🇰🇷 Korean Lesson #8: [CULTURE] Your Guide to Taking the Bus in Korea!

[CULTURE] Your Essential Guide to Taking the Bus in Korea! 🚌

안녕하세요 여러분 👋

Last week, I saw a PINK bus in the Jongro Area of Seoul, with Seoul city's mascot Hechi. The interior was just as lively and colorful!

That’s why I want to dedicate today’s newsletter to buses— a convenient and often overlooked mode of transportation. Sometimes, hopping on a bus is more practical than taking the subway, so let's explore the world of buses today! 🥳

In Seoul's increasingly modern society, cash is no longer accepted on buses ⚠️ Make sure your transportation card (교통카드) is loaded with funds before boarding. You can easily get a T-Money Card (티머니 카드) at any convenience store for around 3000 to 4000 won.

Top it up using the machines in the subway or a convenience store. If you go to the convenience store, you can say:

👉 T-Money 충전해주세요 (chung-jeon hae juseyo) which means ‘Please recharge my T-money card’ and then give the amount that you would like to add.

Most bus stations in Seoul have real-time displays showing when buses will arrive! Let’s have a look at it :

👉 종료 (Jongro) indicates that the bus is not currently operating.
👉 곧도착 (Got-dochak) in yellow indicates that the bus is arriving soon within 1-2 minutes. It’s composed of 곧 (soon) and 도착 (to arrive).

You will also hear an announcement when a bus is approaching.

👉702번 버스가 곧 도착합니다: Bus number 702 will arrive soon.
번 (bon) refers to the number.
버스 (boseu) means bus.
곧: This means "soon" or "shortly"
도착합니다: is a polite form of the verb "to arrive”

On the screen, you can also see the crowding levels of the bus.

👉 여유 (Yeoyu) - spacious, plenty of seats available
👉 보통 (Botong) - normal, few seats available
👉 혼잡 (Honjap) - crowded, no seats available, almost full

With most buses, you enter through the front and pay the fare on the machine.

Sometimes if you scan it incorrectly, you will hear:
👉 카드를 다시 대 주십시오 = Please scan your card again
카드(kadeu) means card
다시 (dashi) means again or one more time.
대 (dae): This is the verb stem of the verb "대다" (daeda), which means "to put”.
주십시오: This is a polite imperative form of the verb "주다" (juda), which means "to give." It's a polite way of asking someone to do something.

If you don’t have enough cash on it, you will hear:

We hope you found this guide helpful and practical!
Navigating public transportation can be tricky at first, but with this information, we trust you’ll feel more confident taking the bus. 🥳

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