Korean Directions & Position Vocabulary: Never Get Lost Again

You can know a hundred place names, but the moment someone gives you directions in Korean — 쭉 가다가 두 번째 골목에서 왼쪽으로 — you need this vocabulary set. Directions and positions are also where Korean grammar gets pleasantly logical: a small set of words combines to describe any location.

Core Direction Words (방향)

Korean	Romanization	English
왼쪽	oenjjok	Left
오른쪽	oreunjjok	Right
앞	ap	Front
뒤	dwi	Back / behind
위	wi	Up / above
아래 / 밑	arae / mit	Down / below
안	an	Inside
밖	bak	Outside
옆	yeop	Beside
사이	sai	Between
가운데	gaunde	Middle / center
맞은편 / 건너편	majeunpyeon / geonneopyeon	Across from
근처	geuncheo	Nearby

These position nouns follow the thing they describe: 은행 옆 (next to the bank), 학교 앞 (in front of the school), 편의점 건너편 (across from the convenience store).

Example: 카페는 약국이랑 은행 사이에 있어요. — The café is between the pharmacy and the bank.

Movement & Turning (이동·회전)

Korean	Romanization	English
직진하다 / 쭉 가다	jikjinhada / jjuk gada	Go straight
돌다	dolda	To turn
왼쪽으로 도세요	oenjjogeuro doseyo	Turn left
오른쪽으로 도세요	oreunjjogeuro doseyo	Turn right
건너다	geonneoda	To cross
횡단보도	hoengdanbodo	Crosswalk
사거리	sageori	Intersection (4-way)
삼거리	samgeori	3-way intersection
골목	golmok	Alley / small street
모퉁이	motungi	Corner
출구	chulgu	Exit
입구	ipgu	Entrance

The particle -(으)로 marks direction of movement: 왼쪽으로 (to the left), 출구로 (toward the exit). Pair it with 가다 (go) or 돌다 (turn) and you can give or follow any street direction.

Example: 사거리에서 오른쪽으로 도세요. — Turn right at the intersection.

Subway Navigation (지하철 어휘)

Direction vocabulary in Korea is subway vocabulary:

Korean	English
___번 출구	Exit number ___
2번 출구로 나오세요	Come out of Exit 2
갈아타다 / 환승하다	To transfer
___행	Bound for ___ (train direction)
첫차 / 막차	First / last train

Korean addresses are famously unhelpful for navigation; subway exit numbers are the real coordinate system. Every meeting spot, every café recommendation, every apartment listing is described as “[station name] + [exit number] + walking directions.”

Example: 강남역 11번 출구에서 만나요. — Let’s meet at Gangnam Station, Exit 11.

Asking for Directions (길 묻기)

Korean	English
실례합니다, 길 좀 물어볼게요	Excuse me, may I ask for directions?
___이/가 어디에 있어요?	Where is ___?
___까지 어떻게 가요?	How do I get to ___?
여기서 멀어요?	Is it far from here?
걸어서 갈 수 있어요?	Can I walk there?
걸어서 5분 거리예요	It is a 5-minute walk

Mini Dialogue

A: 실례합니다, 우체국까지 어떻게 가요? Excuse me, how do I get to the post office?

B: 이 길로 쭉 가다가 사거리에서 왼쪽으로 도세요. Go straight along this road, then turn left at the intersection.

A: 여기서 멀어요? Is it far from here?

B: 아니요, 걸어서 5분이면 돼요. 편의점 바로 옆에 있어요. No, five minutes on foot. It is right next to the convenience store.

Culture Note: Nobody Uses Street Names

Korea has official street addresses (도로명 주소), but in daily life nobody navigates by them. Directions flow from landmarks: subway exits, big franchises (스타벅스 사거리에서…), schools, churches. When a Korean friend sends you to a restaurant, expect “Line 2, Hongdae Station, Exit 9, walk straight 200m, turn into the alley by Olive Young” — and now you have every word you need to follow it.

FAQ

What is the difference between 맞은편 and 건너편? Nearly interchangeable; both mean “the opposite side.” 건너편 slightly emphasizes crossing something (a road, a river) to get there.

How do I tell a taxi driver to stop? 여기서 세워 주세요 — Please stop here. Add 오른쪽에 (on the right) for precision. For “go straight” in a taxi: 쭉 가 주세요.

Why do Koreans say 나오세요 (come out) for subway exits? From the system’s perspective you exit out of the station: 2번 출구로 나오세요 = “come out through Exit 2.” Saying it this way instantly sounds natural.

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Pairs with: Korean place vocabulary — the destinations these directions lead to — and transportation vocabulary. Full curriculum: Vocabulary hub.