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To ask the price of something in Korea, you can use the following phrase:
“이거 얼마예요?” (igeo eolmayeyo?)
Here’s a breakdown of the phrase:
- “이거” (igeo) means “this” (referring to the item you want to know the price of).
- “얼마예요?” (eolmayeyo?) is the polite way of asking “how much?”
So, if you’re in a shop and you want to ask how much something costs, you can point to the item and say, “이거 얼마예요?” (igeo eolmayeyo?). This is a polite and commonly used way to inquire about the price of an item in Korea.
Asking About Item Prices by Name in Korea
If you know the name of the item and want to ask about its price, you can use the following structure:
“[Item name] 얼마예요?” ([Item name] eolmayeyo?)
Here’s a breakdown of the structure:
- “[Item name]” the name of the item you are asking about.
- “얼마예요?” (eolmayeyo?) means “how much?”
Example:
If you want to ask about the price of an apple (사과, sagwa) or a book (책, chaek), you can say:
- “사과 얼마예요?” (sagwa eolmayeyo?) – How much is the apple?
- “책 얼마예요?” (chaek eolmayeyo?) – How much is the book?
This structure is particularly useful when you want to inquire about the price of a specific item or when there are multiple items and you want to know the price of one in particular. It helps to clarify your question and ensures that the person you’re asking understands exactly which item you’re referring to.
For example, if you’re in a market and you see various fruits, vegetables, or other goods, and you want to know the price of a specific type of fruit, vegetable, or product, you can use this structure to ask directly about that item.
Price Inquiry for Distant or Unidentified Items
If the item is further away and you don’t know the name, you can still inquire about its price by using a more general phrase. You can simply point to the item and say:
“저거 얼마예요?” (jeogeo eolmayeyo?)
Here’s a breakdown:
- “저거” (jeogeo) means “that” (referring to the item you’re pointing at).
- “얼마예요?” (eolmayeyo?) means “how much?”
So, by saying “저거 얼마예요?” (jeogeo eolmayeyo?), you’re essentially asking “How much is that?” This approach allows you to inquire about the price of an item that you can’t identify by name or that is far away.
