9 Korean phrases to use in your Korean class
A Korean classroom runs on polite speech in both directions. You call the teacher 선생님 and speak to them in 요 form, and they will mostly speak to you in 요 form too, which makes a class one of the few places you can practise the register you will actually use with strangers and colleagues.
The nine phrases below are the ones learners need most and reach for least, because asking a question in the language you are still learning feels risky. In practice teachers are glad to hear them. They are given in rough order of a lesson, from the first question to the moment you need to step out.
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질문 있어요.
jilmun isseoyo.
I have a question.
Literally: Question exists.
Say it with a raised hand and the teacher will stop. 질문 있어요? from the teacher's side is 'any questions?', to which the honest answer is often 아직 없어요 (not yet).
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다시 한 번 말씀해 주세요.
dasi han beon malsseumhae juseyo.
Could you say that once more?
말씀하다 is the honorific of 말하다 and is what you use for a teacher's speech. Add 천천히 (slowly) in front when speed was the problem. 다시요? on its own works in a pinch but sounds abrupt.
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이게 무슨 뜻이에요?
ige museun tteusieyo?
What does this mean?
Point at the word. For a word you can say, replace 이게 with the word plus 가/이, as in 눈치가 무슨 뜻이에요?. 뜻 is meaning; 의미 is the formal synonym you will meet in textbooks.
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이거 어떻게 읽어요?
igeo eotteoke ilgeoyo?
How do you read this?
For a word whose pronunciation you cannot work out, a hanja, or a handwritten note on the board. 어떻게 써요? is the matching question for spelling, and both will get you a slow, clear model to copy.
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한국어로 뭐라고 해요?
hangugeoro mworago haeyo?
How do you say it in Korean?
Say the English or Spanish word, then this. 영어로 뭐라고 해요? reverses it. Teachers like this question because it keeps the class in Korean instead of sliding into translation.
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맞아요?
majayo?
Is that right?
After your attempt at an answer, with rising intonation. The teacher says 맞아요 (right) or 아니에요 (no) or the gentler 거의요 (almost). 이렇게 하면 돼요? asks the same about a method rather than an answer.
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잘 모르겠어요.
jal moreugesseoyo.
I'm not sure.
The -겠- softens it into 'I don't quite know', which is what you want when called on. 몰라요 is grammatical but blunt, closer to 'no idea', and sounds like you have given up.
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숙제를 못 했어요.
sukjereul mot haesseoyo.
I couldn't do the homework.
못 (couldn't) implies circumstances got in the way; 안 했어요 (didn't do it) is a confession. Most learners want the first one. Follow it with 죄송합니다 and a reason, 바빠서요 (I was busy) being the classic.
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화장실 좀 다녀올게요.
hwajangsil jom danyeoolgeyo.
I'll just pop to the bathroom.
Adults announce rather than ask permission, and -(으)ㄹ게요 does the announcing. 다녀오다 is 'go and come back', so it promises you are returning. 좀 keeps it quiet and polite.
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Most classroom Korean is a small set of verbs with 주세요 or 돼요 on the end, 말씀해 주세요, 써 주세요, 봐도 돼요?, so once two or three feel natural the rest come free. And when all else fails, 선생님, 잠깐만요 (just a moment, teacher) buys you the time to find the sentence.