Hello, foreign friends who are steadily learning life in Korea! This is Vijob. 😊
When you go to a community center, bank, post office, or library, Korean can feel harder than usual. That’s because you have to ask staff questions, receive documents, and understand words related to money or items.
Today, I’ll organize 6 essential words that you often see at public institutions and everyday service places. They’re short words, but if you know them, inquiries, document issuance, and postal services become much easier. 👇
💬 When you have questions: 문의
Meaning: Asking questions to discuss or check something. Pronunciation: mu-nui. Frequently used when asking questions at institutions or companies.
Key expression: 문의하다 (to inquire / to ask)
Example: "접수 방법을 문의하고 싶어요." (I would like to inquire about the application process.)
📄 When you need official documents: 증명서
Meaning: An official document proving that a certain fact is true. Pronunciation: jeung-myeong-seo. Frequently encountered at community centers, schools, and workplaces.
Key expression: 증명서를 발급받다 (to get a certificate issued)
Example: "증명서를 발급받으러 왔어요." (I came to get a certificate issued.)
⏰ When past the due date: 연체
Meaning: A state where money or borrowed items have not been paid or returned past the deadline. Pronunciation: yeon-che. Commonly heard when returning library books late or missing payment deadlines.
Key expression: 연체되다 (to become overdue)
Example: "연체가 되었는지 확인하고 싶어요." (I want to check if it's overdue.)
🏦 Frequently used at banks: 계좌 & 대출
계좌 (pronunciation: ge-jwa): A record of a customer's savings and loan status at a financial institution.
대출 (pronunciation: dae-chul): Lending or borrowing money/goods.
Key expressions:
계좌를 확인하다 (to check one's account)
대출을 신청하다 (to apply for a loan)
📮 When sending letters or packages: 우편
Meaning: Sending or receiving letters or parcels. Pronunciation: u-pyeon. Used at post offices as well as when receiving official documents from institutions.
Key expression: 우편으로 보내다 (to send by mail)
Example: "우편으로 받을 수 있나요?" (Can I receive it by mail?)
Learning these as complete expressions like 문의하다, 증명서를 발급받다, and 대출을 신청하다 helps you speak much more naturally than just memorizing single words.
Learn daily Korean step-by-step with Vijob! You can check more vocabulary on the app. Vijob is always rooting for your life in Korea! 💙