Using a dry cleaner (세탁소 – setakso) in Korea is a common necessity. This guide provides essential Korean phrases and cultural context for smoothly dropping off your clothes for cleaning. Learn how to communicate your needs, ask about services, and understand the process at a Korean dry cleaner.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
This is the fundamental phrase you’ll use when you arrive at the dry cleaner’s.
- Expression: 옷 맡기러 왔어요.
Pronunciation: Ot mat-gi-reo wa-sseo-yo.
Meaning: I came to drop off clothes.
Basic Interaction Phrases
Use these phrases for initial communication and general inquiries at the dry cleaner.
- Expression: 여기 세탁소 맞아요?
Pronunciation: Yeo-gi se-tak-so ma-ja-yo?
Meaning: Is this the dry cleaner? - Expression: 세탁 맡길 수 있을까요?
Pronunciation: Se-tak mat-gil su i-sseul-kka-yo?
Meaning: Can I leave laundry/dry cleaning? - Expression: 이거 세탁 돼요?
Pronunciation: I-geo se-tak dwae-yo?
Meaning: Can this be cleaned/laundered? - Expression: 드라이클리닝 해주세요.
Pronunciation: Deu-ra-i-keul-li-ning hae-ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please dry clean this. - Expression: 물세탁 해주세요.
Pronunciation: Mul-se-tak hae-ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please do water washing (laundry). - Expression: 다림질만 해주세요.
Pronunciation: Da-rim-jil-man hae-ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please just iron this. - Expression: 이 옷 좀 맡길게요.
Pronunciation: I ot jom mat-gil-kke-yo.
Meaning: I’d like to leave this clothing item. - Expression: 몇 벌이에요?
Pronunciation: Myeot beo-ri-e-yo?
Meaning: How many items are there? - Expression: 총 세 벌이에요.
Pronunciation: Chong se beo-ri-e-yo.
Meaning: There are three items in total. - Expression: 영수증 주세요.
Pronunciation: Yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me a receipt. - Expression: 보관증 주세요.
Pronunciation: Bo-gwan-jjeung ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me the claim ticket. - Expression: 감사합니다.
Pronunciation: Gam-sa-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: Thank you.
Describing Items and Issues
Specify the clothes you are dropping off and point out any specific problems like stains.
- Expression: 이 셔츠요.
Pronunciation: I syeo-cheu-yo.
Meaning: This shirt. - Expression: 이 바지요.
Pronunciation: I ba-ji-yo.
Meaning: These pants. - Expression: 이 코트요.
Pronunciation: I ko-teu-yo.
Meaning: This coat. - Expression: 이 원피스요.
Pronunciation: I won-pi-seu-yo.
Meaning: This dress. - Expression: 이 스웨터요.
Pronunciation: I seu-we-teo-yo.
Meaning: This sweater. - Expression: 여기 얼룩이 있어요.
Pronunciation: Yeo-gi eol-lu-gi i-sseo-yo.
Meaning: There’s a stain here. - Expression: 커피 얼룩이에요.
Pronunciation: Keo-pi eol-lu-gi-e-yo.
Meaning: It’s a coffee stain. - Expression: 이거 지워질까요?
Pronunciation: I-geo ji-wo-jil-kka-yo?
Meaning: Do you think this (stain) will come out? - Expression: 특별히 신경 써 주세요.
Pronunciation: Teuk-byeol-hi sin-gyeong sseo ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please pay special attention to this. - Expression: 수선도 가능해요?
Pronunciation: Su-seon-do ga-neung-hae-yo?
Meaning: Are alterations/repairs also possible? - Expression: 단추가 떨어졌어요.
Pronunciation: Dan-chu-ga tteo-reo-jeo-sseo-yo.
Meaning: A button fell off. - Expression: 여기 좀 꿰매 주세요.
Pronunciation: Yeo-gi jom kkwe-mae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please sew this part here.
Asking About Price and Pickup
Inquire about the cost of the service and when you can expect your clothes to be ready.
- Expression: 세탁비 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: Se-tak-bi eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: How much is the cleaning fee? - Expression: 이거 하나에 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: I-geo ha-na-e eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: How much is it for this one item? - Expression: 총 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: Chong eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: How much is it in total? - Expression: 언제 찾으러 오면 돼요?
Pronunciation: Eon-je cha-jeu-reo o-myeon dwae-yo?
Meaning: When should I come to pick it up? - Expression: 언제까지 돼요?
Pronunciation: Eon-je-kka-ji dwae-yo?
Meaning: When will it be ready by? - Expression: 내일 찾을 수 있어요?
Pronunciation: Nae-il cha-jeul su i-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Can I pick it up tomorrow? - Expression: 보통 며칠 걸려요?
Pronunciation: Bo-tong myeo-chil geol-lyeo-yo?
Meaning: How many days does it usually take? - Expression: 지금 계산할까요?
Pronunciation: Ji-geum gye-san-hal-kka-yo?
Meaning: Should I pay now? - Expression: 찾으러 올 때 계산할게요.
Pronunciation: Cha-jeu-reo ol ttae gye-san-hal-kke-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay when I come to pick it up. - Expression: 카드로 계산할게요.
Pronunciation: Ka-deu-ro gye-san-hal-kke-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay by card. - Expression: 현금으로 계산할게요.
Pronunciation: Hyeon-geum-eu-ro gye-san-hal-kke-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay with cash. - Expression: 연락처 남겨야 돼요?
Pronunciation: Yeol-lak-cheo nam-gyeo-ya dwae-yo?
Meaning: Do I need to leave my contact number?
Korean Culture Notes
Understanding these points can make your experience at a Korean dry cleaner smoother.
- Claim Ticket (보관증 – Bogwanjjeung): Always keep the claim ticket safe! You’ll need it to pick up your clothes. It usually has the item list, price, and pickup date.
- Payment Timing: Payment practices vary. Some places require payment upfront, while others let you pay upon pickup. It’s common to pay when you pick up the clothes.
- Turnaround Time: Standard turnaround is often 2-3 days, but it can vary depending on the workload and the item. Express service might be available for an extra fee.
- Additional Services: Many 세탁소 offer minor repairs (수선 – suseon) like fixing hems, replacing buttons, or mending small tears. Ask if you need these services.
- Communication: While owners appreciate attempts at Korean, they often deal with specific clothing terms. Pointing or using translation apps for specific stains or fabrics can be helpful if you’re unsure of the terminology.
Real Conversation Example
This dialogue illustrates a typical interaction when dropping off clothes.
Situation: A customer (A) visits a local dry cleaner to drop off a stained shirt and a pair of pants.
Roles:
* A: Customer
* B: Dry Cleaner Owner (세탁소 사장님 – Setakso Sajangnim)
- Expression: A: 안녕하세요. 옷 맡기러 왔어요.
Pronunciation: An-nyeong-ha-se-yo. Ot mat-gi-reo wa-sseo-yo.
Meaning: Hello. I came to drop off clothes. - Expression: B: 네, 어서 오세요. 어떤 옷이세요?
Pronunciation: Ne, eo-seo o-se-yo. Eo-tteon o-si-se-yo?
Meaning: Yes, welcome. What clothes do you have? - Expression: A: 이 셔츠하고 바지요. 셔츠는 드라이클리닝 해주세요.
Pronunciation: I syeo-cheu-ha-go ba-ji-yo. Syeo-cheu-neun deu-ra-i-keul-li-ning hae-ju-se-yo.
Meaning: This shirt and these pants. Please dry clean the shirt. - Expression: B: 네, 알겠습니다. 바지는 물세탁 괜찮으세요?
Pronunciation: Ne, al-get-sseum-ni-da. Ba-ji-neun mul-se-tak gwaen-cha-neu-se-yo?
Meaning: Yes, understood. Is water washing okay for the pants? - Expression: A: 네, 괜찮아요. 아, 그리고 셔츠 여기 팔 부분에 얼룩이 좀 있어요. 커피 얼룩인데, 지워질까요?
Pronunciation: Ne, gwaen-cha-na-yo. A, geu-ri-go syeo-cheu yeo-gi pal bu-bu-ne eol-lu-gi jom i-sseo-yo. Keo-pi eol-lu-gin-de, ji-wo-jil-kka-yo?
Meaning: Yes, that’s fine. Oh, and there’s a stain here on the sleeve part of the shirt. It’s a coffee stain, do you think it will come out? - Expression: B: 어디 봅시다… 네, 한번 해볼게요. 최대한 지워보겠습니다.
Pronunciation: Eo-di bop-si-da… Ne, han-beon hae-bol-kke-yo. Choe-dae-han ji-wo-bo-get-sseum-ni-da.
Meaning: Let me see… Yes, I’ll give it a try. I’ll do my best to remove it. - Expression: A: 감사합니다. 그럼 총 얼마예요? 그리고 언제 찾으러 오면 돼요?
Pronunciation: Gam-sa-ham-ni-da. Geu-reom chong eol-ma-ye-yo? Geu-ri-go eon-je cha-jeu-reo o-myeon dwae-yo?
Meaning: Thank you. Then how much is it in total? And when should I come to pick it up? - Expression: B: 셔츠 5천 원, 바지 4천 원 해서 총 9천 원입니다. 모레 오후에 찾으러 오시면 됩니다. 여기 보관증이요.
Pronunciation: Syeo-cheu o-cheon won, ba-ji sa-cheon won hae-seo chong gu-cheon wo-nim-ni-da. Mo-re o-hu-e cha-jeu-reo o-si-myeon doem-ni-da. Yeo-gi bo-gwan-jjeung-i-yo.
Meaning: The shirt is 5,000 won, the pants are 4,000 won, so it’s 9,000 won total. You can come pick them up the day after tomorrow in the afternoon. Here is your claim ticket. - Expression: A: 네, 알겠습니다. 찾으러 올 때 계산할게요. 감사합니다!
Pronunciation: Ne, al-get-sseum-ni-da. Cha-jeu-reo ol ttae gye-san-hal-kke-yo. Gam-sa-ham-ni-da!
Meaning: Okay, understood. I’ll pay when I come to pick them up. Thank you! - Expression: B: 네, 안녕히 가세요.
Pronunciation: Ne, an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo.
Meaning: Yes, goodbye.
Practice Tips
Ready to try using a Korean dry cleaner~? Start by practicing the core phrase “옷 맡기러 왔어요!” Then, try role-playing the conversation example with a friend or language partner. Identify clothes around you and practice saying their names (셔츠, 바지, 코트…). Don’t be afraid to visit a local 세탁소, even just to ask about prices (얼마예요?). Every little interaction helps build confidence! 화이팅 (Hwaiting – You can do it)!
