Shopping, Price, and Discount Expressions

Discount Event Price Expressions

Discount event price expressions state the original price and the sale price of an item separately. '원래 가격'(original price) and '정가'(list price) refer to the value before the discount, while '세일 가격'(sale price) and '할인 가격'(discounted price) refer to the value lowered during the event period. When two values appear together, first identify which one is the price before the discount, so that you can choose the answer that fits the question.

'이십 퍼센트 할인'(20 percent off) means reducing the original price by that percentage. If an item with a list price of '만 원'(10,000 won) is discounted by 10 percent, it becomes '구천 원'(9,000 won). Questions about the price after a discount are solved by applying the discount rate to the original price.

A bundle price is a separately stated amount that applies when several items are bought together. A bundle price is not simply a multiple of the price of one item, so you must listen for the price of one item and the bundle price separately.

Event announcements use conditional expressions such as '~하면 ~해 드립니다'(if you do ~, we will do ~ for you), '어느 시각 이후'(after a certain time), and '며칠까지'(until a certain day). A discount applies only when the conditions are met, so you must check both the time and the purchase quantity. When a sale may end early because stock runs out, the event period may be shorter than the date announced.

The purpose of a broadcast announcing a discount event is to convey information such as the discount period, the prices, and the conditions. You must distinguish it from other announcements, such as changes to parking or business hours. '세일'(sale) is a word that refers to an event in which goods are sold at prices lower than usual.

A paper or electronic coupon that reduces the price when presented at checkout is called a discount coupon. Coupons often have conditions such as the number of uses or the valid period, so you must check them. The receipt you get after paying proves that you made the purchase, so you must distinguish it from a discount coupon.

Market and Fruit Purchase Expressions

When buying fruit at a market, you should learn the expressions for the condition, taste, unit, and ordering of the products together. '신선하다'(fresh) means freshly harvested or not spoiled, and '새로 들어왔다'(newly arrived) means that the goods were brought into the store not long ago. When describing taste, use adjectives that express flavor, such as '달다'(sweet), '시다'(sour), and '싱겁다'(bland).

The counting unit for fruit differs depending on the type and the packaging. Apples and pears are counted with '개'(piece), grapes are counted with '송이'(bunch), and fruit sold in boxes or bags, such as strawberries or tangerines, is ordered by the '상자'(box) or '봉지'(bag) unit. For this reason, when asking the price, you include the unit, as in '한 개에 얼마예요?'(How much is it per piece?).

'따다'(to pick) means removing fruit from a tree or a field, and '따 온 것'(freshly picked ones) means fruit that was brought right after harvesting. Because you can taste fruit before choosing at a fruit shop, expressions asking for a sample, such as '먹어 봐도 돼요?'(May I try one?), are also used.

A market is a place to choose and buy foods such as fruit, vegetables, and snacks. A customer chooses goods, pays for them, and may also ask for a bag separately to carry the goods. When a situation involves choosing products and paying for them, the place is a market.

Clothing Purchase Vocabulary

When choosing clothes, you describe the type, size, and color separately. Types of clothing include '코트'(coat), '바지'(pants), '치마'(skirt), '셔츠'(shirt), and '원피스'(dress). Size is also called '사이즈'(size), and you ask for a different size by saying expressions such as '큰 사이즈'(a larger size) or '한 치수 큰 것'(one size bigger). A store that sells such items is a clothing store.

'입어 보다'(to try on) means putting clothes on the body to check whether they fit. In a clothing store, you try on items in a fitting room before buying them. '입어 봐도 될까요?'(May I try it on?) is an expression used to ask for permission to try something on.

'다 팔렸다'(sold out) means that all of the goods have been sold and none are left. In this case, the clerk suggests another color or another product, and the customer agrees and responds by asking to see it. A customer who receives a suggestion should respond by accepting or declining it so that the conversation continues naturally.

Comparing Home Appliance Purchases

When buying home appliances, you compare them by criteria such as price, performance, noise, battery, and warranty period. For laptops, the main points are battery life and warranty period, and for robot vacuum cleaners, the main points are cleaning method and charging method. Listening to each criterion separately makes it easier to find the reason a speaker hesitates to buy.

'-지만'(but) is used to connect a strength and a weakness, and the criteria before and after it contrast. Saying that the price is low but the performance is poor contrasts the two criteria. Also, '-대요'(it is said that) is used to convey what one heard from someone else, so you must distinguish whose words they are.

'-더라고요'(I found that) is used to say something learned from one's own experience. It expresses that the speaker personally confirmed that the price is higher than expected, so it must be distinguished from something heard from another person.

'그래도'(still, even so) is used to state a decision while acknowledging a previous drawback. Even if the price is high, saying that one will still try it connects the preceding and following statements in opposite directions.

At a shop that sells electronic products, conversations about how long a product lasts or about installation services take place. The remark that a technician will come to the home after purchase and set up the product is typical of an electronics store.

Requests for Exchange, Refund, and Cancellation

A refund is receiving back the money paid for an item, and an exchange is swapping it for a different item of the same value. A cancellation means undoing a payment or an order as if it never happened. Since these three requests differ in what the customer wants, you must first determine what the customer wants.

When requesting a refund, check the receipt and the condition of the product. A later drop in price is not a problem with the product, so it is not a reason for a refund. You must distinguish between a customer saying they are upset and a valid reason for a refund.

When a payment has been charged incorrectly, the seller first apologizes, checks the matter, and responds that the charge will be cancelled. When the customer asks what to do, it is natural to answer by giving a concrete solution.

When a customer asks you to check a receipt, respond with '영수증을 확인해 볼게요'(I will check the receipt), and say '잠시만 기다려 주세요'(Please wait a moment) while checking. The same flow applies when answering a customer who asks for a refund because there is a problem with a food item.

Product Warranty and Repair Service

The warranty period is the period during which the manufacturer repairs a product free of charge under the warranty terms when it breaks down. If a malfunction falls under the warranty terms within the warranty period, it can be fixed at no cost. After the period has passed, you must pay the repair fee. So when something breaks, first check the purchase date and the warranty period.

A service center is the official repair counter run by the manufacturer, and a repair shop is an ordinary store that fixes devices. If someone suggests going to a service center, it means you should get an official inspection. You must distinguish between the two places to judge warranty and cost issues accurately.

Describe malfunction symptoms with expressions such as '자꾸 꺼지다'(keeps turning off), '뜨거워지다'(gets hot), and '배터리가 금방 없어지다'(the battery runs out quickly). Adding when the problem started, such as '업데이트를 하고 나서부터'(since I updated), gives a clue for finding the cause. Knowing symptom expressions helps you judge where the device should be repaired.

A repair shop is the place where devices are inspected and fixed. A place where requests to check the battery condition are exchanged is also a repair shop.

Asking and Answering About Prices

The basic expression for asking about a price is '얼마예요?'(How much is it?). Point at an item and ask '이거 얼마예요?'(How much is this?), and answer with an amount, such as '만 원이에요'(It is 10,000 won). Since '얼마' is an interrogative asking for a value, answering with '네'(yes) or '아니요'(no) does not match the question.

Price amounts are read by attaching '만'(man), '천'(cheon), and '백'(baek) to the number, as in '삼만 오천 원'(35,000 won). Prices in units of a thousand won are read in sequence, as in '삼천이백 원'(3,200 won).

'어디'(where), '언제'(when), and '얼마'(how much) have different answers, so you must distinguish them. Answer questions about a place with a location, questions about time with a date or time, and '얼마' with an amount. An answer that gives a time or place to a price question is wrong.