A1 Expression औपचारिक

잠시만요

16

Just a moment / Excuse me

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The essential Korean 'Swiss Army Knife' phrase for asking for a moment or politely squeezing through a crowd.

  • Means: 'Just a moment, please' or 'Excuse me' when moving past someone.
  • Used in: Elevators, phone calls, restaurants, or crowded subways.
  • Don't confuse: It is not a deep apology; use it for brief interruptions only.
⏳ + 🙏 + 🚶‍♂️ = Smooth Social Navigation

Explanation at your level:

This is a very simple and important phrase. It means 'Wait a moment.' You use it when you need a little time. For example, if you are looking for your money in a shop, you say '잠시만요.' It is polite because it has '요' at the end. Everyone in Korea uses it every day.
At this level, you should know that '잠시만요' is used for two main things: asking someone to wait and asking someone to move so you can pass. It comes from '잠시' (short time) and '만' (only). It is more polite than '잠깐만' because of the '요'. You can use it with strangers and teachers.
As an intermediate learner, you'll notice '잠시만요' functions as a pragmatic marker. It signals a transition in conversation or physical movement. While '잠깐만요' is a near-synonym, '잠시만요' is often preferred in service industries or professional settings because the Sino-Korean root {暫時|잠시} sounds slightly more refined. It's often followed by a reason, like '잠시만요, 확인해 볼게요.'
In upper-intermediate contexts, '잠시만요' is understood as a tool for managing social flow. It's not just about time; it's about acknowledging the 'interruption' of the shared social space. You should be able to distinguish between this and '실례합니다', which is a more formal 'Excuse me' for starting a conversation with a stranger. '잠시만요' is more functional and immediate.
Advanced analysis reveals that '잠시만요' serves to mitigate the potential face-threat of an interruption. By using the restrictive particle '만', the speaker minimizes their request, adhering to the politeness principle of 'minimizing the cost to the listener.' It is a quintessential example of how Korean grammar encodes social hierarchy and relational distance through simple morphological markers.
At a near-native level, one masters the prosodic nuances of '잠시만요'. The intonation can shift it from a humble request to a firm command (e.g., when a police officer says it). Furthermore, the C2 learner understands the sociolinguistic implications of choosing between the native '잠깐' and the Sino-Korean '잠시' to navigate different levels of 'Gyeok-sik' (formality) and 'Ui-rye' (etiquette) in high-stakes corporate or diplomatic environments.

मतलब

Used to ask someone to wait briefly or to get attention politely.

🌍

सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि

In the fast-paced 'Pali-pali' culture, saying '잠시만요' is a vital social signal. It prevents collisions in crowded cities like Seoul. In Korean offices, interrupting a superior is generally avoided, but if necessary, '잠시만요' followed by a bow is the standard polite entry. Waiters and clerks use this phrase to manage multiple customers, signaling that they have acknowledged you even if they can't serve you yet. On Korean social media or live streams (like V-Live or AfreecaTV), stars use this when they need to step away from the camera.

🎯

The Hand Gesture

When saying '잠시만요' to pass through a crowd, slightly extend one hand forward (palm vertical) to act as a gentle 'plow'. It's very common in Korea.

⚠️

Don't drop the 'Yo'

Saying just '잠시만' to a stranger can make you sound like an angry or rude person. Always keep the 'yo'!

मतलब

Used to ask someone to wait briefly or to get attention politely.

🎯

The Hand Gesture

When saying '잠시만요' to pass through a crowd, slightly extend one hand forward (palm vertical) to act as a gentle 'plow'. It's very common in Korea.

⚠️

Don't drop the 'Yo'

Saying just '잠시만' to a stranger can make you sound like an angry or rude person. Always keep the 'yo'!

💬

The Tone Matters

Say it with a slightly rising, melodic tone to sound extra polite. A flat, low tone can sound impatient.

खुद को परखो

You are on a crowded bus and need to get to the door. What do you say?

Which phrase is most appropriate?

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: 잠시만요

잠시만요 is the standard way to ask people to move so you can pass.

Complete the polite sentence.

잠시만___.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: 요

The ending '요' makes the phrase polite for general use.

Match the phrase to the situation.

Situation: You are looking for your wallet at a cafe counter.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: 잠시만요

You are asking the cashier to wait for a moment.

Fill in the missing part of the dialogue.

A: 주문하시겠어요? (Would you like to order?) B: ________. 메뉴 좀 더 볼게요.

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: 잠시만요

B needs a moment to look at the menu.

🎉 स्कोर: /4

विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स

When to use 잠시만요

📍

Situations

  • • Subway Exit
  • • Cafe Counter
  • • Phone Call
  • • Office Desk

잠시만요 vs. 잠깐만요

잠시만요
Formal Sino-Korean root
Polite Standard use
잠깐만요
Casual Native Korean root
Friendly Daily use

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल

10 सवाल

Yes, slightly. '잠시' is a Sino-Korean word, which often carries a slightly more formal or 'clean' nuance than the native Korean '잠깐'.

Yes! You can shout '잠시만요!' to someone walking away to get them to stop.

The most polite version is '잠시만 기다려 주시겠습니까?' (Would you mind waiting for a moment?).

No, if you are late, you should say '늦어서 죄송합니다' (Sorry for being late).

A small head nod (목례) is common and makes you look very polite, especially to older people.

Yes, you can text '잠시만요~' if you need a minute to reply to a question.

It means 'only'. So you are literally saying 'Only a moment, please.'

You can say it twice quickly: '잠시만요, 잠시만요!' while moving.

To a child, you would usually say '잠깐만' or '기다려봐'.

No, it never means 'Hello'.

संबंधित मुहावरे

🔄

잠깐만요

synonym

Just a moment

🔗

기다려 주세요

builds on

Please wait

🔗

실례합니다

similar

Excuse me

🔗

저기요

contrast

Hey there / Excuse me

🔗

비켜 주세요

specialized form

Please move aside

कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें

🚇

Getting off a crowded subway

Learner: 잠시만요! 내릴게요!

Passenger: 아, 네. 지나가세요.

neutral
🚪

Answering the door

Delivery Person: 택배요!

Learner: 잠시만요! 지금 나가요!

neutral
☕

At a coffee shop

Barista: 주문하시겠어요?

Learner: 잠시만요. 메뉴 좀 볼게요.

formal
💼

In an office

Colleague: 이 서류 좀 봐주세요.

Learner: 잠시만요, 이것만 끝내고 볼게요.

formal
📱

On a phone call

Friend: 어디야?

Learner: 잠시만요, 엄마 전화 왔어.

neutral
🛒

Walking in a narrow aisle

Learner: 잠시만요, 좀 지나갈게요.

Shopper: 죄송합니다.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Jam' and 'See'. 'Wait until I can see the Jam!' (Jam-si).

Visual Association

Imagine a person holding up a single finger (the universal sign for 'one minute') while smiling politely in a crowded Seoul subway.

Rhyme

Jam-si-man-yo, don't you go!

Story

You are at a Korean street food stall. You want a spicy rice cake (Tteokbokki). The cook is busy. You say 'Jam-si-man-yo' to get their attention politely. They smile, say 'Wait a sec!', and give you an extra dumpling for being so polite.

Word Web

잠시 (short time)잠깐 (moment)기다리다 (to wait)만 (only)요 (polite ending)실례합니다 (excuse me)죄송합니다 (sorry)

चैलेंज

Next time you enter a room or need to pass someone, whisper '잠시만요' to yourself to practice the flow.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Un momento / Perdón

Korean requires different endings based on social hierarchy.

French high

Un instant / Pardon

French 'Pardon' is also a slight apology, whereas '잠시만요' is purely functional.

German moderate

Moment mal / Entschuldigung

German uses 'Entschuldigung' more broadly for both passing through and apologizing.

Japanese high

ちょっと待ってください / すみません

Korean '잠시만요' is often used alone, while Japanese usually requires the verb 'matte'.

Arabic high

لحظة من فضلك (Lahza min fadlak)

Arabic uses gender-specific endings, which Korean does not.

Chinese moderate

等一下 (Děng yīxià) / 借过 (Jièguò)

Korean is more versatile with a single phrase.

Portuguese high

Só um momento / Com licença

Portuguese 'Com licença' is strictly for 'excuse me,' not for waiting.

English high

Just a moment / Excuse me

English 'Excuse me' can also mean 'I'm sorry' or 'Hello,' but '잠시만요' is more limited.

Easily Confused

잠시만요 बनाम 죄송합니다

Learners use '잠시만요' to apologize for mistakes.

If you did something wrong, use '죄송합니다'. If you just need time or space, use '잠시만요'.

잠시만요 बनाम 저기요

Both are translated as 'Excuse me' in English.

Use '저기요' to call a waiter. Use '잠시만요' to walk past someone.

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (10)

Yes, slightly. '잠시' is a Sino-Korean word, which often carries a slightly more formal or 'clean' nuance than the native Korean '잠깐'.

Yes! You can shout '잠시만요!' to someone walking away to get them to stop.

The most polite version is '잠시만 기다려 주시겠습니까?' (Would you mind waiting for a moment?).

No, if you are late, you should say '늦어서 죄송합니다' (Sorry for being late).

A small head nod (목례) is common and makes you look very polite, especially to older people.

Yes, you can text '잠시만요~' if you need a minute to reply to a question.

It means 'only'. So you are literally saying 'Only a moment, please.'

You can say it twice quickly: '잠시만요, 잠시만요!' while moving.

To a child, you would usually say '잠깐만' or '기다려봐'.

No, it never means 'Hello'.

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