The “Excuse Me” Strategy: Using “Chogiyo” vs. “Sillyehamnida” Correctly

Two Words, One Problem

Every traveler in Korea hits the same wall within the first day. You’re sitting at a restaurant, your water glass is empty, and the server walks past three times without making eye contact. Or you need to squeeze past someone blocking a subway door and you don’t want to just silently shove through. You know you should say something — but what? Most phrasebooks give you a single “excuse me” translation and call it done. That’s exactly where things go wrong.

Korean has two completely different phrases for what English speakers lump under “excuse me,” and using the wrong one in the wrong place doesn’t just sound odd — it can come across as rude, overly stiff, or confusingly out of context. In 2026, with more Independent travelers navigating Korea without tour guides, getting this right is genuinely useful. This article breaks down both phrases completely so you can use them the way a local would.

What These Two Phrases Actually Are

Before anything else, here are the two phrases side by side:

• 저기요 — Romanized: Jeo-gi-yo (often written “Chogiyo” in older guides, but the J pronunciation is closer to the actual sound)
• 실례합니다 — Romanized: Sil-lye-ham-ni-da

저기요 is a casual-to-neutral attention-getter. Broken down literally, 저기 means “over there” and 요 is a politeness particle added to the end of sentences in everyday Korean. So you’re essentially saying “hey, over there” — but politely. It’s the phrase you use when you want someone’s attention who is not currently focused on you.

실례합니다 is a formal expression of apology for an interruption. 실례 (sillyé) means “rudeness” or “impropriety,” and 합니다 (hamnida) is the formal verb ending meaning “I do” or “I am doing.” Together it translates roughly as “I am being rude” or “I am committing an impropriety” — essentially a preemptive apology for physically or socially intruding on someone’s space or attention.

These two phrases are not interchangeable. One is a summons. The other is an apology. Understanding that difference is the entire game.

When to Use 저기요 — Calling for Attention in Service Situations

저기요 is your go-to phrase in almost every everyday service context. Think of it as the polite equivalent of raising your hand in a restaurant, flagging down a taxi driver, or tapping the counter at a shop to say “hello, I need help here.”

The most common uses include:

• Getting a server’s attention at a restaurant or café
• Calling to a shopkeeper who has their back turned
• Flagging a taxi driver who is about to pass you
• Getting the attention of a bus driver to ask about a stop
• Asking a stranger on the street for directions

In a restaurant specifically, this phrase carries real practical weight. Many Korean restaurants — especially traditional ones and local spots — do not have a table-side button system. Even where they do, some older establishments still expect you to call verbally. You make eye contact with a staff member (or simply project your voice toward the counter), say 저기요 clearly, and they will come to you. It works the way a bell at a hotel desk works — it’s a summons, not an apology.

The phrase works at a moderate conversational volume. You don’t need to shout it across a crowded space, but you do need to say it with enough confidence that it carries. The rising intonation on the final 요 is natural and expected — it signals that you’re being polite rather than demanding.

When to Use 실례합니다 — Physical Interruption and Formal Moments

실례합니다 is the phrase for when you are the one doing the intruding — physically, spatially, or socially. If 저기요 is a summons, 실례합니다 is a social cushion you lay down before doing something that might bother someone.

The clearest use cases:

• Squeezing past people in a crowded subway car to reach the door
• Walking in front of someone who is actively looking at something (a map, a display board, another person)
• Entering a space where people are already gathered — a meeting room, a small shop where two people are in conversation, a temple during prayer
• Interrupting someone who is mid-conversation to ask them something
• Approaching someone who appears elderly or senior to you in a clearly formal setting

On the Seoul Metro, during peak hours, the physical pressure of people packed into a Line 2 train is something you feel in your chest. When you need to push toward the exit at Hongdae or Gangnam station, a quiet but clear 실례합니다 as you start moving creates a small social acknowledgment that you are not just shoving — you are a person apologizing for a necessary intrusion. Most Koreans on a crowded train won’t say anything at all (silence is often fine), but for foreigners it helps signal awareness of others, which is noticed and appreciated.

실례합니다 also appears in more formal professional contexts. If you walk into a Korean office or government building and approach a desk where someone is clearly working, this phrase is the right opener before your question. It acknowledges that you are interrupting their work, which is a social grace that lands well.

The Social Logic Behind the Difference

To understand why these two phrases are not interchangeable, you need to understand something about how Korean social interaction is structured. Korean communication places heavy weight on 눈치 (nunchi) — the ability to read a room, sense the social atmosphere, and respond appropriately without being told directly what to do. Part of nunchi is recognizing where you stand in relation to others in any given moment: are you the one seeking, or the one interrupting?

When you use 저기요, you are the seeker. You have a need. You are calling someone into a role (server, helper, guide) that they are already there to fill. The phrase is socially appropriate because it acknowledges the service relationship — you’re not apologizing for having needs, you’re simply activating a normal interaction.

When you use 실례합니다, the dynamic is reversed. You are entering someone else’s space or flow. The word itself contains the concept of rudeness — by saying it, you preemptively acknowledge that what you’re about to do is a small social violation. That acknowledgment is what makes it acceptable. Korean social etiquette often works this way: the act of naming a potential offense neutralizes it.

Using 실례합니다 in a restaurant to call a server is an error that Koreans will understand but will register as slightly odd — it implies you believe you are intruding on the server’s personal time, when in fact calling them is their job. Conversely, using 저기요 while squeezing past someone on the subway isn’t wrong per se, but it sounds more like you’re summoning them rather than apologizing, which can land strangely.

Neither mistake will cause a serious social problem. But using the right phrase signals that you understand the social logic of the moment, which is far more impressive to Koreans than simply knowing vocabulary.

Pronunciation Guide — Getting Heard Without Sounding Awkward

Knowing the phrase intellectually and being able to produce it in a real situation are two different things. Here’s how to get the sounds right for both.

저기요 (Jeo-gi-yo)

• 저 (jeo): The vowel here is a mid-back unrounded vowel — somewhere between the “u” in “cup” and the “o” in “cord.” Don’t say it like “Joe.” Say it like you’re starting to say “jug” but stop before you close the vowel.
• 기 (gi): A soft “g” sound followed by a clean “ee.” Not hard like “gear” — lighter than that.
• 요 (yo): This is the politeness particle. It sounds exactly like the English “yo” but your voice should naturally rise slightly here, signaling politeness rather than demand.

Put together: juh-gi-yo, with a slight upswing at the end. The whole word takes about one second to say. It’s meant to carry — project it slightly without yelling.

실례합니다 (Sil-lye-ham-ni-da)

• 실 (sil): Exactly like the English “sill” (as in windowsill).
• 례 (lye): This is where people stumble. The consonant is an “r/l” hybrid unique to Korean — not fully “r” and not fully “l.” Say “lye” (as in the soap chemical) and you’re close enough.
• 합 (ham): Say “hum” but with a flatter “a” — “ham” like the meat works fine.
• 니다 (ni-da): “Nee-da.” Even stress on both syllables.

Full phrase: sil-lye-ham-ni-da. Five syllables said at a moderate, even pace. This phrase is longer and inherently more formal-sounding than 저기요, which is part of its social function — the extra syllables signal that you’re taking the intrusion seriously.

A common mistake is to rush 실례합니다 when nervous. The hurried version sounds garbled. Slow it down slightly — in formal moments, deliberateness reads as respect.

Common Mistakes Foreigners Make — and How Locals Read Them

Understanding the mistakes is as useful as understanding the rules, because it shows you exactly what impression you create when you go wrong.

Using 실례합니다 to call a server

This happens when travelers over-prepare with a formal phrasebook and internalize “polite = formal.” Calling a server with 실례합니다 sounds like you’re apologizing for existing, or that you’re treating a casual dining interaction like a formal ceremony. The server will still respond, but there will be a half-second pause where they recalibrate. Use 저기요 instead.

Using 저기요 when physically pushing past someone

This sends a mildly confusing signal. 저기요 means you want something from the person — using it while physically moving past them implies you need their help, when actually you just need them to step aside. It’s not offensive, but it’s socially mismatched. 실례합니다 fits the physical intrusion context correctly.

Saying nothing at all

This is the most common default for anxious travelers, and it’s often worse than using the wrong phrase. Silence in a situation that calls for a verbal acknowledgment — especially while physically intruding on someone’s space — reads as indifference. Korean social culture values acknowledgment. A slightly imperfect phrase said with clear intent is always better than no phrase.

Mispronouncing 저기요 as “chogi-yo”

Many older English-language guides romanize this as “chogiyo,” which leads to an aspirated “ch” sound that doesn’t match the actual pronunciation. Koreans will recognize it, but the mismatch in sound can make the phrase less recognizable when you need it to work fast. Practice the softer “j” sound from the start.

Expanding Your Toolkit — Related Phrases That Work Alongside Both

Once you have these two phrases internalized, a handful of follow-up expressions will make the interaction flow naturally instead of stopping dead after your opener.

After 저기요 (you’ve gotten the server’s attention):

• 이거 주세요 (i-geo ju-se-yo) — “Please give me this one.” Point to the menu item. Works every time.
• 물 주세요 (mul ju-se-yo) — “Water, please.” Essential.
• 계산해 주세요 (gye-san-hae ju-se-yo) — “Please calculate (the bill).” This is how you ask for the check.



• 영수증 주세요 (yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo) — “Receipt, please.” Useful for expense tracking.

After 실례합니다 (you’ve interrupted someone or are asking for help):

• 어디에 있어요? (eo-di-e i-sseo-yo?) — “Where is [it]?” Point or gesture to clarify what you mean.
• 잠깐만요 (jam-kkan-man-yo) — “Just a moment” or “one second.” Use this if you need someone to wait briefly while you find your T-Money card or check your map.
• 죄송합니다 (joe-song-ham-ni-da) — “I’m sorry.” A genuine apology, stronger than 실례합니다. Use this if you accidentally step on someone’s foot or knock something over.

The difference between 실례합니다 and 죄송합니다 is worth remembering: 실례합니다 is a pre-apology for a necessary intrusion (I’m about to do something slightly disruptive), while 죄송합니다 is a post-apology for an actual mistake (I did something that hurt or bothered you). Mixing them up won’t cause offense, but using them correctly shows genuine understanding of Korean social registers.

2026 Budget Reality — Language Learning Resources

Learning these phrases properly before you arrive is worth a small investment of time or money. Here’s what’s available in 2026 across price tiers:

Budget (Free to 10,000 KRW / ~$7 USD)

• Naver Dictionary app (free): The gold standard for Korean vocabulary. Every entry includes audio pronunciation by native speakers. Look up 저기요 and 실례합니다 and listen to them back-to-back — the tonal difference is immediately obvious.
• Papago (free): Naver’s translation app has a voice input feature. Record yourself saying the phrase and it will attempt to recognize your pronunciation, giving you informal feedback.
• YouTube — “Learn Korean with TTMIK” (free): Talk To Me In Korean has free video content covering basic social phrases. Their explanations of politeness levels are among the clearest available in English.

Mid-Range (10,000–50,000 KRW / ~$7–37 USD)

• TTMIK Level 1 PDF textbook (~12,000 KRW / ~$9): Downloadable, covers Hangul basics plus common social phrases in structured lessons. Good if you have 2–3 weeks before your trip.



• Pimsleur Korean Level 1 (monthly subscription) (~35,000 KRW / ~$26): Audio-only, good for learning pronunciation in your commute. The first unit covers exactly the type of service interaction phrases in this article.

Comfortable (50,000 KRW+ / $37+ USD)

• italki one-on-one Korean lesson (~50,000–80,000 KRW / ~$37–59 per hour): Book a single session with a Korean community tutor specifically to practice service and street phrases. An hour of focused conversation practice with a native speaker is worth more than ten hours of passive app use.
• KoreanClass101 annual subscription (~90,000 KRW / ~$67): Extensive audio and video library covering beginner through intermediate. In 2026, the platform has added AI-driven pronunciation scoring that gives specific feedback on individual syllables — useful for nailing the 실례합니다 cluster.

Realistically, for a two-week trip, one or two hours with a free app plus a single paid tutoring session will take you further than any amount of passive reading. The goal isn’t fluency — it’s getting these phrases to the point where they come out naturally under the mild stress of a real interaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 저기요 rude or too casual to use with strangers?

No — 저기요 is genuinely polite in service and everyday street contexts. The 요 ending makes it appropriate for adult strangers. It would only sound insufficient in a highly formal setting, like addressing a senior official or professor, where 실례합니다 or a full formal greeting is expected instead.

Can I use 실례합니다 if I just want to say “excuse me” after a small social awkwardness, like a near-collision on the street?

Yes — for a near-miss or brief unintended body contact, 실례합니다 works well. If you actually bump into someone hard enough to affect them, escalate to 죄송합니다 (joe-song-ham-ni-da), which carries more weight as a genuine apology rather than a preemptive courtesy phrase.

What if I forget both phrases and just say “excuse me” in English?

Koreans in tourist-heavy areas will understand “excuse me” in English and respond helpfully. But outside Seoul’s main tourist zones in 2026, English recognition drops significantly. Having even one of these Korean phrases ready shows effort, and that effort genuinely shifts how locals respond to you — warmer, more patient, more willing to help.

Do younger Koreans use these phrases the same way as older generations?

Largely yes, though younger Koreans in casual settings sometimes skip verbal phrases altogether — a slight bow or hand gesture can substitute for 실례합니다 among peers. But for a foreigner, using the full phrase is always safer. It’s impossible to over-polite with these two expressions. Under-politing — saying nothing — is the actual social risk.

Are there regional differences in how these phrases are used across Korea?

The phrases themselves are standard Korean and understood everywhere. Regional dialects (satoori) in places like Busan, Daegu, and Jeju use different vocabulary in casual speech, but 저기요 and 실례합니다 are both standard Korean and will land correctly in any part of the country. If a local responds to you in thick Busan dialect, that’s a separate challenge — but your opener will be understood.

Explore more
Polite vs. Casual: When to Use the “-Yo” Ending to Avoid Being Rude
“Juseyo” Mastery: 10 Essential Phrases for Ordering Anything in Korea
The 1-Hour Hangul Challenge: How to Read Menus and Signs Before You Land

📷 Featured image by Thomas Roger Lux on Unsplash.