What does 얼마예요 (eolmayeyo) mean?
- 얼마예요eolmayeyo
How much is it?
Polite: safe with most people
얼마예요 (eolmayeyo) means "How much is it?" in Korean. It is the polite question you use in shops, markets and taxis to ask a price. Point at something and say 이거 얼마예요? (How much is this?)
Where it comes from
얼마 means "how much" and 예요 is the polite form of "is." Put together it says "How much is (it)?"
How to use 얼마예요
It is polite, so it works with any shop owner or stranger. In traditional markets you will often hear it followed by a request for a small discount.
With friends you can say 얼마야? (casual). In formal settings, such as at a counter in a hotel, 얼마입니까? also works.
Koreans often write it wrongly as 얼마에요. The standard spelling is 얼마예요, because 얼마 ends in a vowel.
Examples
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Pointing at a scarf at a market stall
At the checkout with several items
Buying fruit at a market
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 얼마야? | How much is it? | Casual, for friends. |
| 얼마입니까? | How much is it? | Formal. |
| 이거 얼마예요? | How much is this? | The most useful shopping sentence. |
| 다 해서 얼마예요? | How much is it all together? | Asking for a total. |
| 좀 깎아 주세요 | Please give me a discount | Common at markets. |
Questions learners ask
Is it eolmayeyo or eolmaeyo?
The correct spelling is 얼마예요. After a word ending in a vowel, the polite "is" becomes 예요, so 얼마에요 is a common mistake.
How do you understand the answer?
Prices are usually given in Sino-Korean numbers plus 원 (won), for example 만 원 (10,000 won). If you are lost, ask them to show you on a calculator or phone.