You do not need Korean to use a Korean bath. Pointing works at the counter, and Sparex in Seoul has a ticket kiosk with a language selector. But a few phrases change the visit: you can ask for one more towel, tell the scrubber to go gently, and read the sign that says the floor is slippery.
These are the forty phrases from the HANTANG game, with Hangul and romanization as on the cards, grouped by where you will use them. The signs come after. Read the romanized line as written.
How politeness works
Korean verb endings change with politeness. Almost every phrase here ends in -요 (-yo), the everyday polite form. It is friendly but respectful, and right for staff, attendants and strangers of any age. A few phrases end in -습니다 (-seumnida), which is more formal. It appears in set expressions such as 감사합니다 and 죄송합니다, and these are safe anywhere.
Two phrases have no -yo at all: 시원하다 and 개운하다. They are not addressed to anyone. You say them to yourself as you sink into the water or step out of it, and you may hear older regulars say them out loud. A few short casual phrases, such as 건배 and 한 판 더?, are for the friends you came with, not for staff. Two phrases are Busan dialect: 마이 무라 and 아이고 시원타. Use them in Busan.
Two building blocks recur. 주세요 (juseyo), "please give me", asks for a thing. 해주세요 (haejuseyo), "please do it", asks for an action. With the -yo ending, a statement becomes a question when your voice rises at the end, and 돼요? (dwaeyo?) means "is that okay?".
Greeting and the counter
At a neighborhood mogyoktang (목욕탕) you put your shoes in the shoe locker, take the key to the counter, pay, and receive a locker key or wristband. A large jjimjilbang (찜질방) also gives you a folded uniform and two small towels. By law the price board (목욕요금표) must be posted at reception, so you can point at it.
One adult, please. Hold up fingers for more people. 어린이 (eorini) means "child".
How much is it? Useful at the counter, at the scrub table and at the snack bar.
Do you take cards? Large jjimjilbang take them at the entrance; some older snack bars want cash.
Are tattoos okay? No law bans tattoos in baths; each operator decides, so ask at the counter before you pay. See the tattoos guide.
It's my first time here. Useful at the counter of a small bath, together with pointing at the price board.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | Hello |
| 반가워요 | bangawoyo | Nice to meet you |
| 몇 시까지 해요? | myeot sikkaji haeyo? | What time do you close? |
| 찜질복 주세요 | jjimjilbok juseyo | A jjimjil outfit, please |
What the counter says varies. The wording below is typical, not a transcript from one facility.
| You may hear | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 찜질방 포함이요? | With the jjimjil hall? |
| 신발 사물함 열쇠 받으세요 | Take your shoe-locker key |
| 찜질복 사이즈는요? | What size uniform? |
| 나갈 때 열쇠 번호로 계산하세요 | Pay by your key number on the way out |
Locker room
Phones and cameras stay in the locker. Filming in a changing room is prosecuted as a sex crime in Korea. In 2023, a bathhouse employee in Daejeon reported a man filming in the women's changing room, and he was arrested on the spot.
My locker won't open. Show the attendant your wristband; its number matches the locker.
One more towel, please. Large places usually include two small towels. Some small baths charge for towels (₩500 each at one bath in 2025), so check the price board.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 수건 어디 있어요? | sugeon eodi isseoyo? | Where are the towels? |
| 드라이기 써도 돼요? | deuraigi sseodo dwaeyo? | May I use the hair dryer? (Some places charge for the dryer.) |
In the bath
The bath hall is quiet, not silent. Koreans often talk while bathing, so a quiet question to a neighbor is normal.
Is this spot taken? For a shower stool or a place at the edge of a pool.
It's hot. The hot pool (열탕) is usually above 42°C. You can also say this if the scrub attendant's rinse water is too hot.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 차가워요 | chagawoyo | It's cold |
| 물 온도 딱 좋네요 | mul ondo ttak jonneyo | The water's just right |
| 시원하다! | siwonhada! | Ahh, that's the spot (said while sinking into hot water; literally "refreshing") |
| 아이고 시원타 | aigo siwonta | Oh, that feels good (Busan style) |
| 사우나 가요! | sauna gayo! | Let's hit the sauna |
Seshin
Ask for a seshin (세신) at the scrub table or the counter, and pay through your wristband. Tipping is not customary. You may hear the attendant say 뒤집어! (dwijibeo, flip over) and 옆으로! (yeopeuro, on your side). The two phrases you need are about pressure.
Gently, please. The most useful phrase here for a first scrub.
Harder, please. Use it if the scrub feels too light.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 등 밀어 드릴까요? | deung mireo deurilkkayo? | Shall I scrub your back? (what a friend or family member offers; answer 괜찮아요 to decline) |
| 개운하다 | gaeunhada | I feel so refreshed (said afterward, to no one in particular) |
The seshin guide covers prices, pain and aftercare.
Snack bar, lounge and sleep room
Snack-bar purchases go on your wristband, and you settle at the exit. The staples, sikhye (식혜) and stone-baked eggs, cost about ₩1,000–3,000 each in early 2026. The food guide has the rest.
One sikhye, please. Swap in 계란 (gyeran, egg) or 라면 (ramyeon, instant noodles).
May I sit here? For the heated lounge floor, where people spread out on mats.
Please keep it down. In a sleep room (수면실), a normal speaking voice is considered rude. Say 죄송합니다 first, or ask staff.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 계란 드실래요? | gyeran deusillaeyo? | Want an egg? (offering one to a companion) |
| 잘 먹겠습니다 | jal meokgetseumnida | Thanks for the food (before eating) |
| 마이 무라! | mai mura! | Eat up (Busan dialect) |
| 건배! | geonbae! | Cheers |
| 한 판 더? | han pan deo? | One more round? (for a game with friends) |
| 같이 사진 찍어요! | gachi sajin jjigeoyo! | Let's take a photo |
| 사진 찍어 주세요 | sajin jjigeo juseyo | Please take a photo of me |
| 잘 자요 | jal jayo | Sleep well |
The two photo phrases are for the clothed lounge, the lobby or a photo corner for the yangmeori (양머리), the sheep-head towel fold seen in Korean dramas. Never take photos in the locker room or bath hall, where cameras are banned.
Leaving
Return the uniform and towels, settle the wristband and collect your shoes. 괜찮아요 means "it's okay" and is also a polite "no, thanks". 죄송합니다 works like "excuse me" before a request to a stranger.
Thank you. To the counter, the attendant, and anyone who helped.
I'll come again.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 죄송합니다 | joesonghamnida | I'm sorry |
| 괜찮아요 | gwaenchanayo | It's okay (also a polite "no, thanks") |
| 또 만나요! | tto mannayo! | See you again |
Signs you will see
Some tourist jjimjilbang have signs in English, Chinese and Japanese; a small neighborhood bath may have few English signs. Room names are standard. The rule signs below are typical wordings, not transcriptions from one facility.
| Sign | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 남탕 / 여탕 | namtang / yeotang | Men's bath / women's bath |
| 탈의실 | taruisil | Changing room |
| 신발장 | sinbaljang | Shoe lockers |
| 사물함 | samulham | Lockers |
| 온탕 / 열탕 / 냉탕 | ontang / yeoltang / naengtang | Warm pool / hot pool / cold pool |
| 건식 사우나 / 습식 사우나 | geonsik / seupsik sauna | Dry sauna / steam sauna |
| 발한실 | balhansil | Sweat room (legal term on official notices; signs say 사우나 or 한증막) |
| 휴게실 | hyugesil | Lounge |
| 수면실 / 여성전용수면실 | sumyeonsil / yeoseong jeonyong sumyeonsil | Sleep room / women-only sleep room |
| 매점 | maejeom | Snack counter |
| 목욕요금표 | mogyok yogeumpyo | Price board (required at reception) |
| Rule sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 샤워 후 입탕 | Shower before entering the bath |
| 수건은 탕 안에 넣지 마세요 | Do not put towels in the bath water |
| 머리는 묶어 주세요 | Please tie up your hair |
| 미끄럼 주의 | Caution: slippery floor (89.3% of recorded bathhouse injuries are slips and falls) |
| 촬영 금지 | No photography or filming |
| 음주자 입장 불가 | No entry while intoxicated |
| 문신 고객 입장 제한 | Entry restricted for tattooed customers |
| 만 4세 이상 이성 자녀 출입 금지 | Opposite-sex children aged 4 (48 months) and over not permitted (the legal limit since 22 June 2022) |
| 찜질복 착용 필수 | Uniform must be worn (a legal requirement in the mixed hall) |
| 귀중품은 카운터에 보관하세요 | Store valuables at the counter |
| 수면실 정숙 | Quiet in the sleep room |
On the street and on map listings, 24시 사우나 means 24-hour sauna, 정기휴무 is the regular closing day, 영업시간 is opening hours and 수면가능 means sleeping is allowed. Price lists use 대인 (adult) and 주간/야간 (day/night). The ♨ mark was used on bath and inn signs for about 100 years, starting in the colonial period. Since 2008 only licensed hot springs may use the new official hot-spring logo, but old ♨ signs remain, so the mark alone does not prove hot-spring water.
In 2025, foreign users reported that English search on Korean map apps was unreliable. Search in Korean instead: 목욕탕, 사우나, 찜질방, 24시 사우나, 온천 (oncheon, hot spring) or 해수탕 (haesutang, seawater bath). The first-visit guide walks through the counter in order, and the etiquette guide explains the rules behind the signs.