To ask do you speak English in Korean, say 영어 하세요? (yeongeo haseyo?), literally "do you do English?". Soften it with 혹시 (hoksi), "by any chance": 혹시 영어 하세요? For "can you speak English?", use 영어 할 줄 아세요? (yeongeo hal jul aseyo?). Open with 저기요 (jeogiyo) to catch a stranger's attention first.
- Natural question
- 혹시 영어 하세요? (hoksi yeongeo haseyo?)
- Can you…?
- 영어 할 줄 아세요? (yeongeo hal jul aseyo?)
- English
- 영어 (yeongeo)
- Korean language
- 한국어 (hangugeo)
- Level
- A1
Why do Koreans "do" a language?
In Korean you don't speak a language so much as do it: 영어 해요 (yeongeo haeyo) is "I speak English", with the all-purpose verb 하다. 말하다 (to speak) exists, but with language names 하다 is what people say. 할 줄 알다 means "to know how to do", the usual way to ask about a skill.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 혹시 영어 하세요? | hoksi yeongeo haseyo? | Polite | The natural opener with a stranger |
| 영어 할 줄 아세요? | yeongeo hal jul aseyo? | Polite | "Can you speak English?" |
| 영어 하실 수 있으세요? | yeongeo hasil su isseuseyo? | Very polite | Formal settings, older people |
| 영어 할 수 있어요? | yeongeo hal su isseoyo? | Polite | Plainer; fine with people your age |
| 영어 할 줄 알아? | yeongeo hal jul ara? | Casual (반말) | Friends, people younger than you |
The -세요 ending is the honorific that makes the question polite to the person you are asking. Leaving it off with a stranger, 영어 해요?, is understandable but abrupt.
How does 혹시 soften a question?
혹시 (hoksi) means "by any chance" or "perhaps". Koreans put it in front of questions to strangers so they don't sound like demands. Greeting, 혹시, then a polite -세요 question: 안녕하세요. 혹시 영어 하세요? is the line you need.
What can you say if the answer is no?
The reply you will hear most is a modest 영어 잘 못해요 (yeongeo jal motaeyo), "my English isn't good", often from someone who then understands you fine. A few lines keep things moving either way:
한국어 조금 해요.
Hangugeo jogeum haeyo.
I speak a little Korean.
영어 메뉴 있어요?
Yeongeo menyu isseoyo?
Do you have an English menu?
영어로 말해도 돼요?
Yeongeoro malhaedo dwaeyo?
Is it all right if I speak English?
번역기 써도 돼요?
Beonyeokgi sseodo dwaeyo?
Do you mind if I use a translation app?
번역기 is any translator, app or device.
Two pages pick up from here: how to say I don't understand in Korean for slowing a conversation down, and how to say "How much is it?" in Korean for shopping.
What mistakes do learners make with this question?
Saying "English" the English way: 잉글리시 is a loanword you will see in brand names, but the language is 영어. The same goes for Korean, which is 한국어 (hangugeo), or more casually 한국말 (hangungmal). Another is asking 영어 말해요?: it is understandable but not idiomatic. And starting in English without a word of Korean can feel abrupt; a 저기요 and 혹시 first changes the tone completely.
If you need the toilet more than a conversation, go straight to how to ask where the toilet is in Korean.
Read Time in a Teacup in Korean at A2, and tap 혹시 or any other word to see what it means.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce yeongeo?
Roughly "yong-uh". The ng belongs to the first syllable, 영, and the second syllable, 어, starts with a vowel, so it is yeong-eo, not yeon-geo.
How do you say do you speak Korean?
Swap the language: 한국어 하세요? (hangugeo haseyo?) or 한국어 할 줄 아세요? (hangugeo hal jul aseyo?). The same pattern works for any language name.
What does hoksi mean?
혹시 (hoksi) means "by any chance" or "perhaps". It makes a question to a stranger sound tentative and polite, and Koreans use it constantly.
How do you say I speak English in Korean?
Say 영어 해요 (yeongeo haeyo), or 저는 영어를 해요 (jeoneun yeongeoreul haeyo) for "I speak English". To say it is your first language, 영어가 모국어예요 (yeongeoga mogugeoyeyo).