잠깐만요 — Just a moment
The phrase that buys you time in any situation — from flagging down a taxi to holding the elevator. Small word, huge usefulness.
The elevator doors are closing. Someone is rushing toward them.
You throw your arm in and say:
"잠깐만요!"
The doors hold. Everyone is fine. You're a hero.
This is one of those phrases that sounds simple but shows up constantly in daily Korean life — because life constantly needs a pause.
The words
Hear it in action
Almost missed the bus
Bus stop — the bus is about to pull away
Three ways to say it
The word shrinks as the relationship gets closer:
Cultural note
Koreans move fast — Seoul especially. 잠깐만요 is your polite brake pedal. Using it correctly shows you're engaged, not lost. And because it's polite, people will almost always stop and wait.
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