How to Ask for and Buy a One-Way Local Transport Ticket in Korean
Learn beginner Korean phrases to ask for and buy a one-way local transport ticket, including destination, quantity, payment, and platform questions.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
Buying a one-way ticket is one of the first practical transactions you will do in Korean. This lesson focuses only on a single one-way ticket for local transport, such as a city bus or subway. You will learn how to name your destination, ask for one ticket, say please, and understand the fare and platform. In Korean, the core pattern is '... 가는 표 한 장 주세요' (a ticket to ..., please). You do not need to change the verb for 'one ticket' or 'two tickets'; the counter does that work. Keep the destination before '가는' and the request at the end. This lesson does not cover return tickets, round trips, or reservations.
By the end, you can…
- ask for one one-way ticket to a destination in Korean.
- say how many tickets I need using Korean counters.
- ask and understand the fare and the platform or stop.
- use polite request forms for buying a ticket.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
시내 중심가 가는 표 한 장 주세요.
One ticket to the city center, please.
si-nae jung-sim-ga ga-neun pyo han jang ju-se-yo.
The most direct phrase for this lesson. Put the destination before 가는, then 표 한 장 주세요.
편도 표 한 장 주세요.
One one-way ticket, please.
pyeon-do pyo han jang ju-se-yo.
Use 편도 for a one-way ticket when the destination is already clear or you are at a ticket window.
표는 얼마예요?
How much is the ticket?
pyo-neun eol-ma-ye-yo?
A polite question. You can also point at the fare chart and say this.
두 장 주세요.
Two tickets, please.
du jang ju-se-yo.
Change the number before the counter 장. 한 장 is one, 두 장 is two, 세 장 is three.
몇 번 승강장이에요?
Which platform is it?
myeot beon seung-gang-jang-i-e-yo?
For a bus stop, you can say 몇 번 정류장이에요? (myeot beon jeong-nyu-jang-i-e-yo?).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern is [destination] + 가는 표 + [number] + 장 + 주세요. 가는 means 'going to' and attaches directly after the destination: 시내 중심가 가는 표 (a ticket going to the city center). The counter 장 is used for flat tickets, so 한 장 is 'one ticket' and 두 장 is 'two tickets'. 주세요 makes the request polite. A full example is 시내 중심가 가는 표 한 장 주세요. If you only need one one-way ticket, you can shorten it to 편도 표 한 장 주세요.
When to use it
Use these phrases at a ticket window, a ticket machine with staff nearby, or a convenience store that sells bus tickets. At a machine, you may only need to press the destination and pay. With a person, say the destination first, then the request: 시내 중심가 가는 표 한 장 주세요. If you are not sure of the fare, ask 표는 얼마예요? After paying, ask 몇 번 승강장이에요? for the platform, or 몇 번 정류장이에요? for a bus stop. For two people, say 두 장 주세요, not 한 장. These are all one-way requests; return tickets are a separate topic.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 시내 중심가 가는 표 한 장 주세요.
Hello. One ticket to the city center, please.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. si-nae jung-sim-ga ga-neun pyo han jang ju-se-yo.네, 편도 한 장이요. 천 원이에요.
Yes, one one-way ticket. It is 1,000 won.ne, pyeon-do han jang-i-yo. cheon won-i-e-yo.여기요. 몇 번 승강장이에요?
Here you are. Which platform is it?yeo-gi-yo. myeot beon seung-gang-jang-i-e-yo?2번 승강장이에요. 저쪽으로 가세요.
It is platform 2. Please go that way.i-beon seung-gang-jang-i-e-yo. jeo-jjok-eu-ro ga-se-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korea, local transport tickets are often bought at machines or with a transportation card rather than from a person. When speaking to staff, the polite 요 form is standard and friendly. At a ticket window, saying the destination first is natural, and the staff may repeat the fare or ask 편도예요? (Is it one-way?). If you need a receipt, ask 영수증 주세요 (yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo). Keep your card or ticket ready before the gate, because queues move quickly during rush hour.
One thing to watch for
Learners often say 시내 중심가 표 한 장 주세요, leaving out 가는.
Try this instead: Include 가는 to show the destination: 시내 중심가 가는 표 한 장 주세요. Without 가는, the destination sounds disconnected. You can also say 시내 중심가로 가는 표 한 장 주세요, but the shorter form is common and correct.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for one ticket to the city center in Korean?
Show a sample answer
시내 중심가 가는 표 한 장 주세요.
This uses the destination before 가는, then 표 한 장 주세요. You can also say 시내 중심가로 가는 표 한 장 주세요; both are polite and correct.
2You need two one-way tickets. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
편도 표 두 장 주세요.
두 장 means two tickets. If the destination is clear, 편도 표 두 장 주세요 works. If not, add the destination: 시내 중심가 가는 표 두 장 주세요.
3How do you ask which platform it is?
Show a sample answer
몇 번 승강장이에요?
This asks for the platform number. For a bus stop, 몇 번 정류장이에요? is the equivalent. Both are polite and commonly used.
For a one-way local ticket, remember the frame: destination + 가는 표 + number + 장 + 주세요. Add 표는 얼마예요? for the fare and 몇 번 승강장이에요? for the platform. Keep it polite with 주세요, and save return-ticket language for the next lesson.
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