How to Ask for a City Map in Korean at a Tourist Office
Learn to ask 'Do you have a map of the city?' in Korean, request a free paper map politely at a tourist information desk, and understand the Korean words printed on it so you can find your way.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you arrive in a Korean city, a tourist information office (관광 안내소, gwangwang annaeso) is the easiest place to get a free paper map. In this lesson you will learn the exact beginner-level Korean needed to ask for one, to say which city you want, and to check whether the map is free. You will also learn the handful of Korean words that appear on almost every city map, such as road, station, and tourist site, so the map becomes usable right away. All phrases use polite -yo endings, which are safe with strangers of any age.
By the end, you can…
- ask a tourist office staff member whether they have a city map.
- name the city I want a map of and ask whether it is free.
- recognize basic Korean map words such as road, station, and tourist site.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
안녕하세요.
Hello.
an-nyeong-ha-se-yo
Always open with this when you approach the counter. It signals polite intent before any request.
도시 지도 있어요?
Do you have a city map?
do-si ji-do i-sseo-yo?
The core request. 도시 (do-si) means city; 지도 (ji-do) means map. Rising intonation makes it a question.
서울 지도 있어요?
Do you have a map of Seoul?
seo-ul ji-do i-sseo-yo?
Replace 서울 with any city name: 부산 (Busan), 대구 (Daegu), 전주 (Jeonju). The pattern stays the same.
무료예요?
Is it free?
mu-ryo-ye-yo?
Use this to confirm there is no charge before you take the map. 무료 (mu-ryo) means free of charge.
영어 지도 있어요?
Do you have an English map?
yeong-eo ji-do i-sseo-yo?
영어 (yeong-eo) means English. Swap in 중국어 (Jung-guk-eo, Chinese) or 일본어 (Il-bon-eo, Japanese) if needed.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 'noun + 있어요?' (i-sseo-yo?) means 'Do you have ...?' or 'Is there ...?'. Put the thing you want right before 있어요. For example, 지도 있어요? (ji-do i-sseo-yo?) means 'Do you have a map?', and 화장실 있어요? (hwa-jang-sil i-sseo-yo?) means 'Is there a restroom?'. To answer, staff may say 네, 있어요 (ne, i-sseo-yo, 'Yes, we do') or 아니요, 없어요 (a-ni-yo, eop-seo-yo, 'No, we don't'). Notice the negative form changes to 없어요, not 안 있어요.
When to use it
Use these phrases only at an information desk or a place that gives out maps, such as a hotel front desk or a convenience store. At a tourist office, start with 안녕하세요, then say the city name plus 지도 있어요?. If you want a specific language, add it: 영어 지도 있어요? (yeong-eo ji-do i-sseo-yo?). If you need more than one, say 두 장 주세요 (du jang ju-se-yo, 'Two copies, please'); 장 (jang) is the counter for flat paper items like maps and tickets.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 도시 지도 있어요?
Hello. Do you have a city map?an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. do-si ji-do i-sseo-yo?네, 있어요. 어느 도시 지도 필요하세요?
Yes, we do. Which city's map do you need?ne, i-sseo-yo. eo-neu do-si ji-do pil-yo-ha-se-yo?서울 지도 주세요. 무료예요?
A Seoul map, please. Is it free?seo-ul ji-do ju-se-yo. mu-ryo-ye-yo?네, 무료예요. 여기 있어요.
Yes, it's free. Here you are.ne, mu-ryo-ye-yo. yeo-gi i-sseo-yo.A little context goes a long way
Tourist information offices in Korea are usually staffed and free, and staff are used to foreign visitors, so a simple polite request is enough. Use the polite -yo style shown here rather than casual speech, even if the staff member looks young. If you speak only English, it is fine to ask 영어 지도 있어요? first; many offices keep English, Chinese, and Japanese editions. Saying 감사합니다 (gam-sa-ham-ni-da, 'Thank you') as you take the map is expected and appreciated.
One thing to watch for
Saying '지도가 있어요?' with the subject particle 가 and expecting it to mean 'Do you have a map?' in a natural request.
Try this instead: In everyday polite requests, drop the particle and say 지도 있어요? (ji-do i-sseo-yo?). Adding 가 (ji-do-ga i-sseo-yo?) is grammatical but sounds like you are asking about a specific map already being discussed. For a general request at a counter, 지도 있어요? is the natural choice.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Do you have a map of Busan?' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
부산 지도 있어요? (Busan ji-do i-sseo-yo?)
Put the city name before 지도 and end with 있어요?. Any city name works in the same slot, so this answer is correct and easily adapted.
2A staff member says '아니요, 없어요.' What does that mean?
Show a sample answer
No, we don't have it.
없어요 (eop-seo-yo) is the negative of 있어요 and means 'there isn't' or 'we don't have'. It is the standard polite negative answer.
3You want two paper maps. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
지도 두 장 주세요. (ji-do du jang ju-se-yo.)
장 (jang) is the counter for flat items such as maps. 두 (du) means two. 주세요 means 'please give me', so the whole line is a polite request.
At a Korean tourist office, say 안녕하세요, then name the city and ask 지도 있어요?. Confirm with 무료예요?, and take it with 주세요.
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