Excuse Me in Korean: Jeogiyo, Jamsimanyo or Sillyehamnida?

At a café: get attention, then make the request

Imagine you have a drink but need a napkin. First make sure you are addressing an available staff member; then try this original practice line: 저기요. 냅킨 좀 주세요. — Excuse me. Could I have a napkin?

저기요 opens the interaction. The next sentence explains what you need. It is more useful to practise them as a pair than to repeat “excuse me” without a request.

The dictionary lists 저기 as an interjection that can help begin a hesitant or awkward utterance. The café example here is a practical editorial scenario, not a rule that every café uses the same service style.

Reference: National Institute of Korean Language, Korean Basic Dictionary: 저기 (Korean/Japanese entry)

On a subway: make your intention clear

You are near the doors, but someone is in front of you. A useful practice line is 잠시만요. 내릴게요. — Excuse me. I’m getting off.

잠시 means a brief time. In 잠시만요, the idea of asking for a moment can help signal that you need to move through. It can also ask someone to wait briefly in other contexts; it does not always mean “move.”

Practise the whole phrase before your trip. Say it clearly, give the other person time to respond and move with care. If you actually bump into someone, an apology may be more appropriate than repeating your request to pass.

Reference: National Institute of Korean Language, Korean Basic Dictionary: 잠시

Before a question: acknowledge the interruption

For a polite interruption, rehearse 실례합니다. 질문 하나 해도 될까요? — Excuse me. May I ask a question?

The expression acknowledges that you are interrupting. The dictionary's entry for 실례하다 concerns acting in a way that does not observe courtesy. Its polite conventional use in an interruption is different from admitting that you have seriously offended someone.

Compare the purpose with the subway example: here you want permission to start a question, not space to move.

Reference: National Institute of Korean Language, Korean Basic Dictionary: 실례하다

When “sorry” is the message

If you spill a little water or bump into someone, 죄송합니다 communicates an apology. Identify the action first: getting attention, asking someone to pause, interrupting, or apologizing.

These situations can overlap, and there is more than one natural sentence for each. The table gives useful starting choices rather than a script that every Korean speaker must follow.

Romanization is only a reading aid: jeogiyo / jamsimanyo / sillyehamnida / joesonghamnida. English letters do not fully represent Korean pronunciation. Use the Hangul alongside them as you practise.

Try the three-scene challenge

Scene one: you need a napkin. Say the attention-getter and request together.

Scene two: your station is next. Say that you need a moment and that you are getting off.

Scene three: you want to ask a question. Acknowledge the interruption, then ask permission.

For the next round, replace the request while keeping its purpose the same. Useful Korean grows from small exchanges you can adapt. Once you are comfortable opening a conversation, try a short self-introduction for a class or language exchange.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and editorial scope

• National Institute of Korean Language, Korean Basic Dictionary: 저기 (Korean/Japanese entry)
• National Institute of Korean Language, Korean Basic Dictionary: 잠시
• National Institute of Korean Language, Korean Basic Dictionary: 실례하다

The dictionary entries support the underlying word meanings. The café, subway and question scenarios are original editorial teaching examples, not quotations from an official travel code. Context and tone affect the choice of expression; romanization is a reading aid.