# My Appliance Broke in Korea: Korean Phrases That Get It Fixed

> Copy-paste Korean sentences for a broken fridge, washer, AC or boiler — plus who actually fixes it (landlord, rental company, service centre) and the call-out fee.

Canonical: https://setkora.com/guides/broken-appliance-korean-phrases (also in 13 languages: https://setkora.com/guides/<lang>/broken-appliance-korean-phrases)

The fridge stopped being cold, or the washer is leaking, and now you need to explain it — in Korean — to a landlord or a service centre that does not speak English. This page is a phrasebook for exactly that moment.

Every sentence below is written in Korean with romanisation and a plain-English meaning, so you can **copy it into KakaoTalk as-is** or read it out on the phone. Before the phrases, one thing that saves the most money: figuring out **whose job the repair actually is**.

## First: whose problem is it?

In Korea the answer depends on where the appliance came from, and it changes who you contact:
The appliance was…Who you contactKorean word you'll seeAlready in the apartment when you moved in (built-in / included)Your landlord or the building office — it is their property옵션 (op-syeon, "included option"), 집주인 (jip-ju-in, landlord), 관리실 (gwal-li-sil, building office)Rented monthly from a rental companyThe rental company's after-service — repairs are part of the contract for most products (check the A/S line on your product page, terms differ by item)렌탈 (rental), A/S (after-service)Bought by youThe manufacturer's service centre서비스센터 (service centre), 수리 기사 (su-ri gi-sa, repair technician)
Thirty seconds of checking before you contact anyone — these fix a surprising share of "broken" appliances and spare you a call-out fee: is the plug in and the outlet working, did the circuit breaker (두꺼비집, du-kkeo-bi-jip) trip, are the remote batteries dead, is the filter clogged?

## The universal sentences

These work for any appliance. Swap in the appliance word from the next section.
KoreanSay itMeans○○이/가 고장났어요…i/ga go-jang-nass-eo-yoThe ○○ is broken○○이/가 안 돼요…i/ga an dwae-yoThe ○○ doesn't work이상한 소리가 나요i-sang-han so-ri-ga na-yoIt's making a strange noise탄 냄새가 나요tan naem-sae-ga na-yoIt smells like burning물이 새요mul-i sae-yoIt's leaking water전원이 안 켜져요jeon-won-i an kyeo-jyeo-yoIt won't turn on수리 기사님을 보내주실 수 있나요?su-ri gi-sa-nim-eul bo-nae-ju-sil su it-na-yo?Could you send a repair technician?언제 방문 가능하세요?eon-je bang-mun ga-neung-ha-se-yo?When can you visit?출장비가 있나요?chul-jang-bi-ga it-na-yo?Is there a call-out fee?
If a burning smell or sparking is involved, unplug the appliance first (or flip the breaker) and say **급해요** (geup-hae-yo — it's urgent).

## By appliance: the symptom sentences

Find your appliance, copy the line that matches.
ApplianceKorean sentenceMeansFridge — 냉장고 (naeng-jang-go)냉장고가 안 시원해요The fridge isn't cold냉동실에 성에가 많이 껴요The freezer is icing up badlyWasher — 세탁기 (se-tak-gi)세탁기에서 물이 안 빠져요The washer won't drain탈수가 안 돼요The spin cycle doesn't workAir conditioner — 에어컨 (e-eo-keon)에어컨에서 찬바람이 안 나와요The AC doesn't blow cold air에어컨에서 물이 떨어져요The AC is dripping waterBoiler — 보일러 (bo-il-leo)온수가 안 나와요There's no hot water난방이 안 돼요The heating doesn't workWater purifier — 정수기 (jeong-su-gi)정수기 물이 안 나와요No water comes out of the purifierToilet — 변기 (byeon-gi)변기가 막혔어요The toilet is cloggedPower — 전기 (jeon-gi)집에 전기가 나갔어요The power went out in my place
Not sure what the buttons you are pressing even say? That is a different problem — see our [Korean appliance buttons guide](https://setkora.com/guides/korean-appliance-buttons-guide).

## Texting your landlord — a fill-in template

Most landlord communication in Korea happens over KakaoTalk or text. Here is a polite message you can fill in and send. Keeping it in writing also gives you a record of when you reported the problem.

**안녕하세요, ○○호 세입자입니다.
○○이/가 고장나서 연락드려요.
증상: ○○○
확인 부탁드립니다. 감사합니다.**

Line by line: Hello, I am the tenant of unit ○○. / I'm contacting you because the ○○ is broken. / Symptom: ○○○ (paste a sentence from the tables above). / Please look into it, thank you.

Useful follow-ups:
KoreanMeans언제쯤 수리될까요?Around when will it be repaired?사진 보내드릴게요I'll send you a photo수리 전까지 사용하면 안 될까요?Is it unsafe to use until it's repaired?

## On the phone with a service centre — words you'll hear

When you book a repair visit, a few words come up again and again. Knowing them is the difference between agreeing to a fee and not realising you did.
WordSay itWhat it means for you출장비chul-jang-biCall-out fee — charged for the technician's visit, often **even if nothing gets repaired**. Ask the amount before booking.무상 / 유상mu-sang / yu-sangFree of charge / paid. 무상 usually applies within the warranty period.보증기간bo-jeung-gi-ganWarranty period부품bu-pumParts — a repair may be labour plus parts방문 예약bang-mun ye-yakVisit booking — you'll be asked for address and a time slot고객번호go-gaek-beon-hoCustomer number — for rentals, it's on your contract or bill
Two sentences that carry a whole phone call: **영어 가능한 분 계신가요?** (yeong-eo ga-neung-han bun gye-sin-ga-yo — is there someone who speaks English?) and **문자로 보내주세요** (mun-ja-ro bo-nae-ju-se-yo — please send it to me by text, so you can translate it calmly).

## If it's a rental product, the phrases matter less

One honest structural point: when an appliance is **rented from a rental company**, the repair conversation mostly disappears. After-service is handled by the company the contract is with — you report the symptom, they arrange the technician. The A/S terms differ by product and company (some include regular visits, many cover repairs only), so check the A/S line on the product page before you count on it.

If you rented through [SETKORA's catalogue](https://setkora.com/products), every product page lists its A/S note, and you can message us in your language — we relay the symptom to the rental company in Korean, which is exactly the part this whole guide exists to work around.

## FAQ

**Q: Who pays for repairs in a rented apartment?**
A: It depends on what broke and why. Appliances and fixtures that came with the apartment are generally the landlord's responsibility to keep working, while damage caused by misuse can fall on the tenant — and lease contracts sometimes spell out their own rules. Check your contract first, report the problem in writing, and agree on who pays before a technician is booked.

**Q: What is a 출장비 and do I have to pay it if nothing gets fixed?**
A: 출장비 (chul-jang-bi) is the technician's call-out fee, and many service centres charge it for the visit itself, even when no repair happens or you decline the quoted repair price. The amount varies by company, so ask when booking: 출장비가 얼마예요? (how much is the call-out fee?).

**Q: Can I get appliance service in English in Korea?**
A: Sometimes — the big manufacturers run customer lines where an English-speaking agent may be available, but it is not guaranteed and technicians who visit usually speak Korean. The reliable workarounds are the written sentences on this page, photos of the problem, and a translation app. For rental products, report the symptom to the rental company and let them handle the technician in Korean.

**Q: The appliance came with the apartment and my landlord isn't responding. What now?**
A: Keep reporting it in writing (KakaoTalk or text), so there is a dated record — resend politely rather than only calling. If there is a building office (관리실), report it there too; for building-wide issues like water or heating they are often the faster route. What you should avoid is booking a paid repair on the landlord's appliance without their agreement, since getting reimbursed afterwards can be difficult.