Thank You in Korean: 10 Expressions for Showing Gratitude and Grace
“Thank you” is one of the first things you learn as a kid.
It makes sense that it’s also one of the first things you learn in another language.
Good manners are universal, and being able to express our gratitude is a basic method of showing courtesy across cultures.
Regardless of where you are in your Korean studies, you should definitely know how to say thanks in its different forms early in your language training.
Find out exactly how and when to use “thank you” in Korean!
Contents
- Formal Ways to Say “Thank You” in Korean
- Polite Ways to Say “Thank You” in Korean
- Informal Ways to Say “Thank You” in Korean
- How Saying “Thank You” Works in Korean
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Formal Ways to Say “Thank You” in Korean
1. 감사합니다 (gahm-sa-hab-ni-da)
English: Thank you
This is the most common formal way to say thanks and what you can consider your safe go-to for most situations.
In the speech level system, this would be placed in the general formal level, which you’d use for strangers or those who are your seniors (in age or rank).
감사 is the part that means “thanks” or “gratitude.” 합니다 combines the verb phrase “to do” 하다 and the formal polite ending -ㅂ니다 (b-ni-da), so it shows that you’re being respectful.
Together, it literally translates to “I am doing thanks to someone.”
Add what you’re giving thanks to before this phrase:
선물을 주셔서 감사합니다
(sun-mul-eul ju-shuh-suh gahm-sa-hab-ni-da)
Thank you for the gift
2. 고맙습니다 (go-map-seup-ni-da)
English: Thank you
고맙다 (go-map-da) is a Korean native word that means “to be thankful.” By adding the formal polite ending -습니다 (seup-ni-da), this is also considered relatively formal and polite, though at times it seems more appropriate for people you’re a bit more familiar with or closer to in age.
It’s also generally safe for use in less serious or casual contexts, such as in a store.
If you’re still in doubt as to when to use this one, don’t stress out about it too much. You can just fall back on 감사합니다, but there’s really no strong difference between that phrase and this one in daily, non-business contexts.
3. 정말 고마워요 (jung-mal go-ma-wo-yo)
English: Thank you sincerely
This phrase emphasizes the 고마워요.
정말 can translate to “truly” or “sincerely,” and you can tack it on to the more formal aforementioned phrases, as well for a little oomph.
4. 대단히 감사합니다 (dae-dan-hi gahm-sa-hab-ni-da)
English: Thank you very much
This is for special cases where your gratitude is strong and the person truly deserves a lot of it for whatever favor they did for you.
대단히 means “very much” or “greatly.” This phrase uses the formal 감사합니다, making this quite a respectful and weighty thanks.
5. 정말 친절하시네요 (jung-mal chin-jul-ha-si-ne-yo)
English: That’s truly kind of you
정말 makes an appearance once again to add the “truly” part to this phrase.
친절 means kindness, and 하시네요 is a conversion of the verb phrase “to do,” so together this whole phrase is telling the person that they’re “doing kindness” to you.
6. 아니요 괜찮습니다 (ah-ni-yo gwaen-chan-seup-ni-da)
English: No, thank you
아니요 is a negatory response, while 괜찮습니다 would translate more literally to “it’s okay,” so this ends up coming out as “no, thank you.”
습니다 is once again present to make the phrase more formal.
Polite Ways to Say “Thank You” in Korean
7. 고마워요 (go-ma-wo-yo)
English: Thank you
Notice the lack of -습니다 here!
Use this for those you’re reasonably familiar with, whether a friend, classmate or those you’re closer to in age.
8. 아니요 괜찮아요 (ah-ni-yo gwaen-chan-ah-yo)
English: No, thank you
This is a less formal version of the previous phrase. You’re probably picking up on the pattern that occurs when 습니다 is switched with a 아요.
Informal Ways to Say “Thank You” in Korean
9. 고마워 (go-ma-wo)
English: Thank you
There aren’t any special formality endings for this phrase, which means it’s reserved for friends, siblings, those who are your age or younger and those who are your junior in rank/social standing.
By removing 요 from 고마워요, you get your first casual way to say thanks!
10. 감사 (gahm-sa)
English: Thanks
This is essentially the slang form of saying thanks; as it goes, slang often works to cut down basic common phrases to their essentials.
This is certainly informal and very casual, probably something you’ll see in text messages or hear in conversations with friends.
How Saying “Thank You” Works in Korean
In English, giving thanks is a bit of a lenient affair. “Thank you” is our uncontested go-to, whereas “thanks” can be a bit more casual.
It’s a little different in Korean. Formality is one area that gets more attention, even with something as simple as giving thanks. As you may know, respect and etiquette is kind of a big deal in Korean culture, and the social rules trickle down to how you speak.
In the Korean language, speech levels exist. Speech levels essentially make up a “politeness system” that suggests how formal you should be when speaking with someone, ranging from “most formal” to “least formal.”
It’s something that linguists would refer to as register, in which how you speak changes depending on the context in which you’re speaking or to whom you’re speaking. Because of speech levels, verbalizing politeness is done in different ways, from assigning honorific titles to changing up the very grammatical structure of your sentences.
Age difference can also affect how you say thank you. Like most East Asian cultures, Korean culture also retains the influence of Confucian principles that place a special significance on elders.
The general rule is that older people tend to receive more formality, while those your age or younger can be treated more informally. Keep in mind that calculating your age in Korea is also its own little affair, so someone may be considered older than you expect.
One of the best ways to master when to use these phrases is to watch how they’re used by native speakers in authentic contexts. Since a trip to Korea might be out of the question, an easier alternative is to use FluentU’s video search function to find cool content that includes these phrases.
If you’re watching a video and don’t recognize a word, you can click on the interactive captions to find out more about it and see it used in example sentences and other videos.
You can also make your own vocabulary lists and flashcard sets with the Korean phrases for thank you or with any other vocab you want to learn. Then, quiz yourself to see what you remember after a study session using the personalized exercises that FluentU provides.
You can use FluentU in your browser, but if you get the iOS or Android app, you can also practice pronunciation through speaking questions.
A simple way to impress a native speaker is by being able to express your gratitude in his or her language. It shows that you know the language, plus exemplifies your understanding of courtesy.
And then once you master “thank you,” you can learn “you’re welcome” in Korean so you know what to expect in response.
Thanks for reading, or as you would say in Korean, 읽어주셔서 감사합니다 (ilg-uh-ju-syuh-suh gahm-sa-hab-ni-da)!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
