Subway

General Terms

• 갈아타는 곳 - The place to transfer.
• 교통비(交通費) - Traffic expenses (money used for the subway and bus).
• 급행 - Rapid, express.
• 급행 열차 - Rapid train, express train.
• 나가는 곳 - Exit (literally place to get out).
• 문 - Door.
• 선 - Line.
• 손님 - Passenger.
• 스크린 도 - Platform screen door.
• 승객 - Passenger.
• 안전선 - Safety line.
• 역(驛) - Station. For example: 서울역 is Seoul Station.
• 열차(列車) - A train.
• 입구(入口) - Entrance.
• 자리 - Seat.
• 전철(電鐵) - An electric railroad.
• 전철역 - Subway station (literally electric railroad station but used interchangeably).
• 지하철(地下鐵) - The subway.
• 지하철역 - Subway station.
• 출구 (出口) - Exit.
• 출입구(出入口) - Entrance.
• 타는 곳 - Boarding area (literally the place to ride).
• 출입문 - The subway doors (literally the doors that open and close)
• 행 (行) - Destination for the train. For example "사당행" means the train is bound for 사당. Some trains don't travel the entire line, so paying attention to the destination is important.
• 환승 - Transfer. When clicking your transformation card on the subway or bus, you'll hear the machine say "환승 입니다" which means you just transfered from another bus or subway and getting the discounted fee. Usually you have 30 minutes to take another bus or subway in order to get this discount.

express train

Related Verbs

• 갈아타다 - To transfer.
• 나가다 - To go out. For example "육번 출구 나가싶시오" means "please go out of exit 6."
• 내리다 - To get off (the subway).
• 도착하다 - To arrive.
• 승차하다 - To get on board.
• 찍다 - To place the transportation card against the machine.
• 출발하다 - To depart.
• 타다 - to ride.

Other Related Terms

• 양보하다 - to give up, to compromise. "자리를 양보한다" means to give up your seat.
• 노약자(老弱者) - Old and weak (people). Usually used in the context of giving up your seat for them.

Train Status

Sign at 신도림 station showing the status of other trains.

There is usually a sign in the subway station indicating the status of a train. The status is related to subway station next to it, for example if it says "용산 출발" then it means the train is departing from 용산 station.

• 출발 - Departing
• 대기 - Standing by
• 접근 - Approaching

Seoul Subway Lines

For lines 1-9 use the Sino Korean numbers.

• 분당선 - Bundang line
• 신분당선 - New Bundang line. 신(新) means new.
• 중앙선 - Jungang line.
• 일호선 - Line 1
• 이호선 - Line 2
• 삼호선 - Line 3
• 사호선 - Line 4
• 오호선 - Line 5
• 육호선 - Line 6
• 칠호선 - Line 7
• 팔호선 - Line 8
• 구호선 - Line 9

Note due to consonant assimilation rules, some of the line names are pronounced differently than spelled. Proper pronunciation:

• 일호선 → "이로선"
• 육호선 → "유코선"
• 칠호선 → "치로선"
• 팔호선 → "파로선"

Announcements and Messages

Messages and announcements heard in the subway station and subway.

• 내리실 때 조심하시기 발압니다 - Please be careful as you get off the train.
• 지금 열차가 들어고있습니다 - The train is now approaching.
• 곧 출발하겠습니다 - (The train) will depart shortly.