How to Ask If a Room Is Available in Korean (Inquiry Only)
Learn to ask 'Do you have any rooms available?' in Korean with polite Hangul phrases, Revised Romanization, and simple yes/no answers — for asking, not booking.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
Imagine you are standing at a hotel or guesthouse desk in Korea and you only want to know whether a room is free tonight. You are not ready to reserve or pay; you just need information. In Korean, this is a simple polite question built around the noun 빈 방 (bin bang, empty room) and the verb 있어요? (isseoyo?, is there / do you have?). This lesson teaches you to ask that question clearly, understand the two most common answers — 있어요 (isseoyo, there is / we have) and 없어요 (eopseoyo, there is not / we don't have) — and keep the exchange at the inquiry stage. You will not learn how to book, give your name, or pay here. Instead, you will practise one focused survival skill: checking room availability politely, then responding to a simple yes or no.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether any rooms are available using a polite Korean question.
- understand and respond to the answers 있어요 and 없어요.
- ask a follow-up question about a specific room type without starting a booking.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
빈 방 있어요?
Do you have any rooms available?
bin bang iss-eo-yo?
The most direct everyday question at a hotel or guesthouse desk. It asks only whether a room exists, not to reserve one.
방 있어요?
Do you have a room? / Is there a room?
bang iss-eo-yo?
Shorter and very common. 방 (bang) means 'room'; the context makes it clear you mean a guest room.
네, 있어요.
Yes, we have one. / Yes, there is.
ne, iss-eo-yo
A simple positive answer. It confirms availability only; it does not mean a room has been booked for you.
아니요, 없어요.
No, we don't have any. / No, there isn't.
a-ni-yo, eops-eo-yo
A simple negative answer. Use it when you are the one answering, or recognise it when staff say it.
오늘 밤 빈 방 있어요?
Do you have a room available tonight?
o-neul bam bin bang iss-eo-yo?
Adds a time word, 오늘 밤 (tonight), to make the inquiry specific without asking to book.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [noun] + 있어요? to ask 'Is there [noun]? / Do you have [noun]?'. Put the thing you are looking for before 있어요?. For a room, say 빈 방 있어요? (bin bang iss-eo-yo?, Do you have an empty room?). For two rooms, you can say 빈 방 두 개 있어요? (bin bang du gae iss-eo-yo?, Do you have two rooms?). The answer mirrors the question: 있어요 (iss-eo-yo) means 'there is / we have', and 없어요 (eops-eo-yo) means 'there is not / we don't have'. Notice that Korean does not need a separate word for 'any' here; the question itself carries that meaning.
When to use it
Use these phrases when you only want information. At a hotel desk, say 빈 방 있어요? before you are ready to reserve. If the answer is 네, 있어요 (ne, iss-eo-yo, yes, we have one), you can ask a follow-up such as 싱글 룸 있어요? (sing-geul rum iss-eo-yo?, Do you have a single room?) or 더블 룸 있어요? (deobeul rum iss-eo-yo?, Do you have a double room?). If the answer is 아니요, 없어요 (a-ni-yo, eops-eo-yo, no, we don't), you can simply say 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida, thank you) and move on. This keeps the exchange as an inquiry, not a booking.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 빈 방 있어요?
Hello. Do you have any rooms available?an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. bin bang iss-eo-yo?네, 있어요.
Yes, we have one.ne, iss-eo-yo오늘 밤 빈 방 있어요?
Do you have a room available tonight?o-neul bam bin bang iss-eo-yo?아니요, 없어요.
No, we don't have any.a-ni-yo, eops-eo-yoA little context goes a long way
Korean politeness often comes from verb endings rather than pronouns. The polite -요 ending in 있어요? and 없어요 is safe with strangers at hotels, guesthouses, and front desks. Among close friends, the same idea can drop to 있어? (iss-eo?) and 없어 (eops-eo), but for travel situations keep the -요 form. Also, a short 네 (ne) can sound like 'yes' or simply 'I hear you', so listen for the following 있어요 or 없어요 to know the real answer.
One thing to watch for
Using 예약했어요? (ye-yak-haess-eo-yo?, Did you make a reservation?) when you only want to ask if a room is free.
Try this instead: That question is about a booking that already exists, not about availability. For a simple inquiry, ask 빈 방 있어요? (bin bang iss-eo-yo?, Do you have any rooms available?). If you want to be specific, say 오늘 밤 빈 방 있어요? (o-neul bam bin bang iss-eo-yo?, Do you have a room available tonight?).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Do you have any rooms available?' politely in Korean?
Show a sample answer
빈 방 있어요? (bin bang iss-eo-yo?)
This uses the noun 빈 방 (empty room) plus the polite question 있어요?. 방 있어요? (bang iss-eo-yo?) is also acceptable in context.
2A staff member says '아니요, 없어요.' What does that mean?
Show a sample answer
No, we don't have any. / No, there isn't.
아니요 (a-ni-yo) is 'no', and 없어요 (eops-eo-yo) means 'there is not / we don't have'. Together they clearly deny availability.
3How would you ask specifically about tonight without booking?
Show a sample answer
오늘 밤 빈 방 있어요? (o-neul bam bin bang iss-eo-yo?)
Adding 오늘 밤 (tonight) makes the inquiry specific. You could also ask 오늘 밤 방 있어요? (o-neul bam bang iss-eo-yo?); both ask about availability, not a reservation.
To check room availability in Korean, ask 빈 방 있어요? (bin bang iss-eo-yo?). Listen for 있어요 (we have) or 없어요 (we don't have), and remember this is an inquiry, not a booking.
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