{"id":79477,"date":"2020-06-08T21:16:47","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T01:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/thank-you-in-korean\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T07:08:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:08:40","slug":"thank-you-in-korean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/korean\/thank-you-in-korean\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Ways to Say Thank You in Korean"},"content":{"rendered":"

The most popular and well-known way to say thank you in Korean is \uac10\uc0ac\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4, but there are plenty of other expressions you can use to convey gratitude according to formality. For example, you wouldn’t necessarily thank your boss the same way you’d thank a close friend\u2014and vice versa.<\/p>\n

In this post, find out exactly how and when to use \u201cthank you\u201d in Korean across different contexts.<\/p>\n

If you prefer a video lesson, you can watch this clip from our YouTube channel<\/a> (though we’ll cover some additional phrases in the written lesson below):<\/p>\n

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[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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How Formality Affects the Way You Say \u201cThank You\u201d in Korean<\/h2>\n

In English, giving thanks is quite straightforward. \u201cThank you\u201d is appropriate for most contexts, while \u201cthanks\u201d can be a bit more casual.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a little different in Korean. As you know, respect and etiquette<\/a> is kind of a big deal in Korean culture, and the social rules trickle down to how you speak.<\/p>\n

In the Korean language, there are different registers<\/a>\u2014i.e., how you speak depends on the context in which you\u2019re speaking or to whom you\u2019re speaking. Expressing this register is done in different ways, from assigning honorific titles<\/a> to changing up the grammatical structure<\/a> of your sentences.<\/p>\n

The age difference between you and the person you’re talking to can also affect how you say thank you. Like most East Asian cultures, Korean culture incorporates Confucian principles<\/a> that place a special significance on elders. Following these principles, you generally address elders using formal speech, while informal or casual speech is more appropriate for peers and younger people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep in mind that your age in Korea<\/a> may not necessarily be the same as your age according to the Western calendar. In other words, someone may actually be older than you think!<\/p>\n

Now that you have a bit of background on registers in Korean speech, we can now get into the different ways to say “thank you” in Korean according to formality.<\/p>\n

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The Most Popular Ways to Say Thank You in Korean<\/h2>\n

\uac10\uc0ac\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4 (gahm-sa-hab-ni-da)<\/em><\/h3>\n

English:<\/strong> Thank you<\/p>\n

\uac10\uc0ac\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4 is the most common way to say thanks in Korean. It’s the safest go-to expression of gratitude, especially in situations where you’re not sure exactly what you’re supposed to say. You can use this for strangers or seniors in terms of age or rank, like your boss, supervisor, etc.<\/p>\n

Let’s break down the phrase a little further:<\/p>\n