Excuse Me in Korean: Get Attention or Pass By + Audio
Hear 저기요, 실례합니다 and 잠시만요 in Korean. Learn phrases for getting attention, calling staff and passing someone, with pronunciation and a practice dialogue.
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Listen to a phrase, then try saying it aloud. The full conversation is below.
저기요
Excuse me (to get attention)
jeo-gi-yo실례합니다
Excuse me (polite, slightly formal)
sil-lye-ham-ni-da여기요
Excuse me, over here (calling staff)
yeo-gi-yo
In Korean, "excuse me" is not one word. The right choice depends on what you are doing: getting a stranger's attention, squeezing past someone on the subway, calling a server across a restaurant, or interrupting a conversation. This lesson gives you the core attention-getting phrases first, then shows how they differ from apologies such as 죄송합니다. You will practise short, reusable patterns you can say today.
By the end, you can…
- get a stranger's attention politely with 저기요 and 실례합니다.
- choose the right phrase to pass by, call staff, or interrupt without sounding rude.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
저기요
Excuse me (to get attention)
jeo-gi-yo
The everyday attention-getter. Use it to stop a stranger, ask a quick question, or signal that you need help. It is polite enough for most public situations. Note that 저기요 is also used to call staff over in many places, though 여기요 is more common for that.
실례합니다
Excuse me (polite, slightly formal)
sil-lye-ham-ni-da
More formal and softer than 저기요. Good when entering a room, interrupting a conversation, or approaching someone in a quiet or official setting. It can also be used as a light apology when you brush past or inconvenience someone.
여기요
Excuse me, over here (calling staff)
yeo-gi-yo
Literally "here." In a restaurant or cafe, this is the standard way to call a server to your table. It is not rude when said with a normal, friendly tone.
잠시만요
Excuse me, just a moment
jam-si-man-yo
Use when you need to slip past someone, step through a crowd, or ask someone to wait briefly. It signals "I need a moment of your space or time." It is a shortened form of 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
비켜 주세요
Please let me through / please move aside
bi-kyeo ju-se-yo
A direct request to make way. It is acceptable when someone is blocking a path, but it can sound blunt, so soften it with 잠시만요 or a gentle tone when possible. The polite form is 비켜 주세요; the plain form 비켜 is much more direct and can sound rude.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is a short attention word plus 요, which adds politeness: 저기요, 여기요, 잠시만요. For a full polite request, use a verb stem plus 주세요: 비켜 주세요 (please make way), 잠시만 기다려 주세요 (please wait a moment). If you want to ask a question after getting attention, add a full sentence: 저기요, 이 자리 비어 있어요? (Excuse me, is this seat free?). Note that 잠시만요 is a set phrase meaning "just a moment"; it is not simply 잠시 plus 요 in the same way as the others.
When to use it
Use 저기요 for strangers and quick questions, 여기요 when calling staff to your table, and 실례합니다 when you are interrupting something or entering a space. On the subway or in a crowd, 잠시만요 is the safest short phrase for passing by. 비켜 주세요 is for when someone is genuinely blocking you. These phrases get attention; they are not apologies. If you bump someone, switch to 죄송합니다 or 미안해요. In many restaurants, both 저기요 and 여기요 are used to call staff, but 여기요 is more common and specific to that situation.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저기요, 이 자리 비어 있어요?
Excuse me, is this seat free?jeo-gi-yo, i ja-ri bi-eo i-sseo-yo?네, 비어 있어요. 앉으세요.
Yes, it's free. Please sit down.ne, bi-eo i-sseo-yo. an-jeu-se-yo.감사합니다. 잠시만요, 지나갈게요.
Thank you. Excuse me, I'll pass through.gam-sa-ham-ni-da. jam-si-man-yo, ji-na-gal-ge-yo.네, 천천히 가세요.
Sure, take your time.ne, cheon-cheon-hi ga-se-yo.A little context goes a long way
Korean politeness often depends on tone and situation more than on a single word. 저기요 and 여기요 are common and acceptable in everyday public life, but shouting them across a quiet room can feel abrupt. In a restaurant, 여기요 is normal; in a formal office or a quiet waiting room, 실례합니다 is safer. Age and hierarchy can also affect how directly you speak, so a soft tone and a slight bow help. Note that 실례합니다 can also serve as a light apology when you inconvenience someone, not only as an attention-getter.
One thing to watch for
Using 죄송합니다 every time you want to get someone's attention.
Try this instead: 죄송합니다 means "I'm sorry" and expresses remorse. For attention, use 저기요 or 실례합니다. Say 죄송합니다 when you actually bump someone or make a mistake: 죄송합니다, 부딪혔어요 (Sorry, I bumped into you).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are on a crowded subway and need to step past someone. Which short phrase is most natural?
Show a sample answer
잠시만요.
잠시만요 signals "just a moment" and is widely used when passing through a crowd. 저기요 can also get attention, but 잠시만요 fits the passing situation better.
2You are seated at a restaurant and want to call a server. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
여기요.
여기요 literally means "here" and is the standard way to call staff to your table. 저기요 can also work, but 여기요 is more specific to calling someone over.
3You need to interrupt a quiet conversation to ask a question. Which phrase is the most polite choice?
Show a sample answer
실례합니다.
실례합니다 is the polite, slightly formal attention-getter for interrupting. 저기요 is also acceptable in many situations, but 실례합니다 sounds softer in quiet or formal settings.
For attention, start with 저기요; for staff, use 여기요; for passing by, say 잠시만요; for polite interruption, choose 실례합니다. Save 죄송합니다 for real apologies.
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