Learn Key Korean Words, Expressions, and Cultural Notes About the Korean Lottery (로또)

Buying a lottery ticket in Korea can be both exciting and a fun cultural experience! Whether you’re dreaming of hitting the jackpot or just want to understand what people are talking about at the convenience store, this guide will help you learn essential Korean lottery-related vocabulary and expressions.

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🧾 Must-Know Lottery Vocabulary in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
로또	ro-tto	Lotto / Lottery
복권	bok-gwon	Lottery ticket
로또 복권	ro-tto bok-gwon	Lotto ticket
번호	beon-ho	Number
당첨	dang-cheom	Winning (prize)
당첨자	dang-cheom-ja	Winner
추첨	chu-cheom	Drawing (of numbers)
보너스 번호	bo-neo-seu beon-ho	Bonus number
1등	il-deung	First prize
2등	i-deung	Second prize
3등	sam-deung	Third prize
자동 선택	ja-dong seon-taek	Auto selection
수동 선택	su-dong seon-taek	Manual selection
금액	geum-aek	Amount (of money)
당첨금	dang-cheom-geum	Prize money
세금	se-geum	Tax
수령	su-ryeong	Collection (of prize)

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🎟️ Useful Verbs & Phrases Related to Lottery

Korean	Pronunciation	English
복권을 사다	bok-gwon-eul sa-da	To buy a lottery ticket
번호를 고르다	beon-ho-reul go-reu-da	To pick numbers
자동으로 하다	ja-dong-eu-ro ha-da	To do it automatically
수동으로 고르다	su-dong-eu-ro go-reu-da	To select manually
추첨하다	chu-cheom-ha-da	To draw (numbers)
당첨되다	dang-cheom-doe-da	To win (the lottery)
확인하다	hwa-gin-ha-da	To check
수령하다	su-ryeong-ha-da	To collect (prize money)
기대하다	gi-dae-ha-da	To look forward to / hope for

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🗣️ Common Lottery Expressions in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
복권 하나 주세요.	bok-gwon ha-na ju-se-yo	One lottery ticket, please.
자동으로 해 주세요.	ja-dong-eu-ro hae ju-se-yo	Please do auto-pick.
수동으로 고를게요.	su-dong-eu-ro go-reul-ge-yo	I’ll choose the numbers manually.
당첨됐어요!	dang-cheom-dwaess-eo-yo!	I won!
이번 주 로또 번호 알아요?	i-beon ju ro-tto beon-ho a-ra-yo?	Do you know this week’s Lotto numbers?
몇 등이에요?	myeot deung-i-e-yo?	What prize rank is it?
어디서 확인해요?	eo-di-seo hwa-gin-hae-yo?	Where can I check the results?
어디서 수령해요?	eo-di-seo su-ryeong-hae-yo?	Where do I collect the prize?

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💡 Things to Know About the Lottery in Korea

📆 Draw Day

• 로또 복권 is drawn every Saturday evening (토요일 저녁).
• You can check the results on the official website, TV, or convenience store machines.

🧾 Where to Buy

• Available at convenience stores, newsstands, and authorized 로또 판매점 (lottery ticket sellers).
• You can also use lottery kiosks with touchscreen machines.

💰 Taxes on Winnings

• If you win more than 50,000 KRW, taxes are automatically withheld.
• The higher the prize, the higher the 세금 (tax) rate.

🏦 Collecting Your Winnings

• Small prizes can be claimed at banks (농협) or the convenience store.
• Large prizes (1st–3rd place) must be collected at NongHyup Bank with ID and the original ticket.

🎲 Odds of Winning

• The odds of winning 1st prize in Korean Lotto are 1 in over 8 million.
• Many locals play regularly for fun, even if they don’t expect to win.

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🔢 Bonus Vocabulary: Lottery-Related Talk

Korean	Pronunciation	English
행운	haeng-un	Luck
재수	jae-su	Fortune / Chance
운세	un-se	Fortune (as in prediction)
꿈 해몽	kkum hae-mong	Dream interpretation
번호 조합	beon-ho jo-hap	Number combination
로또 앱	ro-tto aep	Lottery app
당첨 여부	dang-cheom yeo-bu	Whether it won
구매 영수증	gu-mae yeong-su-jeung	Purchase receipt
버리다	beo-ri-da	To throw away (don’t throw a winning ticket!)

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🎯 Vocabulary Quiz

1. What’s the Korean word for “lottery ticket”?
2. How do you say “I won the lottery” in Korean?
3. Translate: “Please do auto-pick.”

💬 Leave your answers in the comments below! And don’t forget to check your numbers every Saturday!

📚 Want to Learn More?

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