Textbook여보세요, 김 선생님 계십니까?yeo-bo-se-yo, gim seon-saeng-nim gye-sip-ni-kka?Hello, is Mr. Kim there?
Real여보세요, ○○ 과장님 자리에 계신가요?yeo-bo-se-yo, ○○ gwa-jang-nim ja-ri-e gye-sin-ga-yo?Hello, is Manager ○○ at their desk?🏷️ Any casual setting
Korean phone calls use 여보세요 (hello, phone-only greeting). 자리에 계시다 = to be at one's desk. Using job titles, not names, is essential for work calls.
Phone call vocabulary
Standard phone call flow
여보세요, ○○회사 ○○팀 ○○입니다Hello, this is ○○ from ○○ team at ○○ company
○○ 건으로 전화 드렸습니다I'm calling regarding ○○
확인 후 연락 드리겠습니다I'll contact you after checking
좋은 하루 되세요Have a good day (phone sign-off is OK)
네, 감사합니다. 끊겠습니다Yes, thank you. I'll hang up now
Korean phone etiquette rule: the person who called hangs up last (or the junior/younger person waits). Hanging up first can seem rude. Say 끊겠습니다 (I'll hang up) as a polite warning before ending the call.
Modern Korean phone culture: calling without texting first is considered rude among younger people. The etiquette: text first (전화해도 돼? = can I call?), then call. Cold calls to friends feel invasive. At work, phone calls are still standard, but KakaoTalk work chats are taking over fast.
Quick Quiz