Planning to explore Korea? Whether you’re commuting to work or hopping between sights, transportation words are your daily toolkit. In this lesson, you’ll learn must-know Korean vocab for buses, subways, and taxis, plus essential particles and real-world phrases you’ll use right away.

Core movement verbs you’ll use every day

These simple verbs appear in almost every transport sentence. Learn them first.

저는 회사에 가요.

Key vehicles and places

Build your transport map: words for what you ride and where you go.

Paying and tickets: simple phrases

In Korean cities, you’ll often use a transport card and sometimes buy tickets for trains.

서울역에서 했어요.

On the move: actions and routes

Real taxi mini-dialog

Practice a short, useful conversation you might have in a Korean taxi.

지하철을 가요. → 지하철로 가요. Use (으)로 to express the means of transport (by subway), not the object marker 을/를.

Culture and etiquette notes

• Transport cards (교통카드): Tap when you board buses and subways; on buses, also tap when you get off to calculate distance. Ask: “충전 어디에서 해요?” (Where can I recharge?)—Answer: 편의점 (convenience stores) or stations.
• Priority seats (노약자석): Leave them for elderly, pregnant, or disabled passengers.
• Quiet and food: Keep phone calls short and quiet; avoid eating on buses and subways.
• Honorific for drivers: Say 기사님 to address bus or taxi drivers politely.
• Bus stop buttons: Press the stop button (벨) before your stop; don’t shout. “다음 정류장에서 내려요.” is a clear phrase.

Quick practice round

Try these short examples and speak them out loud.

Wrap-up

You learned the core transport verbs (타다, 내리다, 갈아타다, 가다), means and direction particles ((으)로, 에, 에서/까지), and everyday words like 버스, 지하철, 역, 정류장, 표, 교통카드. Keep practicing with real routes: describe your commute today using these patterns, and you’ll sound more local each ride. 화이팅!