Daily·Beginner·August 4, 2025·1 min read
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
잠깐
Romanizationjamkkan
Meaninga moment / briefly / just a second
💡 By itself it's casual. Add 만 to make it 'just a moment', and 요 for politeness.
잠깐만요
Romanizationjamkkanman-yo
MeaningJust a moment, please
💡 The full polite form. Casual with friends: 잠깐만! or just 잠깐!
Hear it in action
Almost missed the bus
Bus stop — the bus is about to pull away
A
A
잠깐만요! 저도요!
Wait a moment! Me too!B
B
빨리 타세요~
Hop on quickly~A
A
감사합니다, 죄송해요!
Thank you, sorry about that!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.