Korean Q&A - Why say 여보세요 when answering the phone?
Today’s question is about the origin of the expression 여보세요. This phrase means “Hello” but it is almost only used when you answer the phone. 여보세요 is originally the combination of 여기 and 보세요, which means “Look here.” or “Hey, look.” and even though it’s mostly used when you are answering the phone, 여보세요 or 여기 보세요 can also be used when you want to start talking to someone and show your frustration, like “Hey, look.” Learn about some other examples of words that have interesting origins through this video lesson with Hyunwoo.