How to Make a Polite Phone Call in Korean: Introducing Yourself and Stating Your Purpose
Learn to open a Korean phone call politely: greet, identify yourself, and state why you are calling using -인데요 and -(으)려고 하는데요.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In Korean, the first ten seconds of a phone call carry a lot of social weight. Because the listener cannot see your face, your greeting, self-introduction, and stated purpose do most of the politeness work. This lesson focuses only on initiating a call: how to greet, say who you are, and explain why you are calling before the other person takes over the conversation. You will learn the polite -yo style used with strangers and acquaintances, plus the very common pattern -인데요, which softens a statement and invites the listener to respond. All examples use Hangul with Revised Romanization so you can read and say them accurately.
By the end, you can…
- greet someone politely at the start of a phone call in Korean.
- introduce myself by name and affiliation using polite -yo speech.
- state the purpose of my call using -인데요 and -(으)려고 하는데요.
- ask politely whether a person is available to talk.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
여보세요.
Hello. (on the phone)
yeo-bo-se-yo
The standard phone greeting in Korean. Use it when you make a call and when you pick up. It is not used as a face-to-face hello.
안녕하세요. 저는 마이클이에요.
Hello. I'm Michael.
an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. jeo-neun ma-i-keu-ri-e-yo
A polite self-introduction. 저는 means 'as for me'; 이에요 attaches to a name ending in a vowel, 예요 to a name ending in a consonant.
저는 서울대학교 학생인데요.
I'm a Seoul National University student, and...
jeo-neun seo-ul-dae-hak-gyo hak-saeng-in-de-yo
-인데요 presents background information and softly invites the listener to respond. It is extremely common at the start of calls.
수업에 대해 문의하려고 하는데요.
I'm calling to ask about the class.
su-eo-be dae-hae mun-ui-ha-ryeo-go ha-neun-de-yo
-(으)려고 하는데요 states your purpose politely. Use it before making a request or asking a question.
지금 통화 괜찮으세요?
Is it okay to talk now?
ji-geum tong-hwa gwaen-chan-eu-se-yo?
A considerate check before you continue. 괜찮으세요 is a polite question form using the honorific -시-.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern -인데요 (in-de-yo) attaches to a noun or verb stem and means roughly 'it is the case that..., and...'. It does not end your thought; it hands a small opening to the listener. 저는 학생인데요 (jeo-neun hak-saeng-in-de-yo) means 'I'm a student, and...'. After that, you can add your purpose: 수업에 대해 문의하려고 하는데요 (su-eo-be dae-hae mun-ui-ha-ryeo-go ha-neun-de-yo). The second useful pattern is -(으)려고 하는데요, which expresses intention: 문의하려고 하는데요 means 'I'm intending to ask, and...'. Together they make a call opening that sounds polite and not abrupt.
When to use it
Use these patterns with strangers, offices, shops, and people you do not know well. With a close friend, a shorter opening like 나야, 뭐 해? (na-ya, mwo hae?) is fine, but it would be rude to a professor or a company. If you are calling a business, add your affiliation before your purpose: 저는 한국어 학원 학생인데요, 수업 시간을 문의하려고 하는데요 (jeo-neun han-guk-eo hak-won hak-saeng-in-de-yo, su-eop si-ga-neul mun-ui-ha-ryeo-go ha-neun-de-yo). If the person seems busy, ask 지금 통화 괜찮으세요? before continuing.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
여보세요. 안녕하세요. 저는 마이클이에요.
Hello. Hi. I'm Michael.yeo-bo-se-yo. an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. jeo-neun ma-i-keu-ri-e-yo.네, 안녕하세요.
Yes, hello.ne, an-nyeong-ha-se-yo.저는 한국어 학원 학생인데요. 수업 시간을 문의하려고 하는데요.
I'm a student at the Korean language institute, and I'm calling to ask about class times.jeo-neun han-guk-eo hak-won hak-saeng-in-de-yo. su-eop si-ga-neul mun-ui-ha-ryeo-go ha-neun-de-yo.네, 지금 통화 괜찮으세요?
Yes, is it okay to talk now?ne, ji-geum tong-hwa gwaen-chan-eu-se-yo?A little context goes a long way
Korean phone openings often include a brief affiliation or relationship marker before the purpose, because the listener needs context to respond appropriately. Using -yo polite speech with strangers is the safe default; dropping it can sound curt. If you call a business, expect the staff to answer with the company name rather than 여보세요, and respond with a polite greeting before stating your purpose.
One thing to watch for
Saying 안녕하세요, 저는 마이클입니다, 수업을 문의합니다 as three separate blunt sentences.
Try this instead: Link the introduction and purpose with -인데요 so the call sounds natural: 저는 마이클인데요, 수업을 문의하려고 하는데요. The -인데요 softens the transition and gives the listener a chance to respond instead of sounding like a written announcement.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely say 'I'm a student, and...' as the start of a phone call?
Show a sample answer
저는 학생인데요. (jeo-neun hak-saeng-in-de-yo)
-인데요 attaches to the noun 학생 and presents background information while inviting a response. 저는 학생이에요 is also correct but sounds more like a flat statement and does not create the same opening for the listener.
2Which phrase states your purpose politely before asking a question?
Show a sample answer
-(으)려고 하는데요, as in 문의하려고 하는데요 (mun-ui-ha-ryeo-go ha-neun-de-yo).
-(으)려고 하는데요 expresses intention and softens the request. A plain 문의합니다 is grammatically fine but sounds formal and abrupt on a personal call.
3How can you check whether the other person can talk now?
Show a sample answer
지금 통화 괜찮으세요? (ji-geum tong-hwa gwaen-chan-eu-se-yo?)
This uses the honorific 괜찮으세요 to ask politely. 지금 통화할 수 있어요? is also understandable, but 괜찮으세요 is more considerate and common in polite phone calls.
Open a Korean call with 여보세요, introduce yourself with 저는 ...이에요/예요, then link your purpose with -인데요 or -(으)려고 하는데요 to sound polite and natural.
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