When exploring markets in Korea, you might find beautiful handmade items like wallets. Knowing how to ask about the materials, especially if something is made of leather, is essential for making informed purchases. This guide provides key Korean phrases for tourists wanting to inquire about leather goods from vendors.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
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Expression: 이거 가죽이에요?
Pronunciation: i-geo ga-juk-i-e-yo?
Meaning: Is this leather?
Basic Questions about the Item
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Expression: 이 지갑은 수제인가요?
Pronunciation: i ji-gap-eun su-je-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is this wallet handmade? -
Expression: 이거 뭐로 만들었어요?
Pronunciation: i-geo mwo-ro man-deul-eoss-eo-yo?
Meaning: What is this made of? -
Expression: 다른 색깔도 있어요?
Pronunciation: da-reun saek-kkal-do iss-eo-yo?
Meaning: Do you have other colors? -
Expression: 이거 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: How much is this? -
Expression: 좀 더 자세히 봐도 될까요?
Pronunciation: jom deo ja-se-hi bwa-do doel-kka-yo?
Meaning: May I take a closer look? -
Expression: 이 디자인이 마음에 들어요.
Pronunciation: i di-ja-in-i ma-eum-e deul-eo-yo.
Meaning: I like this design. -
Expression: 이거 인기가 많아요?
Pronunciation: i-geo in-gi-ga man-a-yo?
Meaning: Is this popular? -
Expression: 선물용으로 찾고 있어요.
Pronunciation: seon-mul-yong-eu-ro chat-go iss-eo-yo.
Meaning: I’m looking for a gift. -
Expression: 튼튼해 보여요.
Pronunciation: teun-teun-hae bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: It looks sturdy.
Inquiring About Leather
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Expression: 이거 진짜 가죽 맞아요?
Pronunciation: i-geo jin-jja ga-juk maj-a-yo?
Meaning: Is this real leather? -
Expression: 어떤 종류의 가죽이에요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon jong-nyu-ui ga-juk-i-e-yo?
Meaning: What kind of leather is it? (e.g., cowhide, sheepskin) -
Expression: 소가죽이에요?
Pronunciation: so-ga-juk-i-e-yo?
Meaning: Is it cowhide? -
Expression: 양가죽이에요?
Pronunciation: yang-ga-juk-i-e-yo?
Meaning: Is it sheepskin? -
Expression: 인조 가죽 아니죠?
Pronunciation: in-jo ga-juk a-ni-jyo?
Meaning: It’s not artificial leather, right? -
Expression: 가죽 질이 좋아 보여요.
Pronunciation: ga-juk jil-i jo-a bo-yeo-yo.
Meaning: The leather quality looks good. -
Expression: 이 가죽은 부드러워요?
Pronunciation: i ga-juk-eun bu-deu-reo-wo-yo?
Meaning: Is this leather soft? -
Expression: 오래 쓸 수 있을까요?
Pronunciation: o-rae sseul su iss-eul-kka-yo?
Meaning: Will it last a long time? -
Expression: 물에 닿아도 괜찮아요?
Pronunciation: mul-e da-a-do gwaen-chan-a-yo?
Meaning: Is it okay if it gets wet? -
Expression: 가죽 관리법 좀 알려주세요.
Pronunciation: ga-juk gwan-ri-beop jom al-lyeo-ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please tell me how to care for the leather.
Price and Purchase Phrases
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Expression: 가격이 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: ga-gyeok-i eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: What is the price? -
Expression: 좀 깎아 주실 수 있어요?
Pronunciation: jom kkak-ka ju-sil su iss-eo-yo?
Meaning: Can you give me a little discount? (Use cautiously, may not be appropriate everywhere) -
Expression: 이걸로 주세요.
Pronunciation: i-geol-lo ju-se-yo.
Meaning: I’ll take this one. -
Expression: 카드로 계산할 수 있어요?
Pronunciation: ka-deu-ro gye-san-hal su iss-eo-yo?
Meaning: Can I pay by card? -
Expression: 현금으로 계산할게요.
Pronunciation: hyeon-geum-eu-ro gye-san-hal-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay with cash. -
Expression: 포장해 주실 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: po-jang-hae ju-sil su iss-na-yo?
Meaning: Can you wrap it up for me? -
Expression: 영수증 주세요.
Pronunciation: yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me the receipt. -
Expression: 정찰제인가요?
Pronunciation: jeong-chal-je-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is it a fixed price? -
Expression: 조금 비싼 것 같아요.
Pronunciation: jo-geum bi-ssan geot gat-a-yo.
Meaning: It seems a little expensive. -
Expression: 다음에 다시 올게요.
Pronunciation: da-eum-e da-si ol-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll come back next time.
Common Vendor Responses
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Expression: 네, 진짜 가죽이에요.
Pronunciation: ne, jin-jja ga-juk-i-e-yo.
Meaning: Yes, it’s real leather. -
Expression: 이건 소가죽으로 만들었어요.
Pronunciation: i-geon so-ga-juk-eu-ro man-deul-eoss-eo-yo.
Meaning: This is made from cowhide. -
Expression: 네, 직접 만든 수제 지갑입니다.
Pronunciation: ne, jik-jeop man-deun su-je ji-gap-im-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, it’s a handmade wallet that I made myself. -
Expression: 아니요, 이건 인조 가죽이에요.
Pronunciation: a-ni-yo, i-geon in-jo ga-juk-i-e-yo.
Meaning: No, this is artificial leather. -
Expression: 가격은 5만 원입니다.
Pronunciation: ga-gyeok-eun o-man won-im-ni-da.
Meaning: The price is 50,000 won. -
Expression: 품질이 아주 좋아요.
Pronunciation: pum-jil-i a-ju jo-a-yo.
Meaning: The quality is very good. -
Expression: 네, 카드 결제 가능합니다.
Pronunciation: ne, ka-deu gyeol-je ga-neung-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, card payment is possible. -
Expression: 죄송하지만 할인은 안 돼요. 정찰제입니다.
Pronunciation: joe-song-ha-ji-man hal-in-eun an dwae-yo. jeong-chal-je-im-ni-da.
Meaning: I’m sorry, but discounts are not possible. It’s a fixed price. -
Expression: 천천히 둘러보세요.
Pronunciation: cheon-cheon-hi dul-leo-bo-se-yo.
Meaning: Take your time looking around. -
Expression: 다른 디자인도 많아요.
Pronunciation: da-reun di-ja-in-do man-a-yo.
Meaning: There are many other designs too.
Korean Culture Notes
Handmade Goods (수제품 – su-je-pum): Korea has many markets (like Insadong in Seoul) featuring handmade crafts. Asking 수제예요? (su-je-ye-yo? – Is it handmade?) shows appreciation for the artisan’s work.
Leather Terminology: 가죽 (ga-juk) is the general term for leather. Specify types like 소가죽 (so-ga-juk – cowhide) or 양가죽 (yang-ga-juk – sheepskin). 인조 가죽 (in-jo ga-juk) means artificial/faux leather.
Price Negotiation: While haggling (흥정 – heung-jeong) is common in some traditional markets, many shops, especially those selling higher-quality handmade goods or in department stores, operate on a fixed-price (정찰제 – jeong-chal-je) system. Asking 정찰제인가요? (jeong-chal-je-in-ga-yo? – Is it fixed price?) is polite before attempting to negotiate.
Politeness: Always use polite language endings like -요 (-yo) or -ㅂ니다/습니다 (-mnida/-seumnida) when speaking with vendors. Showing interest and asking questions politely is generally well-received.
Quality Check: It’s acceptable to politely ask to examine the item closely (자세히 봐도 될까요? – ja-se-hi bwa-do doel-kka-yo?). Koreans appreciate attention to quality (품질 – pum-jil).
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A tourist (A) is looking at handmade wallets at a market stall run by a vendor (B).
Roles:
A: Tourist
B: Vendor
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Expression: A: 안녕하세요. 이 지갑 예쁘네요. 이거 수제인가요?
Pronunciation: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. i ji-gap ye-ppeu-ne-yo. i-geo su-je-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: Hello. This wallet is pretty. Is it handmade? -
Expression: B: 네, 안녕하세요. 제가 직접 만든 거예요. 천천히 보세요.
Pronunciation: ne, an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. je-ga jik-jeop man-deun geo-ye-yo. cheon-cheon-hi bo-se-yo.
Meaning: Yes, hello. I made it myself. Please take your time looking. -
Expression: A: 감사합니다. 이거 가죽이에요? 진짜 가죽 맞아요?
Pronunciation: gam-sa-ham-ni-da. i-geo ga-juk-i-e-yo? jin-jja ga-juk maj-a-yo?
Meaning: Thank you. Is this leather? Is it real leather? -
Expression: B: 네, 진짜 소가죽이에요. 아주 부드럽고 튼튼해요. 만져보세요.
Pronunciation: ne, jin-jja so-ga-juk-i-e-yo. a-ju bu-deu-reop-go teun-teun-hae-yo. man-jyeo-bo-se-yo.
Meaning: Yes, it’s real cowhide. It’s very soft and durable. Feel it. -
Expression: A: 와, 정말 좋네요. 가격은 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: wa, jeong-mal jon-ne-yo. ga-gyeok-eun eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: Wow, it’s really nice. How much is the price? -
Expression: B: 그건 6만 원입니다. 수제라서 좀 가격이 있지만 품질은 보장해요.
Pronunciation: geu-geon yuk-man won-im-ni-da. su-je-ra-seo jom ga-gyeok-i iss-ji-man pum-jil-eun bo-jang-hae-yo.
Meaning: That one is 60,000 won. Because it’s handmade, the price is a bit higher, but I guarantee the quality. -
Expression: A: 알겠습니다. 이걸로 주세요. 카드로 계산할 수 있어요?
Pronunciation: al-get-seum-ni-da. i-geol-lo ju-se-yo. ka-deu-ro gye-san-hal su iss-eo-yo?
Meaning: I understand. I’ll take this one. Can I pay by card? -
Expression: B: 네, 가능합니다. 감사합니다!
Pronunciation: ne, ga-neung-ham-ni-da. gam-sa-ham-ni-da!
Meaning: Yes, that’s possible. Thank you!
Practice Tips
Practice these phrases out loud, paying close attention to the pronunciation! Try role-playing the conversation with a friend or language partner~ When you visit Korea, don’t hesitate to visit artisan markets and use these expressions. Even if you make small mistakes, vendors will appreciate your effort to speak Korean! Good luck with your shopping! Fighting!
