Korean for Beginners: Requesting a Taxi by Phone or at a Taxi Stand
Learn to say "I need a taxi to..." in Korean, ask for a taxi by phone, and understand arrival-time answers at a taxi stand.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
This lesson teaches you how to request a taxi in Korean, either by phone or at a taxi stand, and how to understand the estimated arrival time you hear in reply. You will learn the key pattern "...까지 택시가 필요해요" (I need a taxi to ...), how to ask for a taxi politely, and how to ask "How long will it take?" This is not a lesson on giving directions to a driver after you get in; it focuses on getting the taxi to come to you and understanding when it will arrive.
By the end, you can…
- say "I need a taxi to ..." using a place name in Korean.
- ask for a taxi by phone or at a taxi stand.
- ask how long the taxi will take to arrive.
- understand simple arrival-time answers such as "5분이요" or "10분 걸려요".
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
택시가 필요해요.
I need a taxi.
taek-si-ga pi-ryo-hae-yo
A direct, polite way to say you need a taxi. Use it when calling a taxi company or speaking to staff at a taxi stand.
...까지 택시가 필요해요.
I need a taxi to ...
...kka-ji taek-si-ga pi-ryo-hae-yo
Put the destination before 까지. Example: 강남역까지 택시가 필요해요 (I need a taxi to Gangnam Station).
택시 좀 불러 주세요.
Please call a taxi for me.
taek-si jom bul-leo ju-se-yo
Use this when asking a hotel clerk, a shop worker, or a passerby to call a taxi for you. 좀 softens the request.
얼마나 걸려요?
How long does it take?
eol-ma-na geol-lyeo-yo
Ask this after requesting a taxi to find out the estimated arrival time. It can also mean how long the ride itself takes, so context matters.
몇 분이요?
How many minutes?
myeot bu-ni-yo
A short follow-up when you want a specific number of minutes. The answer is often a number plus 분 (minutes).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [place] + 까지 + 택시가 필요해요. 까지 means "up to" or "as far as," so 강남역까지 means "as far as Gangnam Station." For example: 서울역까지 택시가 필요해요 (I need a taxi to Seoul Station). 공항까지 택시가 필요해요 (I need a taxi to the airport). You can also shorten it to [place]까지 가 주세요 only after you are already in the taxi; for requesting a taxi, keep 택시가 필요해요 or 택시 좀 불러 주세요.
When to use it
Use 택시가 필요해요 when you are speaking to a taxi company by phone or to a person who can arrange a taxi. Use 택시 좀 불러 주세요 when you want someone to make the call for you, such as at a hotel front desk. At a taxi stand, you can simply say the destination plus 까지 택시가 필요해요, or ask 직원에게 택시 좀 불러 주세요. After the request, ask 얼마나 걸려요? to learn the wait time. A typical answer is 오 분이요 (five minutes) or 십 분 걸려요 (it takes ten minutes).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 강남역까지 택시가 필요해요.
Hello. I need a taxi to Gangnam Station.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. gang-nam-yeok-kka-ji taek-si-ga pi-ryo-hae-yo.네, 알겠습니다. 몇 분 정도 기다리실 수 있어요?
Okay, understood. About how many minutes can you wait?ne, al-get-seum-ni-da. myeot bun jeong-do gi-da-ri-sil su i-sseo-yo?괜찮아요. 얼마나 걸려요?
That's fine. How long does it take?gwaen-chan-a-yo. eol-ma-na geol-lyeo-yo?오 분이요. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
Five minutes. Please wait a moment.o bu-ni-yo. jam-si-man gi-da-ryeo ju-se-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korea, taxi companies often answer the phone with the company name, and you may hear a recorded greeting first. Speak clearly and give the destination early. At a taxi stand, it is common to wait in line and let the staff or the driver know your destination. Using -요 at the end keeps your request polite without being overly formal; -습니다 is fine on the phone but can sound stiff in casual conversation.
One thing to watch for
Using ...까지 가 주세요 when you are calling to request a taxi before the taxi has arrived.
Try this instead: Use ...까지 택시가 필요해요 or 택시 좀 불러 주세요 when requesting a taxi. Save ...까지 가 주세요 for after you are inside the taxi and giving directions to the driver. Example: 강남역까지 택시가 필요해요 (I need a taxi to Gangnam Station) versus 강남역까지 가 주세요 (Please go to Gangnam Station).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "I need a taxi to the airport" in Korean?
Show a sample answer
공항까지 택시가 필요해요.
공항 means airport, 까지 marks the destination, and 택시가 필요해요 means "I need a taxi." You could also say 공항까지 택시 좀 불러 주세요 if you are asking someone to call it for you.
2You call a taxi company and want to know the wait time. What question do you ask?
Show a sample answer
얼마나 걸려요?
얼마나 걸려요? means "How long does it take?" It is the natural question for estimated arrival. 몇 분이요? (How many minutes?) is also valid if you want a specific number.
3The dispatcher says "십 분 걸려요." What does that mean?
Show a sample answer
It takes ten minutes.
십 is ten, 분 is minutes, and 걸려요 means "it takes." The answer tells you the estimated arrival time. If you hear 오 분이요, that means five minutes.
To request a taxi in Korean, say [place]까지 택시가 필요해요 or 택시 좀 불러 주세요, then ask 얼마나 걸려요? to understand the estimated arrival time.
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