Declining a Secondhand Purchase Politely in Korean After Inspection
Learn polite Korean phrases to decline buying a secondhand item after seeing more wear than expected, using 생각해볼게요, 괜찮아요, 죄송 and two reusable patterns.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In Korean secondhand transactions, meeting in person to inspect an item is normal, and sellers often expect you to decide on the spot. If the item shows more wear than the photos suggested, you can decline without damaging the mood. The key is to apologize lightly, give a brief reason, and avoid sounding like you are judging the seller. This lesson teaches elementary-level polite informal Korean for that exact moment: how to say you need to think, how to say it is fine, how to apologize, and how to combine them into two natural patterns. You will practice a short conversation between a buyer and a seller at a subway station pickup.
By the end, you can…
- politely decline to buy a secondhand item after inspecting it in Korean.
- use 생각해볼게요, 괜찮아요, and 죄송 in a natural refusal.
- explain that the condition is worse than expected using 생각보다 상태가 안 좋아서요.
- ask a seller simple questions about the item before deciding.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
생각해볼게요
I'll think about it
saeng-gak-hae-bol-ge-yo
A soft, non-committal way to pause or step back. It is polite and does not promise a purchase.
괜찮아요
It's okay / I'm fine
gwaen-chan-a-yo
Use this to decline gently. In this situation it means 'I'm okay without it,' not 'the item is okay.'
죄송
Sorry
joe-song
A short apology. With -yo it becomes 죄송해요, which is softer and more common in conversation. Note that 죄송 is not used alone as a complete utterance; use 죄송해요 or 죄송합니다.
생각보다 상태가 안 좋아서요
The condition is worse than I expected, so...
saeng-gak-bo-da sang-tae-ga an jo-a-seo-yo
A polite reason for declining. The ending -아서요 leaves the refusal implied and softens it.
죄송하지만 안 살게요
I'm sorry, but I won't buy it
joe-song-ha-ji-man an sal-ge-yo
A clear but polite refusal. Use it after inspecting the item, with a calm tone. 안 살게요 is a polite informal commitment form; to a stranger or older seller, 안 살게요 is acceptable but 살게요 can sound slightly forward, so many learners prefer 안 살 거예요 or 안 사겠습니다 in more formal settings.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 생각보다 상태가 안 좋아서요 means 'the condition is worse than I expected, so...' It combines 생각보다 (more than I thought), 상태 (condition), 안 좋다 (not good), and the ending -아서요, which gives a reason without finishing the sentence. In Korean, leaving the conclusion unsaid is often more polite than saying 'I won't buy it' directly. For example: 사진보다 상태가 안 좋아서요 (the condition is worse than in the photo, so...). You can also say 긁힌 자국이 많아서요 (there are many scratches, so...) to point to a specific problem. Note that -아서요 attaches to the stem of the final verb or adjective: 좋다 becomes 좋아서요, 많다 becomes 많아서요.
When to use it
Use these phrases after you have looked at the item and the seller is waiting for your answer. Start with a small apology, then give one short reason, then stop. For example: 죄송해요, 생각보다 상태가 안 좋아서요. If the seller asks again, you can add 죄송하지만 안 살게요. Avoid long explanations or comments like 'this is too damaged'; they can sound harsh. A calm voice and a slight bow or nod help the refusal feel respectful. In Korean, the polite informal style (해요체) is appropriate here because the seller is a stranger but the situation is casual; if the seller is clearly much older or in a formal setting, you may switch to 죄송합니다 and 안 사겠습니다.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 이거 보러 왔어요.
Hello. I came to see this item.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. i-geo bo-reo wa-sseo-yo.네, 여기 있어요. 한번 보세요.
Yes, here it is. Take a look.ne, yeo-gi i-sseo-yo. han-beon bo-se-yo.감사합니다. 그런데 생각보다 상태가 안 좋아서요. 죄송해요.
Thank you. But the condition is worse than I expected, so... I'm sorry.gam-sa-ham-ni-da. geu-reon-de saeng-gak-bo-da sang-tae-ga an jo-a-seo-yo. joe-song-hae-yo.아, 네. 괜찮아요.
Ah, okay. It's fine.a, ne. gwaen-chan-a-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean secondhand meetups, sellers often block time and travel to the meeting place, so a short apology is appreciated even when you decline. Saying 죄송해요 once is usually enough; repeating it many times can feel awkward. If you are still interested but unsure, 생각해볼게요 keeps the door open without promising anything. However, some sellers may interpret 생각해볼게요 as a soft no, so use it only if you genuinely want to consider the purchase.
One thing to watch for
Using 괜찮아요 to mean 'the item is okay' when you actually want to decline.
Try this instead: In this context, 괜찮아요 means 'I'm fine without it.' If you want to comment on the item, say 상태가 괜찮네요 (the condition is decent). To decline, use 괜찮아요 alone or with a reason: 죄송해요, 괜찮아요. Note that 괜찮아요 can also mean 'it's okay' as a response to an apology, so context and tone matter.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely say the condition is worse than expected before declining?
Show a sample answer
생각보다 상태가 안 좋아서요.
This uses the reason ending -아서요, which softens the refusal. You could also say 사진보다 상태가 안 좋아서요 if the photos were misleading.
2What should you say if the seller asks you to decide right away and you want to decline clearly but politely?
Show a sample answer
죄송하지만 안 살게요.
This is a direct but polite refusal. Adding 죄송해요 first makes it softer. Other valid options include 괜찮아요 or 생각해볼게요 if you want to avoid a firm no. However, 괜찮아요 and 생각해볼게요 are softer and may not be understood as a definite refusal.
3Which phrase can you use to pause without promising to buy?
Show a sample answer
생각해볼게요.
It means 'I'll think about it' and is a gentle way to step back. It does not commit you to buying, but it also does not close the conversation completely.
Apologize briefly, give one short reason, and stop. 죄송해요 plus 생각보다 상태가 안 좋아서요 is usually enough to decline politely in a Korean secondhand pickup.
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