Shopping in Korean: 얼마예요?, 이것만 주세요, and 한테/에게

Korean shopping runs on three moves: ask 얼마예요? (how much is it?), narrow it down with 만 (only — 이것만 주세요, just this one), and hand things over with 한테 (to — 친구한테 선물을 줘요, I give my friend a present). Prices come back in Sino-Korean numbers, so your Lesson 7 skills ride along. This lesson stocks the wallet words — 카드, 현금, 봉투 — and maps the culture gap between a traditional 시장 and a late-night 편의점.

Wallet words

Ten words that move money in Korea:

How much is it? 얼마예요 and the price comeback

얼마예요? works for everything — hold it up, point, or name it: 이거 얼마예요? (how much is this one?). The answer arrives in Sino-Korean numbers plus 원: 오천 원 (5,000), 만 오천 원 (15,000), 삼만 원 (30,000). Remember that 만 is its own unit — ten thousand — so Korean says “three-man” where English says thirty thousand, and plain 만 원 (never 일만 원) for 10,000.

At a 시장 stall you may also deploy the time-honored 좀 깎아 주세요 (jom kka-kka ju-se-yo — a little discount, please). Treat it as a fixed phrase for now: the machinery inside (-아 주세요, “do it for me”) gets its own lesson in grade 2. Markets only — in chains and department stores, prices are firmly fixed.

Only this one: the particle 만

Particle 만 and number 만 are spelled and sound exactly alike — context decides. 만 원 = 10,000 won; 만 원만 있어요 = I only have 10,000 won. Yes, that last sentence uses both in a row, and Koreans say it daily without blinking.

Giving things: 한테 and 에게

한테 and 에게 are one particle in two outfits: 한테 for talking, 에게 for writing. Pair either with 주다 (to give) and you get the full giving skeleton — receiver marked by 한테, the thing by 을/를, verb at the end: 친구한테 꽃을 줘요 (I give my friend flowers).

시장 or 편의점 — where should you actually buy?

시장 (traditional market): the cheapest produce, free food samples, human warmth — but some older stalls are still 현금만 돼요 (cash only), so carry a few bills. 편의점 (convenience store): open around the clock, every card works, prices fixed. Either way the clerk will ask about bags — 봉투 필요하세요? (need a bag?) — because plastic bags cost extra by law. Answer 네, 봉투 하나 주세요, or wave it off like a pro. The verb doing all the work today is 사다 (to buy): 시장에서 과일을 사요, with 에서 marking where the buying happens.

Gift hunt, live

동생한테 선물을 줘요 lines up the whole giving skeleton — receiver (한테), thing (을), verb (줘요). And 카드가 안 돼요 smuggles in Lesson 14’s 안: negation never stops paying rent.

FAQ

Which numbers do prices use — Sino-Korean or native? Always Sino-Korean (일, 이, 삼…) with 원: 오천 원 = 5,000 won, 만 오천 원 = 15,000 won. Korean treats 만 (10,000) as its own unit, so 35,000 won is 삼만 오천 원 — “three ten-thousands, five thousands.” Note it’s plain 만 원, never 일만 원. A quick re-read of Lesson 7 before a market trip pays for itself.

What is the difference between 한테 and 에게? Same meaning — “to (a person).” 한테 is the everyday spoken form: 친구한테 선물을 줘요. 에게 is its written, formal twin, the one you’ll meet in books and emails. Use 한테 when talking and 에게 when writing, and you’ll never be wrong. Both attach to people and animals only — places take 에 or 에서 instead.

Can I really say 깎아 주세요 to get a discount? At traditional markets, yes — 좀 깎아 주세요 (a little discount, please) is part of the game, especially when buying several things. At department stores, chains, and 편의점, prices are fixed and haggling would just be awkward. Treat it as a market-only set phrase, deliver it with a smile, and accept a cheerful no gracefully.

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Next: Korean hobbies — 좋아하다, -고, and 도. Previous: ordering food in Korean — 주세요 and 하고. Full path: curriculum hub.