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Korean ATM and Currency Exchange Phrases: Withdraw Cash and Change Money While Traveling
Level
A1
Type
phrase
Theme
Travel
작성자
Y
작성시각
The ATM screen switches to English the moment you insert a foreign card, but the exchange counter next door doesn't. A few words at each spot keep your trip funded without guessing at buttons.
Reading the ATM Screen
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
출금 | chul-geum | withdrawal |
입금 | ip-kkeum | deposit |
잔액 조회 | ja-naek jo-hoe | balance inquiry |
수수료 | su-su-ryo | fee |
출금 is the button you want for cash. Most bank ATMs let you switch the screen to English after inserting your card, but convenience store ATMs sometimes stay in Korean, so recognizing 출금 by sight saves a restart. 수수료 shows up on the confirmation screen before you commit to a withdrawal, and it's worth reading since fees vary by bank and by whether the ATM belongs to that bank or a shared network.
Asking Where to Find One
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
현금인출기 어디 있어요? | hyeon-geu-min-chul-gi eo-di i-sseo-yo | Where is a cash machine? |
이 카드 되나요? | i ka-deu doe-na-yo | Does this card work? |
현금인출기 is the formal term for ATM, though most Koreans just say ATM out loud the same way English speakers do. 이 카드 되나요? is worth asking at a convenience store counter before you walk to the machine in back, since not every ATM accepts foreign-issued cards, and 24-hour convenience store machines are usually a safer bet than older bank branch ones for that.
At the Currency Exchange Counter
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
환전하려고요 | hwan-jeon-ha-ryeo-go-yo | I'd like to exchange money |
환율이 얼마예요? | hwan-yu-ri eol-ma-ye-yo | What's the exchange rate? |
여권 있어요 | yeo-gwon i-sseo-yo | I have my passport |
환전하려고요 opens the transaction the same way at a bank counter or an airport exchange booth. Passport is required for larger exchanges, roughly above 1 million won, and small exchanges often go through without one, so 여권 있어요 saves a step either way. Airport counters post their rate on a board, but city bank branches don't always display one, so 환율이 얼마예요? is worth asking before handing over cash.
Choosing Bill Sizes
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
만 원짜리로 주세요 | ma-nwon-jja-ri-ro ju-se-yo | Ten-thousand-won bills, please |
잔돈도 섞어 주세요 | jan-don-do seo-kkeo ju-se-yo | Mix in some smaller change too |
Exchange counters default to the largest bill available, which can leave you holding 오만 원 (50,000 won) notes that small shops or street stalls won't break for a cheap item. 만 원짜리로 주세요 asks for the more spendable 10,000 won size, and 잔돈도 섞어 주세요 gets a mix that includes coins or 1,000 won bills for buses, lockers, and vending machines.
Confirming the Total
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
얼마 받았어요? | eol-ma ba-da-sseo-yo | How much did I receive? |
영수증 주세요 | yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo | Receipt, please |
Counting the cash at the window rather than after you walk away catches a shortchange while the teller is still standing there. 영수증 주세요 is also worth asking for on principle, since some counters use the original receipt as part of a preferential rate on a later exchange at the same branch.
Cash in hand and the receipt folded into your wallet, the rest of the day's spending runs on numbers you already understand.