들어가도 될까요?
deureogado doelkkayo?
To ask may I come in? In Korean, say 들어가도 될까요? (deureogado doelkkayo?).
들어가도 될까요? is a polite request for permission to enter a room or a building, for example before stepping into an office or a classroom.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from 들어가다, meaning to enter, an ending meaning it is okay to and the polite question ending -ㄹ까요, so it literally asks whether it is okay to enter.
Which one should you use?
입장해도 될까요? means may I enter? And is used in formal settings. 들어가도 돼요? is a little more direct while still polite, because the tentative ending is replaced.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
들어가도 될까요? is polite and suitable with teachers, bosses or strangers. 들어가도 돼? is the casual version for close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as deureogado doelkkayo? with a rising tone at the end, as in any question.
When do people say it?
A common polite answer is 네, 들어오세요, which means yes, please come in.
Did you know?
- The verb 들어가다 is used in a surprising way during farewells. Instead of saying 'goodbye', people often say 잘 들어가세요, which literally translates to 'go in well' or 'enter well', meaning 'get home safely'.
- In Korean, the word for 'to enter' 들어가다 literally means 'to go in'. Because the speaker is moving away from the listener toward the interior, they use 'go' instead of 'come'.
- When asking 들어가도 될까요?, the request is often culturally linked to shoe etiquette. In traditional homes with raised floors, the phrase implicitly signals that the speaker is ready to remove their shoes.
Examples in context
- 실례지만, 들어가도 될까요?sillyejiman, deureogado doelkkayo?Excuse me, may I come in?
- 지금 들어가도 될까요?jigeum deureogado doelkkayo?May I come in now?
- 회의실에 들어가도 될까요?hoeuisire deureogado doelkkayo?May I come into the meeting room?
Example conversation
Ji-eun is knocking on Ji-hun's office door.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 들어가도 될까요?Ji-hun ssi, deureogado doelkkayo?Ji-hun, may I come in?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 지은 씨 들어오세요.Ne, Ji-eun ssi deureo-oseyo.Yes, Ji-eun, please come in.
- 지은 Ji-eun잠시 대화할 수 있을까요?Jamsi daehwahal su isseulkkayo?Could we talk for a moment?
- 지훈 Ji-hun물론이죠, 앉으세요.Mullon-ijyo, anjeuseyo.Of course, please have a seat.
