed. -
Expression: 전설로만 전해지고 있습니다.
Pronunciation: jeon-seol-lo-man jeon-hae-ji-go it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: It’s only passed down through legends. -
Expression: 안타깝게도 일반인 출입은 금지되어 있습니다.
Pronunciation: an-ta-kkap-ge-do il-ban-in chur-ip-eun geum-ji-doe-eo it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Unfortunately, public access is prohibited. -
Expression: 안전상의 이유로 공개하지 않습니다.
Pronunciation: an-jeon-sang-ui i-yu-ro gong-gae-ha-ji an-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: We don’t open it to the public for safety reasons. -
Expression: 정확한 위치는 알려져 있지 않습니다.
Pronunciation: jeong-hwak-han wi-chi-neun al-lyeo-jyeo it-ji an-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: The exact location is not known. -
Expression: 이 부분은 투어 코스에 포함되어 있지 않습니다.
Pronunciation: i bu-bun-eun tu-eo ko-seu-e po-ham-doe-eo it-ji an-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: This part is not included in the tour course. -
Expression: 흥미로운 질문이시네요. 관련 이야기는 있습니다.
Pronunciation: heung-mi-ro-un jil-mun-i-si-ne-yo. gwal-lyeon i-ya-gi-neun it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: That’s an interesting question. There are related stories. -
Expression: 전쟁 시 비상 탈출로로 사용되었다는 설이 있습니다.
Pronunciation: jeon-jaeng si bi-sang tal-chul-lo-ro sa-yong-doe-eot-da-neun seol-i it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: There’s a theory that it was used as an emergency escape route during wartime. -
Expression: 현재는 구조적인 문제로 접근이 어렵습니다.
Pronunciation: hyeon-jae-neun gu-jo-jeok-in mun-je-ro jeop-geun-i eo-ryeop-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: Currently, access is difficult due to structural issues. -
Expression: 더 자세한 정보는 박물관 자료를 참고해 주세요.
Pronunciation: deo ja-se-han jeong-bo-neun bak-mul-gwan ja-ryo-reul cham-go-hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please refer to the museum materials for more detailed information.
Cultural Tips
When visiting historical sites in Korea, addressing guides respectfully enhances the interaction. Use 가이드님 (ga-i-deu-nim), adding the honorific suffix 님 (nim) to show politeness.
Korean castles (성 – seong) often have complex histories tied to defense and royalty. Asking about features like secret tunnels (비밀 통로 – bi-mil tong-no) shows genuine interest, which is usually appreciated by guides.
Be prepared that access to certain areas, especially potentially unsafe ones like old tunnels, might be restricted due to safety regulations (안전 규정 – an-jeon gyu-jeong) or preservation concerns. Accept such limitations gracefully.
Guides might share legends (전설 – jeon-seol) or historical anecdotes related to your question, even if the physical tunnels aren’t accessible or confirmed. Listening attentively shows respect for their knowledge and the local culture.
Using formal language (존댓말 – jon-daet-mal), as shown in the example phrases, is appropriate when speaking to guides or staff at official sites.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A tourist (A) is on a guided tour of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and asks the guide (B) about secret passages.
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Expression: A: 가이드님, 잠시 질문해도 될까요?
Pronunciation: ga-i-deu-nim, jam-si jil-mun-hae-do doel-kka-yo?
Meaning: A: Guide, may I ask a quick question? -
Expression: B: 네, 그럼요. 무엇이 궁금하신가요?
Pronunciation: ne, geu-reom-yo. mu-eos-i gung-geum-ha-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: B: Yes, of course. What are you curious about? -
Expression: A: 이 화성에도 혹시 비밀 통로나 숨겨진 길이 있나요?
Pronunciation: i hwa-seong-e-do hok-si bi-mil tong-no-na sum-gyeo-jin gil-i it-na-yo?
Meaning: A: Are there perhaps any secret tunnels or hidden paths in this Hwaseong Fortress? -
Expression: B: 아, 흥미로운 질문이시네요. 화성에는 공식적으로 확인된 비밀 통로는 없습니다만, 몇몇 구조물 아래에 비상시를 대비한 공간이나 통로가 있었을 것이라는 추측은 있습니다.
Pronunciation: a, heung-mi-ro-un jil-mun-i-si-ne-yo. hwa-seong-e-neun gong-sik-jeok-eu-ro hwa-gin-doen bi-mil tong-no-neun eop-seum-ni-da-man, myeot-myeot gu-jo-mul a-rae-e bi-sang-si-reul dae-bi-han gong-gan-i-na tong-no-ga is-seot-eul geos-i-ra-neun chu-cheuk-eun it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: B: Ah, that’s an interesting question. There are no officially confirmed secret tunnels in Hwaseong Fortress, but there is speculation that there might have been spaces or passages under some structures prepared for emergencies. -
Expression: A: 그렇군요. 그럼 일반인이 볼 수는 없는 건가요?
Pronunciation: geu-reot-gun-yo. geu-reom il-ban-in-i bol su-neun eom-neun geon-ga-yo?
Meaning: A: I see. So, the general public cannot see them? -
Expression: B: 네, 현재로서는 공개된 비밀 통로는 없습니다. 안전과 보존 문제 때문입니다. 하지만 성곽의 구조나 방어 시설에 대해 더 궁금하시면 설명해 드릴 수 있습니다.
Pronunciation: ne, hyeon-jae-ro-seo-neun gong-gae-doen bi-mil tong-no-neun eop-seum-ni-da. an-jeon-gwa bo-jon mun-je ttae-mun-im-ni-da. ha-ji-man seong-gwak-ui gu-jo-na bang-eo si-seol-e dae-hae deo gung-geum-ha-si-myeon seol-myeong-hae deu-ril su it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: B: Yes, currently there are no secret tunnels open to the public. This is due to safety and preservation issues. However, if you are more curious about the structure of the fortress walls or defensive facilities, I can explain that. -
Expression: A: 네, 감사합니다. 설명을 듣고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: ne, gam-sa-ham-ni-da. seol-myeong-eul deut-go sip-eo-yo.
Meaning: A: Yes, thank you. I would like to hear the explanation.
Practice Tips
Practice makes perfect! Try saying the phrases aloud, paying close attention to the syllable breakdowns in the pronunciations~ This will help you sound more natural. Imagine you’re really at a magnificent Korean castle asking the guide your questions!
Role-playing this scenario with a language partner or friend can be very helpful. One person can be the tourist, and the other can be the guide. Switch roles to practice both asking and potentially responding!
Watching historical K-dramas or documentaries about Korean castles might expose you to related vocabulary and context. Listen carefully to how historical sites and features are discussed. Have fun exploring Korean history and language! Fighting!~
