The most widely used Korean thank you is 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida), polite and formal enough for strangers, staff and colleagues. 고맙습니다 (gomapseumnida) is just as polite. With people you speak to politely but warmly, say 고마워요 (gomawoyo), and with close friends simply 고마워 (gomawo).
- Most common
- 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida)
- Also polite
- 고맙습니다 (gomapseumnida)
- Friendly polite
- 고마워요 (gomawoyo)
- Casual
- 고마워 (gomawo)
- Reply
- 아니에요 (anieyo)
- Level
- A1
What is the difference between gamsahamnida and gomapseumnida?
Korean has two roots for thanks. 감사 (gamsa) comes from Chinese characters, while 고맙다 (gomapda) is a native Korean word. Both make perfectly polite phrases. Many speakers feel 감사합니다 sounds a shade more formal, which is why you hear it so often in shops, announcements and offices.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | Formal (합쇼체) | Customers, strangers, colleagues, anyone senior |
| 고맙습니다 | gomapseumnida | Formal (합쇼체) | The same situations; slightly softer in feel |
| 감사해요 | gamsahaeyo | Polite (해요체) | Everyday politeness |
| 고마워요 | gomawoyo | Polite (해요체) | People you know a little: a neighbour, a classmate's parent |
| 고마워 | gomawo | Casual (반말) | Friends, siblings, people younger than you |
감사해 is rarely heard between friends. For casual thanks, switch to the 고맙다 family.
How do you say thank you for something specific?
Put the verb in front of 줘서 (jwoseo), which marks something done for you, then add the thank you. Adding 정말 (jeongmal, really) makes it warmer. The same 주다 verb is behind polite requests, covered in how to say please in Korean.
도와줘서 고마워.
Dowajwoseo gomawo.
Thanks for helping me.
Casual.
와 줘서 고마워요.
Wa jwoseo gomawoyo.
Thank you for coming.
Polite.
정말 감사합니다.
Jeongmal gamsahamnida.
Thank you very much.
수고하셨습니다.
Sugohasyeotseumnida.
Thank you for your hard work.
Said to colleagues or staff at the end of a job or a working day.
Mealtimes have their own pair. Before eating, guests say 잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgetseumnida), roughly "I will eat well", and afterwards 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meogeotseumnida), "I ate well". Both thank whoever cooked or paid.
How do you reply to thank you in Korean?
The textbook answer is 천만에요 (cheonmaneyo, you're welcome), but in conversation people usually brush the thanks aside instead.
아니에요.
Anieyo.
Not at all.
Literally "it isn't": it was nothing. The most common reply.
아니야.
Aniya.
No worries.
Casual.
천만에요.
Cheonmaneyo.
You're welcome.
Correct, a little formal in speech.
In this scene from a Contos story, a commuter drops his travel card and a stranger hands it back. His reply is the reflex most Koreans would give:
아, 감사합니다.A, gamsahamnida.
Read short Korean stories and tap any word, from 감사합니다 to the plot twists, to see what it means.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce gamsahamnida?
Say "gam-sa-ham-ni-da". The b in the ending 합니다 is pronounced m before n, which is why the romanization writes hamnida. Spoken quickly it can sound like "gamsamnida".
Is gomawo rude?
Not with friends or people younger than you, where it is the natural choice. With strangers, staff or anyone older, use 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) or 고맙습니다 (gomapseumnida).
Which is more polite, gamsahamnida or gomapseumnida?
Both are formal and polite. Some speakers hear 감사합니다 as slightly more formal and 고맙습니다 as slightly warmer, but either is correct in any polite situation.
What does kamsahamnida mean?
It is the same word, 감사합니다, spelled in an older romanization. Revised Romanization, the official system in South Korea since 2000, writes it gamsahamnida.