은행과 우체국에서At the Bank and Post Office
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- State a banking or postal task, such as opening an account, exchanging money, or sending a package.
- Ask for and give the information required to fill out a simple form, using -이/가 어떻게 되세요? and related patterns.
- Use Sino-Korean numbers together with 원 to state and confirm amounts of money.
- Describe quantities and weights using expanded counters relevant to packages and mail.
- Say what is needed for a transaction using -이/가 필요하다.
- Interact politely at a bank or post office counter, including waiting, confirming information, and following up.
- Read and listen to short exchanges about banking and postal transactions.
- Write a short form-style message stating a transaction request and personal information.
Communication Scenario
라일라's appointments from Chapter 7 are settled, and her weekend is now free for two errands she has been putting off: opening a Korean bank account so her scholarship stipend can be deposited directly, and sending a birthday package to her family back home. Both tasks require her to state a clear purpose, provide personal information clearly and in order, and understand and produce numbers for money, weight, and quantity. This chapter builds on the request and time-negotiation language from Chapter 7 and introduces form-filling language and money/quantity expressions that 라일라 can use at any counter-service transaction.
- This chapter introduces form-filling language (asking for and giving personal information) and the productive use of Sino-Korean numbers with 원 and expanded counters for packages and quantities.
- Everyday polite speech level, softened requests, and 에게/한테 continue from Chapters 1 through 7.
- Assessment in this chapter focuses on completing a bank or post office transaction clearly, accurately, and politely.
Core Vocabulary
The vocabulary below supports opening an account, exchanging money, and sending mail or packages. Approximately 30–50 productive items are expected for this chapter; the table shows a representative core set.
| Korean | Meaning | Use / Pattern | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 은행 | bank | 은행에 가요. | Sino-Korean |
| 우체국 | post office | 우체국에서 소포를 보내요. | Sino-Korean compound |
| 계좌 | account | 계좌를 만들고 싶어요. | Sino-Korean |
| 계좌를 만들다 | to open an account | action verb phrase; ㄹ stem | 만들어요 |
| 통장 | bankbook, passbook | 통장이 필요해요. | native + Sino compound |
| 신분증 | identification card | 신분증이 있어야 해요. | Sino-Korean |
| 돈을 바꾸다 | to exchange money | 달러를 원으로 바꿔요. | recycled 바꾸다 |
| 환전하다 | to exchange currency | action verb; 환전해요 | Sino-Korean compound |
| 돈을 넣다 / 돈을 찾다 | to deposit / to withdraw money | 돈을 좀 넣고 싶어요. | |
| 이체하다 | to transfer (money) | action verb; 이체해요 | Sino-Korean |
| 수수료 | fee, commission | 수수료가 얼마예요? | Sino-Korean |
| 소포 | package, parcel | 소포를 보내고 싶어요. | Sino-Korean |
| 편지 | letter | 편지를 써요. | native + Sino compound |
| 우표 | stamp | 우표를 붙여요. | Sino-Korean |
| 봉투 | envelope | 봉투에 넣어요. | Sino-Korean |
| 무게 | weight | 무게가 얼마예요? | native Korean |
| 그램 / 킬로그램 | gram / kilogram | 이 킬로그램이에요. | loanword, Sino-Korean numbers |
| 배송 / 배송비 | delivery / shipping fee | 배송비가 얼마예요? | Sino-Korean |
| 국제 / 국내 | international / domestic | 국제 소포예요. | Sino-Korean |
| 며칠 걸리다 | to take a number of days | 며칠 걸려요? | recycled 걸리다 pattern |
| 신청서 | application form | 신청서를 써 주세요. | Sino-Korean |
| 작성하다 | to fill out (a form) | action verb; 작성해요 | Sino-Korean |
| 서명하다 | to sign | action verb; 서명해요 | Sino-Korean |
| 이름 / 생년월일 / 주소 / 전화번호 | name / date of birth / address / phone number | 이름이 어떻게 되세요? | form fields, recycled and expanded |
| -이/가 어떻게 되세요? | What is your… (polite)? | 주소가 어떻게 되세요? | form-request pattern |
| -이/가 필요하다 | … is needed | 신분증이 필요해요. | requirement pattern |
| 원 | won (Korean currency unit) | 오만 원이에요. | Sino-Korean numbers only |
| 달러 | dollar | 백 달러를 바꿔요. | loanword |
| 번호표를 뽑다 | to take a number (ticket) | 번호표를 뽑고 기다려요. | recycled from Chapter 7 |
| 차례 | turn (in line) | 제 차례예요. | native Korean |
Receptive support in this chapter includes a small, clearly marked set of additional banking and postal nouns encountered in the reading and listening passages, such as 환율 (exchange rate) and 등기 (registered mail). These items are not required for independent production.
Pronunciation Focus
This chapter reinforces Sino-Korean number pronunciation with 원, including liaison across large numbers, and reviews the batchim behavior of 원 before a following vowel-initial particle. It introduces no new sound-change rule.
Money amounts use Sino-Korean numbers, read in blocks of four digits (만, 억, and so on) rather than blocks of three as in English. 오만 원 ("fifty thousand won") is read as 오 (5) + 만 (10,000), not as separate thousands. When 원 follows a syllable ending in a consonant, such as 칠천 원, keep the batchim clearly released before pronouncing 원 so the amount stays intelligible. Learners commonly try to group Korean numbers the way English groups thousands; this leads to hesitation with amounts above 9,999.
오만 원이에요 · 이 소포는 칠천 원이에요 · 신분증이 있어야 해요
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter activates two new productive systems: form-filling language for requesting and giving personal information, and money/quantity expressions using Sino-Korean numbers with 원 and expanded counters. Requests, softening, and 에게/한테 continue from earlier chapters.
New: asking for information with -이/가 어떻게 되세요?
To politely ask for a piece of information such as a name, address, or phone number, use [noun] + 이/가 어떻게 되세요? This pattern is more polite than a direct question with 뭐예요? and is standard at counters, offices, and other formal service settings.
| Pattern | Example | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| 이름이 어떻게 되세요? | 성함이 어떻게 되세요? | What is your name? (formal alternative with 성함) |
| 주소가 어떻게 되세요? | 주소가 어떻게 되세요? | What is your address? |
| 전화번호가 어떻게 되세요? | 전화번호가 어떻게 되세요? | What is your phone number? |
[noun] + 이/가 + 어떻게 되세요?
The noun to be requested takes 이/가; 어떻게 되세요? literally asks "how does it become," functioning as a polite request for information rather than a direct question.
생년월일이 어떻게 되세요?
What is your date of birth?
New: stating a requirement with -이/가 필요하다
To say that something is needed for a transaction, use [noun] + 이/가 필요하다. 필요하다 is a descriptive verb and follows the same everyday polite pattern as other descriptive verbs.
- 계좌를 만들려면 신분증이 필요해요. You need identification to open an account. 신분증 + 이 + 필요하다 (recognition-only 으려면 clause, glossed)
- 소포를 보내려면 봉투가 필요해요. You need an envelope to send a package. 봉투 + 가 + 필요하다
- 이거 필요해요? Do you need this? 쓰다 form with pronoun subject omitted
The connector -(으)려면 ("if you want to...") appears above only as a glossed, formulaic frame around 필요하다 sentences. It is not an independent productive target of this chapter and will be developed in a later chapter.
New: money and quantity with Sino-Korean numbers
Money amounts, weights in grams and kilograms, and fees all use Sino-Korean numbers. Practice reading amounts in blocks of 만 (ten-thousand) rather than English-style thousands.
- 오만 원 넣고 싶어요. I'd like to deposit fifty thousand won. 오만 (Sino-Korean) + 원 + 넣다
- 이 소포는 이 킬로그램이에요. This package is two kilograms. 이 (Sino-Korean) + 킬로그램
- 배송비는 칠천 원이에요. The shipping fee is seven thousand won. 칠천 (Sino-Korean) + 원
Both 어떻게 되세요? and 뭐예요? can ask for information, but 어떻게 되세요? is the more polite and standard choice at banks, offices, and other formal counters, since it avoids a bare, direct question about the other person's personal details. Compare the more casual 이름이 뭐예요? with the more polite 이름이 어떻게 되세요?, which is expected in the service encounters of this chapter.
Review: 에게/한테 with transaction verbs
- 직원한테 신분증을 보여 줬어요. I showed the staff member my ID. recycled from Chapter 7
- 가족한테 소포를 보내요. I'm sending a package to my family. 한테 + 보내다
Review: polite requests with -아/어 주세요
- 신청서 좀 작성해 주세요. Please fill out the application form. softening 좀 + -아/어 주세요, recycled from Chapters 6-7
Practice — Building form-filling and money sentences
- Choose a task (opening an account, exchanging money, sending a package) and state it clearly.
- Give or ask for one piece of personal information using -이/가 어떻게 되세요?.
- Say what is required for the task using -이/가 필요하다.
- State an amount of money or a weight using a Sino-Korean number.
Model Dialogue
Setting: 라일라 goes to a bank to open an account for her scholarship stipend.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- What does 라일라 want to do at the bank?
- What does she need to bring, and does she have it?
- What three pieces of information does the staff member ask for?
- How much money does 라일라 deposit?
Guided Practice
Complete each task using vocabulary and patterns from this chapter and earlier chapters.
- Write a sentence asking someone's address using -이/가 어떻게 되세요?.
- Write a sentence saying what is needed for a transaction using -이/가 필요하다.
- Write a sentence stating an amount of money using a Sino-Korean number and 원.
- Write a sentence using 에게/한테 to say who you are sending something to.
- Write a softened request asking someone to fill out or sign a form.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a language partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud. Listen twice without reading, then complete the tasks below.
우체국에서
민수는 가족한테 소포를 보내고 싶어요. 그래서 우체국에 갔어요. 직원은 소포의 무게를 확인했어요. 소포는 이 킬로그램이었어요. 직원은 민수한테 받는 사람의 주소가 어떻게 되는지 물어봤어요. 민수는 국제 소포라서 며칠 걸리는지 물어봤어요. 직원은 일주일쯤 걸린다고 했어요. 배송비는 만오천 원이었어요.
듣기 과제 — Listening task: Listen and answer in English.
| 질문 | 답 |
|---|---|
| What does 민수 want to do, and how much does the package weigh? | ______ |
| What does the staff member ask 민수 for? | ______ |
| How long will it take, and how much is the shipping fee? | ______ |
받아쓰기 — Dictation: Your partner or instructor reads two sentences from the passage above, once each at natural speed. Write what you hear in Hangeul, then check your spacing, particles, and number pronunciation.
- (the sentence describing the package's weight)
- (the sentence describing the shipping fee)
Reading Practice
Below is a short message that 라일라 sent to a classmate after opening her bank account. Read it and answer the questions below. No romanization is provided.
계좌를 만들었어요
지영아, 안녕! 오늘 은행에 가서 계좌를 만들었어. 신분증이 필요해서 여권을 가지고 갔어. 직원한테 이름이랑 주소, 전화번호를 말했어. 그리고 오만 원을 넣었어. 통장도 받았어! 이제 장학금을 이 계좌로 받을 수 있어. 그런데 수수료가 좀 있는 것 같아. 너도 계좌 있어? 다음에 같이 은행에 가자.
This passage recycles polite everyday speech level, request and information vocabulary, and productively uses -이/가 필요하다 and Sino-Korean numbers with 원. Only vocabulary and grammar activated through Chapter 8 are used. Note: this message is addressed to a close friend, so it uses casual intimate endings such as -아/-어 and -자 rather than -아요/어요; learners should recognize this register shift receptively but are not expected to produce casual/intimate endings productively at this stage.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- What did 라일라 do at the bank today?
- What did she bring, and why?
- How much money did she deposit, and what will she receive through this account?
Writing Workshop
This chapter's writing task is a short form-style message stating a transaction request and personal information: 거래 신청 메시지 ("A Transaction Request Message").
- Open politely. Greet the reader and identify yourself if needed.
- State the purpose. Say what banking or postal task you want to complete.
- Give personal information. State at least two pieces of information (name, address, phone number) as if completing a form.
- State a requirement. Use -이/가 필요하다 to say what is needed for the task.
- Give an amount. Use a Sino-Korean number with 원, 그램, or 킬로그램.
- Close politely. Thank the reader and ask for confirmation if needed.
- Revise. Check your draft against the editing checklist below.
체크리스트 — Editing checklist:
- The message names a specific banking or postal task.
- At least two pieces of personal information are stated clearly and in order.
- At least one -이/가 필요하다 sentence is used correctly.
- At least one Sino-Korean number with 원, 그램, or 킬로그램 is used correctly.
- Speech level is consistent everyday polite -아요/어요 throughout.
- Only Hangeul is used; no romanization appears in the final draft.
- No grammar, particle, or vocabulary item beyond Chapter 8 appears in the text.
Speaking Practice
통제 연습 — Controlled practice: 정보 묻고 답하기
Practice asking and answering three pieces of personal information aloud, each with -이/가 어떻게 되세요?, until the pattern feels automatic.
의사소통 과제 — Communicative task: 은행/우체국 가기
With a partner, role-play the Model Dialogue situation for a different task (exchanging money or sending a package). One partner plays the customer stating a task and giving information; the other plays the staff member, who should ask for a form field and confirm an amount.
혼자 하는 연습 — Solo alternative
Record yourself completing a real or imagined bank or post office transaction, stating your purpose, providing three pieces of information, and confirming an amount of money.
Culture and Communication
Foreign residents in South Korea, including students, generally need a valid form of identification, such as a passport or Alien Registration Card, to open a bank account, and some banks may also ask for a document confirming enrollment or address. Many everyday banking tasks, such as transfers and balance checks, are now commonly handled through mobile banking apps, but opening a new account in person at a branch, as in this chapter, remains a common first step.
South Korea's postal service, 우체국, handles both domestic and international mail, and staff routinely weigh packages and quote a shipping fee and estimated delivery time on the spot. Registered mail, called 등기, is a common option for important documents or valuable packages and provides tracking, though it is not required for every shipment.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Hesitating over 오만 원 by trying to build it from "fifty" and "thousand" separately, the way English does.
Correction: Read Korean numbers in blocks of 만 (ten-thousand): 오만 is simply 5 × 10,000. Practice common amounts as whole units rather than translating digit-by-digit from English.
Error: 이름이 뭐예요? spoken to a customer by bank or post office staff, which can sound too direct for the setting.
Correction: Use 이름이 어떻게 되세요? or 성함이 어떻게 되세요? in formal service settings; save 뭐예요? for casual, informal contexts.
Error: 신분증 필요해요. without a particle, which sounds incomplete in careful speech.
Correction: Include the subject particle: 신분증이 필요해요. Omission is common in fast casual speech but should not be the default in this chapter's controlled practice.
Chapter Review
Section A — 어휘 (Vocabulary)
1. List three banking-related words and two postal-related words from this chapter.
Section B — 문법 (Grammar)
1. Combine a noun and -이/가 어떻게 되세요? into one correct question.
2. Correct the error: 신분증 필요해요.
Section C — 독해 이해 (Reading Comprehension)
1. According to 라일라's message, what did she bring to the bank, and how much did she deposit?
Section D — 쓰기 (Writing)
1. Write your transaction request message following the Writing Workshop steps and checklist.
Section E — 말하기 (Speaking)
1. Role-play or record a bank or post office transaction, stating your purpose, giving personal information, and confirming an amount.
누적 복습 — Cumulative review
This chapter recycles everyday polite speech level, softening with 좀, the request pattern -아/어 주세요, and 에게/한테 from earlier chapters, while adding form-filling language and Sino-Korean money and quantity expressions. If any earlier system still feels uncertain, review the relevant chapter before continuing.
Practical Performance Task
수행 과제
거래하기 — Completing a Transaction
You will state a banking or postal task, provide personal information, state a requirement, and give an amount of money or weight, in both written and spoken form.
- Written: Write your transaction request message from the Writing Workshop.
- Spoken: Present the same content aloud as a counter interaction, as in the Model Dialogue, including at least one form-field question.
- Reflection: Write one English sentence identifying which part of this chapter — vocabulary, form-filling language, money expressions, or counter-service etiquette — you feel most confident using.
| Criterion | What is evaluated |
|---|---|
| Transaction purpose | A specific banking or postal task is clearly named |
| Form-filling language | At least two pieces of personal information are given using -이/가 어떻게 되세요? or in response to it |
| Requirement statement | At least one -이/가 필요하다 sentence is used correctly |
| Money/quantity expression | At least one Sino-Korean number with 원, 그램, or 킬로그램 is used correctly |
| Polite request | At least one -아/어 주세요 request is used correctly |
| Speech-level consistency | Everyday polite -아요/어요 maintained throughout |
| Hangeul and spacing accuracy | Accurate spelling and level-appropriate spacing throughout, no romanization |
| Scope discipline | No structures used beyond this chapter and earlier chapters |
Answer Key
Grammar Practice — Building Form-Filling and Money Sentences
1. Sample answer: 주소가 어떻게 되세요?
2. Sample answer: 계좌를 만들려면 신분증이 필요해요.
3. Sample answer: 칠천 원이에요.
4. Sample answer: 가족한테 소포를 보내요.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- 라일라 wants to open a bank account.
- She needs identification, and she has it with her.
- The staff member asks for her name, address, and phone number.
- She deposits fifty thousand won.
Listening comprehension
- 민수 wants to send a package to his family, and it weighs two kilograms.
- The staff member asks for the recipient's address.
- It will take about a week, and the shipping fee is fifteen thousand won.
Reading comprehension
- 라일라 opened a bank account today.
- She brought her passport because identification was needed.
- She deposited fifty thousand won, and she will receive her scholarship through this account.
Chapter Review — Section B
1. Sample answer: 전화번호가 어떻게 되세요?
2. Correction: 신분증이 필요해요.
Section D — Sample transaction request message
안녕하세요. 저는 계좌를 만들고 싶어요. 이름은 준호이고, 주소는 학교 기숙사예요. 계좌를 만들려면 신분증이 필요해서 여권을 가지고 왔어요. 오늘 십만 원 넣고 싶어요. 확인해 주시겠어요? 감사합니다.
Check that: a specific task is named, at least two pieces of personal information appear, one -이/가 필요하다 sentence and one Sino-Korean money expression appear correctly, speech level is consistent, and no structures beyond this chapter appear.
Looking Ahead
지금 할 수 있는 것 — What you can do now
You can state a banking or postal task, give and request personal information politely, say what is required for a transaction, and state amounts of money and quantities using Sino-Korean numbers, all in consistent everyday polite speech level.