A Korean telephone conversation never fails to amaze me. After the initial “Hello?” everything else translates as a grunt. It’s really a wonder as to what they could actually be talking about through a series of grunts. Especially on the buses (where talking on the phone is considered inconsiderate), a string of whispered grunts following “Hello?” is not uncommon. So how do you say this one important word?
Korean: 여보세요?
Korean Pronunciation: Yo be sey yo?
English: Hello?
And of course when you want to end the conversation, you just give a casual grunt.
Today's lesson on telephone etiquette: 여보세요 and a few grunts will get you a long way.
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