Dictionary — Entry No. 0686
얼마
eolma · adverb
얼마
eolma
[UL-ma]
adverbbeginner
Meaning
얼마 (eolma) means ‘how much’ in Korean, primarily used to ask about price, quantity, or degree. It is an essential phrase for shopping and everyday survival Korean, appearing in K-Drama market scenes, café orders, and any negotiation involving cost or amount.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
얼마예요? (‘How much is it?’) is one of the most quoted lines from K-Drama street food and market scenes, including memorable moments in Crash Landing on You where characters navigate unfamiliar shopping situations with comic results. TWICE’s Nayeon has charmed fans with playful 얼마야? moments during fan meeting prize games. BTS’s behind-the-scenes tour content frequently captures members using the word while shopping abroad.
Example Sentences
이거 얼마예요?
Igeo eolmayeyo?
How much is this? (Essential polite shopping question — the first phrase tourists and K-Drama fans learn)
얼마나 걸려요?
Eolmana geollyeoyo?
How long will it take? (얼마나 extends the root to ask about time or distance, not just money)
얼마나 자주 가요?
Eolmana jaju gayo?
How often do you go? (Shows 얼마나 asking about frequency — the range of usage surprises beginners)
⚠️ Don’t use eolma when…
얼마 (price/amount) and 얼마나 (how much/many in a broader sense) are related but not interchangeable — 얼마나 is required when asking about time, frequency, or distance. Also, asking just 얼마? without 예요 can sound blunt or impatient to a shopkeeper; 얼마예요? is the polite standard.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You — Yoon Se-ri’s bewildered 얼마예요? in a North Korean market became a fan-favorite scene for its culture-clash humor and her fish-out-of-water charm.
- K-Pop: BTS — Butter
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.