B1 Expression Formal

잠깐 실례합니다.

jamkkan sillyehamnida.

Excuse me for a moment.

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A polite way to say 'Excuse me' when passing through a crowd or briefly interrupting someone.

  • Means: 'Excuse me for a moment' (literally: 'I am committing a brief discourtesy').
  • Used in: Crowded subways, office interruptions, or passing someone in a narrow hallway.
  • Don't confuse: With '죄송합니다' (I'm sorry), which is for actual mistakes or apologies.
🚶‍♂️ + ✋ + 🗣️ = Smooth social navigation

Explanation at your level:

This is a polite way to say 'Excuse me'. Use it when you want to pass people on the street or in the subway. It is very useful for travelers. Just say it clearly and people will move for you. It is like saying 'Sorry, I need to go through'.
At this level, you should use '잠깐 실례합니다' to be more polite than just saying '잠시만요'. It is made of '잠깐' (a moment) and '실례' (rude behavior). You are saying 'I am being a little rude for a moment'. Use it in shops or when you need to talk to a teacher.
As an intermediate learner, you should recognize this as a 'social lubricant'. It helps you interrupt conversations or meetings professionally. It uses the formal '~합니다' ending, making it safe for almost all public situations. You can also use the variation '실례지만' to ask for directions or help from strangers on the street.
This expression demonstrates your mastery of Korean social hierarchy. By acknowledging the 'Sillye' (loss of etiquette), you are performing a face-saving act for both yourself and the listener. It is particularly effective in workplace dynamics when navigating between different departments or when you must interrupt a superior's workflow without causing offense.
From a sociolinguistic perspective, '잠깐 실례합니다' functions as a performative utterance that mitigates the potential face-threat of an intrusion. The choice of '잠깐' over '잠시' can subtly signal a more immediate, physical need to pass, whereas '잠시' might imply a more abstract temporal interruption. Mastery at this level involves pairing the phrase with appropriate non-verbal cues like a micro-bow and specific intonation patterns.
Mastery of this phrase at the C2 level involves an intuitive grasp of its pragmatic nuances across various honorific systems. One must analyze how the phrase interacts with the 'Chemyeon' (face) culture and the 'In-group/Out-group' (Uri) dynamics. It serves as a classic example of 'negative politeness'—the desire to remain unimpeded. A native-like user employs this phrase to navigate the delicate balance between public necessity and private space in high-density urban environments.

Significado

A polite way to ask for a brief interruption or to pass by someone.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Physical contact with strangers is generally avoided. Instead of tapping someone to move, Koreans use '잠깐 실례합니다' or '잠시만요' while slightly bowing their head. Hierarchy is vital. When interrupting a superior, you must use the most formal version: '잠시 실례하겠습니다'. Silence is often preferred in public transport. This phrase is one of the few things people say out loud to maintain order in a crowd. In professional emails or KakaoTalk messages to clients, '실례지만...' is used to introduce a request or a question.

🎯

The Micro-Bow

Always pair this phrase with a very slight nod of the head. It doubles the politeness instantly.

⚠️

Don't Touch!

Avoid touching people's shoulders to get them to move. Use the phrase instead.

Significado

A polite way to ask for a brief interruption or to pass by someone.

🎯

The Micro-Bow

Always pair this phrase with a very slight nod of the head. It doubles the politeness instantly.

⚠️

Don't Touch!

Avoid touching people's shoulders to get them to move. Use the phrase instead.

💬

Subway Etiquette

If you are near the door, step out briefly to let others off, saying '잠깐 실례합니다' as you step back in.

Ponte a prueba

Match the situation with the most appropriate phrase.

1. Getting off a crowded bus. 2. Spilling water on a stranger. 3. Entering your boss's office.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 1-B, 2-A, 3-B

Use 'Sillyehamnida' for passage and interruptions, and 'Joesonghamnida' for accidents.

Fill in the blank to make the sentence polite.

잠깐 ______, 길 좀 비켜주시겠어요?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 실례합니다

The context of asking someone to move requires the polite 'Excuse me'.

Complete the dialogue in an office setting.

A: (Knocking on door) _______. 부장님, 서류 여기 있습니다. B: 아, 네. 수고했어요.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 잠깐 실례합니다

When entering an office, 'Sillyehamnida' is the standard polite greeting.

🎉 Puntuación: /3

Ayudas visuales

Excuse Me vs. I'm Sorry

잠깐 실례합니다
Passing through 지나갈 때
Interrupting 방해할 때
죄송합니다
Bumping into 부딪혔을 때
Making a mistake 실수했을 때

Where to use it

🚇

Public

  • • Subway
  • • Bus
  • • Street
💼

Professional

  • • Office
  • • Meeting
  • • Interview

Preguntas frecuentes

10 preguntas

Yes, it is perfectly correct. Adding '잠깐' just makes it sound a bit more natural and less abrupt.

'잠시만요' is slightly more casual and very common in restaurants. '잠깐 실례합니다' is more formal and respectful.

In that case, use '죄송합니다' (Joesonghamnida) because you actually made physical contact.

No, it sounds too formal. Use '미안' or '잠시만' instead.

Not really a slang version, but young people often just say '잠시만요~' with a long trailing 'yo'.

Use '저기요' (Jeogiyo) instead. '실례합니다' is rarely used to call someone from a distance.

It means 'discourtesy' or 'bad manners'.

Yes, it is the perfect phrase for elders as it is very respectful.

Yes, usually as '실례지만...' to introduce a request.

Only in the sense of 'I'm sorry to bother you,' not 'I'm sorry for my mistake.'

Frases relacionadas

🔗

잠시만요

similar

Just a moment

🔗

죄송합니다

contrast

I am sorry

🔗

실례지만

builds on

Excuse me, but...

🔗

지나갈게요

similar

I'm passing through

Dónde usarla

🚇

Crowded Subway

Learner: 잠깐 실례합니다. 내릴게요!

Passenger: 아, 네. 지나가세요.

neutral
💼

Office Interruption

Learner: 잠깐 실례합니다. 부장님, 서류 가져왔습니다.

Boss: 네, 거기 책상 위에 두세요.

formal
🗺️

Asking for Directions

Learner: 잠깐 실례합니다. 남대문 시장이 어디예요?

Stranger: 저쪽으로 쭉 가시면 돼요.

formal
🏢

Passing in a Hallway

Learner: 잠깐 실례합니다. 좀 지나갈게요.

Colleague: 아, 죄송합니다. 먼저 가세요.

neutral
🍜

Restaurant Interruption

Learner: 잠깐 실례합니다. 물 좀 더 주시겠어요?

Waiter: 네, 바로 가져다 드릴게요.

neutral
🛗

Elevator Entrance

Learner: 잠깐 실례합니다. 같이 타도 될까요?

Person: 네, 타세요.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine you are holding a 'JAM' 'CAN' (잠깐) and you accidentally bump into someone, so you say 'Silly-Me' (실례).

Visual Association

Picture a crowded subway car in Seoul. You are holding a small, glowing jar labeled 'MOMENT' (잠깐). As you move through the crowd, the jar clears a path like a magic lantern.

Rhyme

Jam-kan Sil-lye, move out of the way!

Story

You are at a busy Korean market. You see a delicious snack but a tall man is blocking you. You tap the air (not the man!) and say '잠깐 실례합니다'. He smiles, steps aside, and you get your snack. The phrase was your ticket to the food.

Word Web

실례 (Discourtesy)잠깐 (A moment)죄송 (Apology)미안 (Sorry)지나갈게요 (Passing through)잠시만요 (Just a second)부탁 (Request)

Desafío

Go to a crowded place (or imagine one) and say the phrase under your breath 10 times while visualizing people moving aside for you.

In Other Languages

Japanese high

すみません (Sumimasen)

Japanese 'Sumimasen' is used much more frequently as a 'Thank you'.

Chinese high

打扰一下 (Dǎrǎo yīxià)

Korean uses the concept of 'propriety' (Li), while Chinese uses 'disturb' (Darao).

Spanish moderate

Con permiso

Spanish 'Perdón' is used more for interruptions, while 'Con permiso' is for passage.

French high

Excusez-moi

French 'Pardon' is more versatile for small physical accidents.

German moderate

Entschuldigung

German uses one word for both 'Excuse me' and 'Sorry'.

Arabic moderate

لو سمحت (Law samaht)

Arabic is often used as a prefix to a request, similar to 'Sillyejiman'.

Portuguese high

Com licença

It is strictly for passage/entry, not for 'I'm sorry'.

English high

Excuse me

English 'Excuse me' has a 'What did you say?' meaning that Korean lacks.

Easily Confused

잠깐 실례합니다. vs 미안합니다

Learners use it to pass people because it translates to 'Sorry'.

Use 'Sillyehamnida' for 'Excuse me' and 'Mianhamnida' for 'I'm sorry'.

잠깐 실례합니다. vs 저기요

Both are used to get attention.

'Jeogiyo' is specifically for calling someone (like a waiter), while 'Sillyehamnida' is for interrupting an action.

Preguntas frecuentes (10)

Yes, it is perfectly correct. Adding '잠깐' just makes it sound a bit more natural and less abrupt.

'잠시만요' is slightly more casual and very common in restaurants. '잠깐 실례합니다' is more formal and respectful.

In that case, use '죄송합니다' (Joesonghamnida) because you actually made physical contact.

No, it sounds too formal. Use '미안' or '잠시만' instead.

Not really a slang version, but young people often just say '잠시만요~' with a long trailing 'yo'.

Use '저기요' (Jeogiyo) instead. '실례합니다' is rarely used to call someone from a distance.

It means 'discourtesy' or 'bad manners'.

Yes, it is the perfect phrase for elders as it is very respectful.

Yes, usually as '실례지만...' to introduce a request.

Only in the sense of 'I'm sorry to bother you,' not 'I'm sorry for my mistake.'

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