What are your most frequently used words each day? For me, they are “hello” and “thank you.” A warm hello to someone always helps me initiate a conversation with people around me. I also say ‘thank you!’ numerous times throughout the day, in order to show my appreciation to people. Saying “hello” and “thank you” is simple, but they can be crucial phrases that enable you to engage with Korean speakers around you. My last post was about how to say “Hello and Hi in Korean,” and this post is about how to say “thank you” in Korean.

When you travel to South Korea or live in the country, being able to speaking the Korean language will help you make Korean friends, blend into the Korean culture, and enjoy your stay in Korea. Not just me, many Koreans tend to get very flattered and surprised when non-Koreans speak fluent Korean. However, don’t get discouraged by this comment. Even if you speak just a little bit of Korean, many Koreans will appreciate your effort to partake in the Korean language and culture.

A word, “고맙다 ” means “thank” in English. “고맙다 ”  is a basic verb form of thank in Korean. The following is how to say  “Thank you” in Korean in three different ways:

1.  고맙습니다  :  Thank you!   –  formal

     [go-mab-seum-ni-da]

2.  고마워요  :   Thank you!   –  polite

     [go-ma-weo-yo]

3.  고마워  :  Thank you! / Thanks!  – informal

     [go-ma-wo]

The followings are other ways to say “Thank you!” in Korean. They are interchangeable with the above examples. A word, “감사하다 ”  also means “thank” in English. “감사하다 ”  is a basic verb form of thank in Korean.

4.  감사합니다  :   Thank you!   –  formal

      [kam-sa-ham-ni-da]

5.  감사해요  :   Thank you!   –  polite

     [kam-sa-hae-yo]

6.  감사해   :  Thank you! / Thanks!  –  informal

                    [kam-sa-hae]

The six examples above are frequently used phrases of  “Thank you!”  in Korean. Simply saying  “Hello”  and  “Thank you”  in Korean might be a good start to engage in the Korean language and culture.

***Related Vocabulary***

1.  고맙습니다  :  Thank you!   –  formal

     [go-mab-seum-ni-da]

2.  고마워요  :   Thank you!   –  polite

     [go-ma-weo-yo]

3.  고마워  :  Thank you! / Thanks!  – informal

     [go-ma-wo]

4.  감사합니다:   Thank you!   –  formal

      [kam-sa-ham-ni-da]

5.  감사해요  :   Thank you!   –  polite

     [kam-sa-hae-yo]

6.  감사해   :  Thank you! / Thanks!  –  informal

                    [kam-sa-hae]

 감사합니다! (Thank you!)

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