How To Say “Street” In Korean

It’s useful to know how to say “street” in Korean.

Whether it’s for the convenience of life in Korea or just for the fun of learning the language, you’ll definitely get some use out of it. For example, you might use it to help you with asking for and giving directions, or for reading maps on your phone

Read on for example uses and fun ways to remember it!

Shadows of people walking on the street

Below, we’ll give you the explanation in both English and Hangeul (the Korean Alphabet). If you can’t read Korean yet, you can get a free guide that will teach you how to read in only 60 minutes here

Different ways to say “Street” in Korean

There are two main ways to say “street” in Korean. The first one is 거리 (geori). It is also probably the one you’ve heard used most often, as it is the more general word for street in Korean. It includes both streets that you walk on and streets that cars drive on.

The other word is 도로 (doro). This one is usually used in the context of referring to specific street names and so on.

These are great words to add to your list of the most important words to learn first.

Sample sentences:

거리에 많은 주차장소가 있습니다. (georie maneun juchajangsoga itseumnida.)

There are many parking spots on the street.

버스터미널은 도로만 건너면 있답니다. (beoseuteomineoreun doroman geonneomyeon itdamnida.)

The bus terminal is just across the street.

우리 길을 잘봇 들었나봐요. (uri gireul jalbot deureonnabwayo.)

Seems like we went the wrong way.

집 가기전에 길거리를 좀 방황할래요? (jip gagijeone gilgeorireul jom banghwanghallaeyo?)

Would you like to wander about the streets a bit before going home?

뉴욕의 도로 지도는 왜 이렇게 복잡하지? (nyuyogui doro jidoneun wae ireoke bokjapaji?)

Why is New York’s street map this complicated?

미안해. 좀 늦을 수도 있어. 길이 막혀. (mianhae. jom neujeul sudo isseo. giri makyeo.)

I’m sorry, I might be a little late because the street is crowded.

Want more Korean phrases? Click here for a complete list!

Other Words for “Street” in Korean

Another word for street in Korean is 길 (gil). This is not as common to use for street as 거리 (geori). However, its meaning is broader. You can use it to mean not only street, but also road, path, way, and all other similar words. It can also be used when talking about a road in a more metaphorical way.

For example:

나는 길을 잃었어요 (naneun gireul ileosseoyo)

I have lost my way

One more word for “street” in Korean that is often used is 길거리 (gilgeori). Unlike 거리 (geori), this one specifically means a walking street.

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To remember how to say street in Korean, we’ll use associations in English to recall them more easily. So what are some associations we can use to remember ‘street’ in Korean?

The first, 거리 (geori), is a pretty simple image. Imagine a goalie standing in the middle of the street, preventing you from going forward (it can be the goalie of any sport you prefer).

Association

“The goalie is blocking the street!” (거리geori)

The other very common term, 길 (gil), is also to create an image from. Just imagine that the paths in Korea are the gills of giant fish! It’s a ridiculous image, but that can actually help with remembering the vocabulary word better.

You try now. What associations can you think of for 도로 (doro | street names)? Share your creations in the comments below!

A word of caution about Romanization

While it is possible for you to study the words in this article simply by reading their romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier, and the country won’t appear so foreign for you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?

Wrap Up

So now that you know how to say “street” in Korean, you should never lose your way. What Korean word would you like to learn next? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo Credit: BigStockPhoto

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