Korean Phrases at a Tailor in Korea
Korean phrases at a tailor in Korea lean on Pattern 23 from the SULSUL workbook — verb stem plus 아/어 주세요 (a/eo juseyo), "please do this for me." Hand over pants that drag on the floor and say 기장 줄여 주세요 (gijang jullyeo juseyo), "Please shorten the length." Pattern 30 — 더 (deo, more) plus an adjective — fine-tunes the fit: 조금 더 짧게 해 주세요 (jogeum deo jjapge hae juseyo), "Please make it a bit shorter."
- Shorten the hem: 기장 줄여 주세요 (gijang jullyeo juseyo), "Please shorten the length."
- Take in the waist: 허리 좁혀 주세요 (heori jobhyeo juseyo), "Please take in the waist."
- When ready: 언제 되나요? (eonje doenayo?), "When will it be ready?"
- Try it on: 입어 봐도 돼요? (ibeo bwaodo dwaeyo?), "May I try it on?"
- Price check: 얼마예요? (eolmayeyo?), "How much is it?"
How do you drop off clothes at a Korean tailor?
수선집 (suseonjip, repair and alteration shop) counters sit near markets, subway exits, and shopping streets. Many handle 바지 (baji, pants), 치마 (chima, skirt), and 코트 (koteu, coat) in one small storefront. Start with Pattern 23 and point to the part that needs work.
You: 안녕하세요. 기장 줄여 주세요. — annyeonghaseyo. gijang jullyeo juseyo. — "Hello. Please shorten the length."
Them: 언제 필요하세요? — eonje piryohaseyo? — "When do you need it?"
You: 내일까지 가능해요? — naejikkaji ganeunghaeyo? — "Is it possible by tomorrow?"
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| Shorten length | 기장 줄여 주세요 (gijang jullyeo juseyo) |
| Take in waist | 허리 좁혀 주세요 (heori jobhyeo juseyo) |
| When ready? | 언제 되나요? (eonje doenayo?) |
| Try it on | 입어 봐도 돼요? (ibeo bwaodo dwaeyo?) |
| How much? | 얼마예요? (eolmayeyo?) |
Practice this out loud with SULSUL — the app says it, you repeat it →
What do you say at the fitting?
Pattern 30 helps when the first pin is close but not quite right — 조금 더 짧게 (jogeum deo jjapge), "a bit shorter," or 조금 더 길게 (jogeum deo gilge), "a bit longer." Pattern 44 — (V)아/어도 돼요? (a/eodo dwaeyo?), "May I?" — covers trying the garment on.
You: 입어 봐도 돼요? — ibeo bwaodo dwaeyo? — "May I try it on?"
Them: 네, 탈의실 있어요. — ne, taruisil isseoyo. — "Yes, there is a fitting room."
You: 조금 더 짧게 해 주세요. — jogeum deo jjapge hae juseyo. — "Please make it a bit shorter."
For shoe repairs at the same kind of shop, Korean phrases at a shoe repair shop in Korea uses the same Pattern 23 line — 수선해 주세요 (suseonhae juseyo) — on heels and soles instead of hems.
What usually goes wrong at a Korean tailor?
Travelers often mime "short" with their hands but skip the pickup date — 언제 되나요? at drop-off prevents showing up the night before a flight when the shop needs two days. A second mistake is leaving without a receipt slip; ask 영수증 주세요 (yeongsujeung juseyo), "Receipt, please," so staff can find your tagged 바지 (baji, pants) on a crowded rack.
You: 얼마예요? — eolmayeyo? — "How much is it?"
Them: 8,000원이에요. — palcheon won-ieyo. — "It is 8,000 won."
You: 네, 내일 오후에 올게요. — ne, naeil ohu-e olgeyo. — "Yes, I will come tomorrow afternoon."
Say it out loud, not just in your head
Reading 기장 줄여 주세요 on a shopping tag is not the same as saying it while the tailor pins your hem with a line waiting behind you.
SULSUL is a speaking gym for exactly that moment: pick a survival pattern, say it out loud, get an instant fix from the AI pronunciation coach, then run the real situation as a mission. The 100-pattern PDF workbook comes along as a bonus.
