Korean for Intermediate Learners: Haggling for a Better Price
Learn to ask for a discount in Korean, make a polite counter-offer, and respond when the seller says no, using natural bargaining patterns for markets and small shops.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Bargaining in Korean is less about one magic phrase and more about a short, polite exchange. The key expression is 깎아 주세요 (kkakka juseyo), which asks the seller to take something off the price. Around it you will use price words, the polite request ending -아/어 주세요, and softeners such as 혹시 (hoksi, "by any chance") and 좀 (jom, "a little"). This lesson keeps you in realistic situations: a market stall, a small clothing shop, or a tourist area where prices are sometimes flexible. You will learn how to ask, how to suggest a specific number, and how to accept or walk away without sounding rude.
By the end, you can…
- ask a seller for a discount using 깎아 주세요 and related patterns.
- suggest a specific lower price and respond politely when the seller refuses.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
깎아 주세요.
Please give me a discount.
kkakka juseyo
The core bargaining request. Use it after you know the price; it is polite but direct enough for markets and small shops. The literal sense is "cut (the price) for me."
좀 깎아 주실 수 있어요?
Could you take a little off the price?
jom kkakka jusil su isseoyo?
Softer and more polite. The -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요? ending asks about possibility rather than demanding, and 주실 is the honorific form of 주다.
얼마예요?
How much is it?
eolmayeyo?
Ask this first. Bargaining only makes sense once you know the asking price.
만 원에 해 주세요.
Please do it for 10,000 won.
man won-e hae juseyo
A counter-offer. Replace 만 원 with your target price; 에 marks the price you propose. 해 주세요 is a contraction of 하여 주세요.
너무 비싸요.
It's too expensive.
neomu bissayo
Useful as a reason before your counter-offer, but say it with a light tone, not as an accusation.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The request pattern is verb stem + 아/어 주세요. With 깎다 (kkakda, "to cut or reduce"), the polite request is 깎아 주세요. To make it softer, add 좀 (jom) before the verb: 좀 깎아 주세요. To ask about possibility, use -(으)ㄹ 수 있어요?: 깎아 주실 수 있어요? (Here 주실 is the honorific form of 주다.) A counter-offer uses the price + 에 + 해 주세요: 만 원에 해 주세요, or 오천 원에 해 주세요 (ocheon won-e hae juseyo, "please do it for 5,000 won").
When to use it
Use these patterns in markets, small independent shops, and sometimes at tourist stalls. Large stores, convenience stores, and chain cafes usually have fixed prices, so bargaining there can sound odd. In a market, a natural sequence is: 얼마예요? then 너무 비싸요. 좀 깎아 주세요. If the seller says 안 돼요 (an dwaeyo, "that won't work"), you can offer a specific number: 그럼 만 원에 해 주세요. If the answer is still no, a polite 그럼 괜찮아요 (geureom gwaenchanayo, "then it's okay") lets you step away without conflict.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
이거 얼마예요?
How much is this?igeo eolmayeyo?이만 원이에요.
It's 20,000 won.iman won-ieyo.너무 비싸요. 좀 깎아 주세요.
It's too expensive. Please give me a discount.neomu bissayo. jom kkakka juseyo.그럼 만 오천 원에 해 드릴게요.
Then I'll give it to you for 15,000 won.geureom man ocheon won-e hae deurilgeyo.A little context goes a long way
Politeness matters more than pressure. A smile, a light tone, and 좀 (jom) make the request feel friendly rather than confrontational. In many Korean markets, a modest reduction is normal, but pushing hard or naming an extreme price can come across as rude. If the seller refuses, accept it gracefully; walking away politely is better than arguing.
One thing to watch for
Using 깎아 주세요 with a fixed-price chain store or saying it aggressively after the seller already refused.
Try this instead: Reserve bargaining for markets and small shops, and soften it with 좀: 좀 깎아 주세요. If the seller says 안 돼요, respond with 그럼 괜찮아요 or accept the price instead of repeating the demand.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask, "Could you take a little off the price?"
Show a sample answer
좀 깎아 주실 수 있어요?
This uses 좀 for softness and -실 수 있어요? to ask about possibility. 좀 깎아 주세요 is also correct but slightly more direct.
2You want to offer 8,000 won. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
팔천 원에 해 주세요.
The pattern is price + 에 + 해 주세요. 팔천 원에 해 주세요 means "Please do it for 8,000 won." You could also say 팔천 원에 주세요 in some shops.
3The seller says 안 돼요. What is a polite way to respond?
Show a sample answer
그럼 괜찮아요.
This means "Then it's okay" and lets you end the exchange politely. You could also say 네, 알겠습니다 (ne, algesseumnida, "Okay, I understand") if you still want to buy.
Ask the price first, then use 좀 깎아 주세요 to request a discount, and offer a specific number with price + 에 해 주세요. Stay light and polite, and accept a refusal gracefully.
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