Travel Phrases — Entry No. 0143
얼마예요
eolmaeyo · expression
얼마예요
eolmaeyo
[OHL-mah-YEH-yo]
expressionbeginner
Meaning
A polite expression meaning ‘How much is it?’ — one of the most essential Korean phrases for any traveler or fan visiting Korea. 얼마 means ‘how much’ and 예요 is a polite present-tense copula; together they form a complete, natural question appropriate for shops, markets, and street vendors.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
K-pop fans who make pilgrimages to Seoul use 얼마예요 constantly — at the HYBE Insight museum gift shop near Hannam-dong, at Myeongdong street food stalls, and at vinyl and merchandise shops in Hongdae. BTS’s travel reality show ‘Bon Voyage’ and Stray Kids’ fan-content vlogs frequently feature members navigating Korean markets, making this phrase one fans rehearse long before boarding their flight.
Example Sentences
이거 얼마예요?
igeo eolmaeyo?
How much is this? (The single most useful phrase at any Korean market, convenience store, or K-pop merchandise shop)
전부 다 하면 얼마예요?
jeonbu da hamyeon eolmaeyo?
How much is it for everything together? (Practical form when buying multiple albums or snacks at once — vendors appreciate that you’re trying)
좀 깎아 주실 수 있어요? 얼마예요?
jom kkakka jusil su isseoyo? eolmaeyo?
Can you lower the price a little? How much is it? (Gentle bargaining appropriate only at traditional open markets like Namdaemun — never at chain stores)
⚠️ Don’t use eolmaeyo when…
Dropping the polite ending and saying 얼마야 (eolmaya) sounds rude or childish to adult shopkeepers — always use 얼마예요 with strangers. Also, Korean prices are in won with large numbers (a meal might be 12,000원); practice listening to Korean numbers before your trip so you actually understand the answer you receive.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Itaewon Class (이태원 클라쓰, 2020) — Park Saeroyi’s pojangmacha street-food tent scenes involve natural price exchanges with customers, making 얼마예요 and basic transaction phrases central to the show’s grounded, street-level atmosphere.
- K-Pop: BTS — Butter (2021)
💡 Did You Know? Hongdae’s famous Saturday street market in Seoul operates almost entirely in Korean, making it the ultimate real-world test for fans who have practiced 얼마예요 — and the vendors there are famously patient with foreign K-pop fans attempting the phrase.
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.