Customer in Korean 🇰🇷

손님 info.

Tips to Remember the Word:
• Think of “손” (son) meaning “hand” and “님” (nim) as an honorific suffix. Imagine a respectful handshake with a customer to help recall that 손님 means “customer” or “guest.”
• Associate the sound “sonnim” with the image of a polite service setting where every customer is treated with respect.

Explanations:
• 손님 is used to respectfully address or refer to a customer or guest in various service settings like restaurants, stores, or even at private gatherings.
• The word carries a polite tone because of the honorific suffix “님,” which elevates the status of the person being addressed.

Other Words with the Same Meaning:
• 고객 (gogaek) – Typically used in business or commercial contexts to denote “customer” or “client.”
• 방문객 (bangmun-gaek) – Means “visitor” or “guest,” though it’s less common in service-area conversations.

Alternate Meanings/Slang:
• In some informal or playful contexts, 손님 can be used to refer to any visitor or even to someone who unexpectedly drops by. However, its primary usage remains a polite term for a customer or guest.

Examples of Sentences:
1. "손님, 주문하시겠어요?"
Romanization: "Sonnim, jumunhasigesseoyo?"
(Customer, would you like to place an order?)

2. "안녕하세요, 손님. 무엇을 도와 드릴까요?"
Romanization: "Annyeonghaseyo, sonnim. Mueoseul dohae deurilkka yo?"
(Hello, customer. How can I help you?)

3. "우리 가게의 손님들은 언제나 소중합니다."
Romanization: "Uri gage-ui sonnimdeul-eun eonjena sojunghamnida."
(The customers of our store are always valued.)

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