30 Korean Conversation Questions to Break the Ice
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- 13 min read

30 Korean Conversation Questions to Break the Ice

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Introduction

Initiating a conversation can be hard in your native language. It can feel near impossible in a language you are learning if you don’t know some common ice-breakers to help you out. In this lesson, we will learn ice-breakers for daily conversation to help you out in real life.

This lesson was designed for beginner and intermediate Korean learners who have some knowledge of basic Korean sentence structure. After learning these ice-breakers, meeting Korean friends will become easier and more comfortable. Check them out below!

Audio English Pronunciation Speech Level
What is your name? ireumi mwoyeyo? Polite
Where are you from? eodiseo wasseoyo? Polite
How old are you? myeot sarieyo? Polite
What year were you born? myeot nyeonsaengieyo? Polite
Where is your hometown? gohyangi eodiyeyo? Polite
What are your hobbies? chwimiga mwoyeyo? Polite
Are you a student? haksaengieyo? Polite
What is your major? jeongongi mwoyeyo? Polite
What school do you go to? eodi hakgyo danyeoyo? Polite
What kind of work do you do? eotteon il haseyo? Polite
Who is in your family? gajogi eotteoke dwaeyo? Polite
What kind of music do you like? eotteon eumak joahaeyo? Polite
What is the song you sing the most at karaoke? noraebangeseo gajang mani bureuneun noraeneun mwoyeyo? Polite
Who is your favorite singer? jeil joahaneun gasuga nuguyeyo? Polite
What movie genre do you like? eotteon yeonghwa jangreureul joahaeyo? Polite
What is your favorite movie? jeil joahaneun yeonghwaga mwoyeyo? Polite
Who is your favorite actor or actress? jeil joahaneun baeuga nuguyeyo? Polite
What is your favorite season? eotteon gyejeoreul gajang joahaeyo? Polite
What is your favorite food? gajang joahaneun eumsigi mwoyeyo? Polite
Do you like to go out or are you a homebody? oechulhaneun geo joahaeyo animyeon jibe itneun geo joahaeyo? Polite
Where have you traveled to? eodireul yeohaenghae bwasseoyo? Polite
Where do you want to travel to? eodiro yeohaengeul gabogo sipeoyo? Polite
Are you introverted or extroverted? oehyangjeogin pyeoniyeyo animyeon naehyangjeogin pyeonieyo? Polite
What is your mbti? mbtineun eotteoke doeyo? Polite
What is your blood type? hyeoraekhyeongeun eotteoke doeyo? Polite
Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend? namchin/yeochini isseoyo? Polite
What is your favorite color? jeil joahaneun saekkkari mwoyeyo? Polite
Do you have any pets? aewandongmuri isseoyo? Polite
Do you have a book you like? joahaneun chaegi isseoyo? Polite
What is your dream? kkumi mwoyeyo? Polite

이름이 뭐예요? (ireumi mwoeyo) - What is your name?

This question is a must when making a new friend. It combines the words 이름(ireum) which means name and 뭐 (mwo), which means what.  This form is the polite form and can be made more formal by trading 이름 (ireum)  with 성함(songham) which is the formal word for name.

If you get confused by Korean speech levels, try visiting this page to review Korean honorifics and speech levels.

어디서 왔어요? (odiso wassoyo) - Where are you from?

This might be one you are asked often. 어디 (odi) means where and 왔어요 (wassoyo) is the past form version of the verb 오다 (oda), which means to come. This is the polite version and can be made more formal by adding honorific conjugations to the end of the verb in the sentence.

몇 살이에요? (myot sarieyo) - How old are you?

Knowing someone’s age is essential in Korea. It can determine the level of formality you use with the person and how you act around them. 몇 (myot) means 'how many' and 살 (sal) is years. While you can ask 몇 살이에요? (myot sarieyo) to someone who looks around the same age or younger than you, it might be a little too informal for someone clearly older.

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Start speaking Korean right now and make new Korean friends. Greet your new friend with one of the conversation openers you learned above.

몇 년생이에요? (myot nyonsaengieyo) - What year were you born?

Age is calculated differently in Korea, you can learn more about it in this post. It is common for Koreans to ask what year you were born rather than your age. 년생(nyonsaeng) means 'year born'.

고향이 어디예요? (gohyangi odieyo) - Where is your hometown?

If you ask a Korean while in Korea where they are from, they might be a little confused before replying 'Korea'. Instead 고향이 어디예요? (gohyangi odieyo) is a better question to ask. 고향이 (gohyangi) means “hometown”. If a Korean asks you where your hometown is, they are usually referring to the state or city in which you grew up in.

취미가 뭐예요? (chwimiga mwoeyo) - What are your hobbies?

This is an excellent question when trying to find commonalities with a new person. 취미 (chwimi) means hobby. Try to look up the words for some of your hobbies before asking this question so you are prepared to respond and recognize any common interest you might have.

학생이에요? (hakssaengieyo) - Are you a student?

학생 (hakssaeng) means ‘student’ in Korean. While there is also a word for ‘university student’, 대학생 (daehakssaeng), usually 학생 (hakssaeng) is used broadly for anyone attending school.

어디 학교 다녀요? (odi hakkkyo danyoyo) - What school do you go to?

If your new friend is indeed a student, you might want to follow up by asking them this question. 학교 (hakkkyo) means ‘school’ and 다녀요 (danyoyo) is the conjugated present tense version of the verb 다니다 (danida), which means ‘to attend’.

전공이 뭐예요? (jongongi mwoeyo) - What is your major?

If your friend attends university, you can ask them what their major is. 전공 (jongong) means ‘major’. If you are a university student make sure to look up your major so you have something to reply with when they ask you.

어떤 일 하세요? (otton il haseyo) - What kind of work do you do?

Sometimes Koreans can be reluctant to tell people they just met where they work, but they are usually more comfortable with this question. This question allows the speaker to say what they do without giving away the size of the company they work at. 어떤 (otton) means ‘what kind of' and 일 (il) means ‘work’.

가족이 어떻게 돼요? (gajogi ottoke dwaeyo) - Who is in your family?

In Korean, ‘family’ is 가족 (gajok), 어떻게 (ottoke) means ‘how’ and 돼요 (dwaaeyo) is the present tense conjugation of the verb 되다 (dwaeda), which mean ‘to become”. Check out this lesson to make sure you know all the vocabulary to properly introduce your family too.

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어떤 음악 좋아해요? (otton eumak joahaeyo) - What kind of music do you like?

You could find lots of common interest with this question, especially if you are a fan of Korean music. 음악 (eumak) is ‘music’ in Korean and 좋아해요 (joahaeyo) is the present tense conjugation of the verb 좋아하다 (joahada), which means ‘to like’. Most music genres are said in English, so you will probably recognize whatever your friend says without studying up beforehand.

노래방에서 가장 많이 부르는 노래는 뭐예요?  (noraebangeso gajang mani bureuneun noraeneun mwoeyo) - What is the song you sing the most at karaoke?

In Korea, going to a karaoke room with friends is a common way to hang out and have fun. People go frequently as they are all over the lace and really cheap. These karaoke rooms are called 노래방 (noraebang). ‘Song’ is 노래 (norae), 가장 (kajang) is ‘most’, and 부르는 (bureuneun) comes from the root verb 부르다 (bureuda), which means ‘to sing”.

제일 좋아하는 가수가 누구예요? (jeil joahaneun gasuga nugueyo) - Who is your favorite singer?

You can quickly find a new friend if you share the same music taste. 재일(jeil) means ‘most’, 가수(gasu) is ‘singer’ and 누구(nugu) means ‘who’. Make sure you say your favorite singer with Korean pronunciation or your new friend might not recognize what you are picking as your favorite.

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어떤 영화 장르를 좋아해요? (otton yonghwa jangneureul joahaeyo) - What movie genre do you like?

Horror, action, romance, or comedy? Some of these genres might be said in English with Korean pronunciation, others have their own Korean word. Make sure to look up your favorite genres. 영화 (yonghwa) is ‘movie’ and 장르 (jangneu) is ‘genre’.

제일 좋아하는 영화가 뭐예요? (jeil joahaneun yonghwaga mwoeyo) - What is your favorite movie?

This is a great follow-up to the above question. Your favorite movie might have a Korean title or it might be English said with Korean pronunciation. For example, if your favorite movie is “Frozen” the Korean title would be “겨울왕국” (gyourwangguk), whereas “Toy Story” is “토이 스토리” (toi seutori). You might have seen your friend’s favorite movie, but are not familiar with the Korean title.

제일 좋아하는 배우가 누구예요? (jeil joahaneun baeuga mwoeyo) - Who is your favorite actor/actress?

배우 (baeu) is used for both actor and actress. If you watch Korean dramas or movies you can impress your new friend with a favorite Korean actor or actress.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/8JCOK5E58CPxGfVJry/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47ap3dnbczx0jsbkftmpjuk3dwdsus79yyef63g8bm&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

어떤 계절을 가장 좋아해요? (otton gyejoreul gajang joahaeyo) - What is your favorite season?

There are 4 seasons in Korea, though spring and fall seem to last about 2 weeks. During those 2 weeks, you can see cherry blossoms (벚꽃) and fall foliage (단풍). 계절 (gyejol) means ‘season’.

가장 좋아하는 음식이 뭐예요? (gajang joahaneun eumsigi mwoeyo) - What is your favorite food?

Most food that is not Korean will be the English name pronounced in Korean. Impress your new friend by talking about a Korean food you tried. 음식 (eumsik) means ‘food’.

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외출하는 거 좋아해요 아니면 집에 있는 거 좋아해요? (wechulhaneun go joahaeyo animyon jibe inneun go joahaeyo) - Do you like to go out or stay at home?

외출하는 (wechulhaneun) is a form of the verb 외출하다 (wechulhada), which means to ‘go out’. 아니면 (animyon) means ‘or’ and 집 (jib) is ‘home’.

어디를 여행해 봤어요? (odireul yohaenghae bwassoyo) - Where have you traveled to?

Korea is a short flight from countries like Japan (일본), China (중국), Taiwan (대만), the Philippines (필리핀), Vietnam (베트남) and Thailand (태국). As such, many Koreans have traveled to one of their fellow Asian countries. Make sure you know the names of the countries you have traveled to in Korean. 여행 (yohaeng) means ‘travel’.

어디로 여행을 가보고 싶어요? (odiro yohaengeul gabogo sipoyo) - Where do you want to travel to?

After learning where your new friend has gone you can ask this question. Make sure to study country names so you can understand what they are saying. If you want to visit Korea, you can say ‘한국에 가보고 싶어요’ (language gabogo sipoyo).

외향적인 편이예요 아니면 내향적인 편이에요? (wehyangjogin pyonniyeyo animyon naehyangjogin pyonieyo) - Are you introverted or extroverted?

This is important to know when making a new friend. 외향적 (wehyangjok) is ‘extroverted’ and 내향적 (naehyangjok) is ‘introverted’. You can answer by saying ‘저는 외향적인 / 내향적인 편이에요’ (joneun wehyangjogin / naehyangjogin pyonieyo).

MBTI는 어떻게 되요? (embitiaineun ottoke dweyo) - What is your MBTI?

MBTI comes from an online personality test. This test has been really popular in Korea recently and it is common for friends to ask your MBTI. If you haven’t already, try taking the test so you can talk with a Korean friend about it. After taking the test, go to your Hilokal profile and put in your MBTI. This will be a great conversation starter when speaking in a group on Hilokal.

혈액형은 어떻게 되요? (hyoraekkyongeun ottoke dweyo) - What is your blood type?

You might wonder why you would want to ask about someone’s blood type outside of medical scenarios. In Korea, blood type is also thought to be connected to someone’s personality. If someone asks your blood type it's not because they want to know what blood to pump into you in case of an urgent medical situation, they want to know your personality.

남친/여친이 있어요? (namchin/yochini issoyo) - Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

남친 (namchin) is slang for 남자 친구 (namja chingu), which means ‘boyfriend’ and 여친 is slang for 여자 친구 (yoja chingu), meaning ‘girlfriend’. It might come off a little flirtatious if you are the opposite gender of your new friend, so be careful if that's not your intention.

제일 좋아하는 색깔이 뭐예요? (jeil joahaneun saekkkari mwoeyo) - What is your favorite color?

색깔 (saekkkal) means ‘color’ in Korean. You can learn some of the basic colors below.

https://modernseoul.org/2012/05/12/different-colors-in-korean-with-free-flashcard-printout-worksheet/

애완동물이 있어요? (aewandongmuri issoyo) - Do you have a pet?

Small dogs and cats have been very popular in Korea recently. You can become closer to your new friend by sharing pet pictures and commenting on the cuteness of their pet. 너무 귀여워요 (nomu gwiyowoyo), “so cute”, is the correct response for any pet picture shown to you regardless of how cute the pet actually is. 애완동물 (aewandongmul) means ‘pet’.

좋아하는 책이 있어요? (joahaneun chaegi issoyo) - Do you have a book you like?

책 (chaek) means ‘book’. Learn the name of your favorite book in Korean by doing a quick google search.

꿈이 뭐예요? (kkumi mwoeyo) - What is your dream?

This is a little deeper of a question, but if you get close to your new friend, try asking them this question. 꿈 (kkum) means ‘dream’. It is usually paired with the verb '꾸다', which means ‘to dream’.

Note:

Remember that all of the phrases are questions. Make sure to express that by raising intonation at the end of the sentences.

Thanks for sticking with me to the end! You now have been introduced to 30 different Korean conversation questions. Talking with native Koreans and making new friends will now be much easier. Make sure to frequently review the ice-breakers above by practicing them with native speakers.

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If you're ready to test out what you've learned here, click the button below and greet a new Korean friend by asking them their name.

Remember that practice makes perfect! You will only progress by making mistakes and learning why it was a mistake. If you want more practice, follow this link to see some of the questions we learned above in dialogue. So until we meet again… (그럼 다시 만날때 까지)

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