When making a large purchase in Korea, especially in markets or smaller shops, knowing how to inquire about a discount can be beneficial. This guide provides essential Korean phrases for shoppers looking to negotiate a better price when buying items in bulk from a store owner.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
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Expression: 많이 사면 할인해 주시나요?
Pronunciation: ma-ni sa-myeon ha-rin-hae ju-si-na-yo?
Meaning: If I buy a lot, can you give me a discount?
Basic Shopping Questions
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Expression: 이거 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: i-geo eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: How much is this? -
Expression: 이거 [수량]개 주세요.
Pronunciation: i-geo [su-ryang]-gae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me [number] of these. (e.g., 열 개 – yeol gae – ten) -
Expression: 좀 둘러볼게요.
Pronunciation: jom dul-leo-bol-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll look around a bit. -
Expression: 재고가 많이 있나요?
Pronunciation: jae-go-ga ma-ni it-na-yo?
Meaning: Do you have a lot in stock? -
Expression: 이 색깔 말고 다른 색깔도 있어요?
Pronunciation: i saek-kkal mal-go da-reun saek-kkal-do is-seo-yo?
Meaning: Do you have other colors besides this one? -
Expression: 이걸로 할게요.
Pronunciation: i-geol-lo hal-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll take this one. -
Expression: 포장해 주세요.
Pronunciation: po-jang-hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please wrap it up / package it. -
Expression: 영수증 주세요.
Pronunciation: yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me a receipt. -
Expression: 카드로 계산할게요.
Pronunciation: ka-deu-ro gye-san-hal-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay by card. -
Expression: 현금으로 계산할게요.
Pronunciation: hyeon-geum-eu-ro gye-san-hal-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay with cash.
Asking About Bulk Purchases
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Expression: 제가 좀 많이 사려고 하는데요.
Pronunciation: je-ga jom ma-ni sa-ryeo-go ha-neun-de-yo.
Meaning: I’m planning to buy quite a lot. -
Expression: 대량으로 구매하고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: dae-ryang-eu-ro gu-mae-ha-go si-peo-yo.
Meaning: I want to buy in bulk/large quantities. -
Expression: 혹시 대량 구매 할인이 있나요?
Pronunciation: hok-si dae-ryang gu-mae ha-rin-i it-na-yo?
Meaning: Is there perhaps a discount for bulk purchases? -
Expression: [수량]개 정도 사면 가격이 어떻게 되나요?
Pronunciation: [su-ryang]-gae jeong-do sa-myeon ga-gyeog-i eo-tteo-ke doe-na-yo?
Meaning: If I buy about [number] items, what would the price be? (e.g., 50개 – o-sip-gae – 50) -
Expression: 수량이 많으면 좀 깎아 주실 수 있어요?
Pronunciation: su-ryang-i ma-neu-myeon jom kkak-ka ju-sil su is-seo-yo?
Meaning: If the quantity is large, can you lower the price a bit? -
Expression: 단체 주문 할인 같은 거 있나요?
Pronunciation: dan-che ju-mun ha-rin ga-teun geo it-na-yo?
Meaning: Is there something like a group order discount? -
Expression: 개당 가격을 좀 낮춰주실 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: gae-dang ga-gyeog-eul jom nat-chwo-ju-sil su it-na-yo?
Meaning: Could you lower the price per item a bit? -
Expression: 총 금액에서 할인이 가능한가요?
Pronunciation: chong geum-aeg-e-seo ha-rin-i ga-neung-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is a discount possible on the total amount? -
Expression: 예산을 좀 맞춰야 해서요.
Pronunciation: ye-san-eul jom mat-chwo-ya hae-seo-yo.
Meaning: It’s because I need to stick to a budget. -
Expression: 그럼 얼마까지 가능하신가요?
Pronunciation: geu-reom eol-ma-kka-ji ga-neung-ha-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Then, how low can you go? / What’s the best price you can offer?
Confirming the Discount and Order
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Expression: 네, 그 가격이면 좋네요.
Pronunciation: ne, geu ga-gyeog-i-myeon jon-ne-yo.
Meaning: Yes, that price sounds good. -
Expression: 그럼 [수량]개로 주문할게요.
Pronunciation: geu-reom [su-ryang]-gae-ro ju-mun-hal-ge-yo.
Meaning: Then, I’ll order [number] items. -
Expression: 할인해 주셔서 감사합니다.
Pronunciation: ha-rin-hae ju-syeo-seo gam-sa-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: Thank you for the discount. -
Expression: 총 얼마인가요?
Pronunciation: chong eol-ma-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: How much is the total? -
Expression: 서비스로 뭐 더 주실 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: seo-bi-seu-ro mwo deo ju-sil su it-na-yo?
Meaning: Can you give me something extra as ‘service’? (bonus item) -
Expression: 언제까지 준비될까요?
Pronunciation: eon-je-kka-ji jun-bi-doel-kka-yo?
Meaning: By when will it be ready? (If ordering items not immediately available) -
Expression: 배송도 해주시나요?
Pronunciation: bae-song-do hae-ju-si-na-yo?
Meaning: Do you also offer delivery? -
Expression: 여기서 바로 가져갈 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: yeo-gi-seo ba-ro ga-jyeo-gal su it-na-yo?
Meaning: Can I take it right away from here? -
Expression: 계산은 어디서 하나요?
Pronunciation: gye-san-eun eo-di-seo ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Where do I pay? -
Expression: 다음에 또 올게요.
Pronunciation: da-eum-e tto ol-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll come again next time.
Cultural Tips
Haggling or asking for a discount (할인 – ha-rin or 에누리 – e-nu-ri) is more common and acceptable in traditional markets (시장 – si-jang) or smaller independent shops than in department stores or large chain retailers where prices are typically fixed.
When buying in bulk (대량 구매 – dae-ryang gu-mae), vendors are often more open to negotiation. Clearly stating your intention to buy a large quantity upfront can help initiate the discount conversation.
Being polite and friendly throughout the negotiation process is key. Avoid being overly aggressive. A smile and respectful language (존댓말 – jon-daen-mal) go a long way.
Sometimes, instead of a price reduction, vendors might offer ‘service’ (서비스 – seo-bi-seu), which means giving you extra items for free. You can politely inquire about this too, especially after agreeing on a price for a large order.
Paying with cash (현금 – hyeon-geum) might sometimes yield a slightly better discount compared to paying by credit card (카드 – ka-deu), as vendors avoid card processing fees. You can subtly hint at this by asking if the cash price is different.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A shopper wants to buy 30 small souvenirs from a gift shop owner in Insadong.
Characters:
- A: Shopper
- B: Store Owner
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Expression: A: 안녕하세요. 이 부채 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: A: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. i bu-chae eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: A: Hello. How much is this fan? -
Expression: B: 네, 어서오세요. 그건 하나에 5,000원입니다.
Pronunciation: B: ne, eo-seo-o-se-yo. geu-geon ha-na-e o-cheon-won-im-ni-da.
Meaning: B: Yes, welcome. That one is 5,000 won each. -
Expression: A: 아, 그렇군요. 제가 선물용으로 좀 많이 사려고 하는데요, 한 30개 정도 필요해요.
Pronunciation: A: a, geu-reo-kun-yo. je-ga seon-mul-yong-eu-ro jom ma-ni sa-ryeo-go ha-neun-de-yo, han sam-sip-gae jeong-do pi-ryo-hae-yo.
Meaning: A: Ah, I see. I’m planning to buy quite a few as gifts, I need about 30 of them. -
Expression: B: 아, 30개요? 네, 재고는 충분히 있습니다.
Pronunciation: B: a, sam-sip-gae-yo? ne, jae-go-neun chung-bun-hi it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: B: Oh, 30? Yes, we have plenty in stock. -
Expression: A: 혹시 그렇게 많이 사면 할인 좀 받을 수 있을까요?
Pronunciation: A: hok-si geu-reo-ke ma-ni sa-myeon ha-rin jom ba-deul su is-seul-kka-yo?
Meaning: A: If I buy that many, could I possibly get a bit of a discount? -
Expression: B: 음… 30개시면 많이 사시는 거니까… 개당 4,500원에 드릴게요.
Pronunciation: B: eum… sam-sip-gae-si-myeon ma-ni sa-si-neun geo-ni-kka… gae-dang sa-cheon-o-baeg-won-e deu-ril-ge-yo.
Meaning: B: Hmm… Since you’re buying 30, that’s quite a lot… I can give them to you for 4,500 won each. -
Expression: A: 아, 네! 좋아요. 그럼 30개 전부 주세요. 할인 감사합니다!
Pronunciation: A: a, ne! jo-a-yo. geu-reom sam-sip-gae jeon-bu ju-se-yo. ha-rin gam-sa-ham-ni-da!
Meaning: A: Oh, yes! Great. Then please give me all 30. Thank you for the discount! -
Expression: B: 네, 감사합니다. 그럼 총 135,000원입니다. 포장해 드릴까요?
Pronunciation: B: ne, gam-sa-ham-ni-da. geu-reom chong sip-sam-man-o-cheon-won-im-ni-da. po-jang-hae deu-ril-kka-yo?
Meaning: B: Yes, thank you. Then the total is 135,000 won. Shall I wrap them for you?
Practice Tips
Practice these phrases by role-playing with a friend or language partner! Imagine you’re buying multiple souvenirs or items for an event~ Try visiting a local Korean market (if possible) or an online shop catering to bulk orders and see if you can use these expressions. Remember, confidence comes with practice, so don’t be afraid to try asking politely for a discount when making a large purchase!
