Korean for Secondhand Pickups: Asking About Folded Dimensions
Learn polite Korean questions to ask a seller how small a folding bicycle or stroller gets when folded, so you can check whether it fits in your car.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
When you buy a folding bicycle or a stroller on a Korean secondhand app and arrange to meet the seller, the most practical question is often not the price but the folded size. You need to know whether the item will fit in your trunk. In this lesson you will learn three reusable patterns: asking how the size changes when folded, asking for a number in centimeters, and asking whether it will fit in a car. The register is polite informal, the everyday style used between ordinary buyers and sellers who have just met. You will practise the verbs 접다 (to fold) and 펴다 (to unfold), and the nouns 사이즈 and 크기. All examples are designed for a real pickup conversation, not for a shop or a brand counter.
By the end, you can…
- ask how an item's size changes when it is folded.
- ask for folded dimensions in centimeters.
- say whether the folded item will fit in my car.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
접으면 크기가 어떻게 돼요?
How big is it when it's folded?
jeo-beu-myeon keu-gi-ga eo-tteo-ke dwae-yo?
The main question for folded size. 접으면 means 'if you fold it', 크기 means 'size', and 어떻게 돼요? asks 'how does it become?' Use it with a seller before you agree to meet.
몇 센티예요?
How many centimeters is it?
myeot sen-ti-ye-yo?
A short follow-up when you want a number. 센티 is the everyday spoken short form of 센티미터. You can add a body part, for example 접었을 때 길이가 몇 센티예요? 'How many centimeters long is it when folded?'
접었을 때 사이즈가 궁금해요.
I'd like to know the size when it's folded.
jeo-beo-sseul ttae sa-i-jeu-ga gung-geum-hae-yo.
A softer way to introduce the topic. 접었을 때 means 'when folded', and 궁금해요 means 'I'm curious / I'd like to know'. It works well as your first message to a seller.
차 트렁크에 들어갈까요?
Will it fit in the car trunk?
cha teu-reong-keu-e deu-reo-gal-kka-yo?
Use this after you hear the folded size. 들어가다 here means 'to fit inside'. You can replace 트렁크 with 뒷자리 (back seat) if you plan to put it there.
한번 접어서 사진 보내 주실 수 있어요?
Could you fold it once and send me a photo?
han-beon jeo-beo-seo sa-jin bo-nae ju-sil su i-sseo-yo?
A polite request for visual proof. 한번 means 'once', 접어서 means 'fold it and', and 보내 주실 수 있어요? is a polite 'could you send?'. This is useful when the seller's listing only shows the item unfolded.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 접으면 크기가 어떻게 돼요? is built from a verb stem plus -(으)면, which means 'if' or 'when'. 접다 'to fold' becomes 접으면 'if you fold it'. The question asks about the resulting state, not the action itself. You can swap the verb to ask about other states: 펴면 크기가 어떻게 돼요? 'How big is it when you unfold it?' or 포장하면 크기가 어떻게 돼요? 'How big is it when you pack it?' The noun 크기 can be replaced with 사이즈 with almost no change in meaning: 접으면 사이즈가 어떻게 돼요? Both are common in secondhand chats.
When to use it
Use these questions after you have confirmed the item is still available and before you travel to the pickup. Korean sellers often list a folded size in the description, so check first; if it is missing, ask 접었을 때 사이즈가 궁금해요. Then follow with 몇 센티예요? to get a number. If the answer is a range, such as 80에서 90센티 정도예요 'about 80 to 90 centimeters', you can respond with a short 확인: 알겠습니다, 감사합니다. Keep the tone polite but not formal; 입니다 and -요 endings are enough for a first meeting. Avoid demanding language such as 정확히 말해 주세요, which can sound sharp to a stranger.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요, 자전거 아직 있나요?
Hello, is the bicycle still available?an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, ja-jeon-geo a-jik in-na-yo?네, 있어요. 접이식 자전거예요.
Yes, it is. It's a folding bicycle.ne, i-sseo-yo. jeo-bi-sik ja-jeon-geo-ye-yo.접으면 크기가 어떻게 돼요? 차에 넣고 싶어서요.
How big is it when it's folded? I'd like to put it in my car.jeo-beu-myeon keu-gi-ga eo-tteo-ke dwae-yo? cha-e neo-go si-peo-seo-yo.접으면 한 80센티 정도 돼요. 트렁크에 들어갈 거예요.
When folded, it's about 80 centimeters. It should fit in a trunk.jeo-beu-myeon han pal-sip sen-ti jeong-do dwae-yo. teu-reong-keu-e deu-reo-gal geo-ye-yo.A little context goes a long way
Korean secondhand deals often happen through short chat messages, and sellers expect a few practical questions before agreeing to meet. Using -요 endings keeps you polite without sounding stiff. It is normal to ask for an extra photo, but phrase it as a request, not a demand. If the seller gives an approximate size, treat it as approximate; do not press for a written guarantee, because individual items vary.
One thing to watch for
Translating 'How big is it when folded?' as 접으면 얼마나 커요?
Try this instead: 얼마나 커요? asks 'how big is it?', which sounds like a general size question and does not focus on the folded state. For folded dimensions, say 접으면 크기가 어떻게 돼요? or 접었을 때 사이즈가 어떻게 돼요? If you want a number, ask 접었을 때 몇 센티예요?
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You want to know the size of a stroller after folding. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
접으면 크기가 어떻게 돼요?
This directly asks how the size changes when folded. You could also say 접었을 때 사이즈가 어떻게 돼요? Both are natural and polite.
2The seller says the folded item is about 80 centimeters. How do you ask whether it will fit in your car trunk?
Show a sample answer
차 트렁크에 들어갈까요?
들어갈까요? asks whether something will fit or go in. You can also say 트렁크에 들어가요? A slightly softer version is 트렁크에 들어갈 수 있을까요?
3You want a photo of the item folded. What polite request can you send?
Show a sample answer
한번 접어서 사진 보내 주실 수 있어요?
This asks the seller to fold it once and send a photo. 보내 주실 수 있어요? is a polite request form. A shorter alternative is 접은 사진 보내 주세요.
For a secondhand pickup, ask 접으면 크기가 어떻게 돼요? and then 몇 센티예요? to get the folded size. Finish with 차 트렁크에 들어갈까요? so you know it will fit before you travel.
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