The textbook Korean for you're welcome is 천만에요 (cheonmaneyo), but most people answer thanks with 아니에요 (anieyo), "not at all". 별말씀을요 (byeolmalsseumeullyo) is a respectful "don't mention it", and friends say 아니야 (aniya) or 뭘 (mwol), "what for?". Shop staff usually just thank you back.
- Everyday reply
- 아니에요 (anieyo)
- Textbook
- 천만에요 (cheonmaneyo)
- Respectful
- 별말씀을요 (byeolmalsseumeullyo)
- Casual
- 아니야 (aniya), 뭘 (mwol)
- Level
- A1
Which reply to thank you sounds natural?
Korean manners favour playing a favour down rather than accepting the thanks. Most replies say, in one way or another, that it was nothing.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아니에요 | anieyo | Polite | The everyday reflex: no, it was nothing |
| 천만에요 | cheonmaneyo | Polite, a little bookish | Correct anywhere; commoner in lessons and writing than in chat |
| 별말씀을요 | byeolmalsseumeullyo | Polite, respectful | Don't mention it; good with someone older or senior |
| 뭘요 | mwollyo | Polite, relaxed | Oh, what for? Said with a smile |
| 별거 아니에요 | byeolgeo anieyo | Polite | It was no big deal, when the favour really was small |
| 제가 더 감사하죠 | jega deo gamsahajyo | Polite | I should be thanking you; hosts and staff say it |
| 아니야 / 뭘 | aniya / mwol | Casual (반말) | Friends, younger family |
천만에요 comes from 천만 (ten million): "not in ten million ways", or "far from it". 별말씀 is 별 (special) plus 말씀, the honorific word for someone's words, so 별말씀을요 suggests "what kind words, there's no need".
Why do Koreans answer thank you with no?
아니에요 literally means "it isn't". Said after thanks, it denies there was anything to thank you for. The very same words are how Koreans brush off anything they would rather not make a fuss about. In this Contos mystery, a detective asks a fabric seller about goods vanishing from the stall next door, and gets this:
아무것도 아니에요. 시장은 그런 곳이에요.Amugeotdo anieyo. Sijangeun geureon gosieyo.
Here he is dismissing a question, and the story suggests he has reasons. But 아무것도 아니에요 (amugeotdo anieyo), "it's nothing at all", is also a warm reply when someone thanks you for a favour.
How do you reply to thanks in shops, at work and at meals?
In a shop, thanks usually go both ways: you say 감사합니다 as you take your bag, and the assistant says it straight back. At work and at home, a few more set replies come up.
네, 감사합니다.
Ne, gamsahamnida.
Thank you (too).
What a cashier says when you thank them.
도움이 돼서 다행이에요.
Doumi dwaeseo dahaengieyo.
I'm glad it helped.
언제든지 말씀하세요.
Eonjedeunji malsseumhaseyo.
Just ask any time.
Polite, to a customer or someone senior.
맛있게 드셨어요?
Masitge deusyeosseoyo?
Did you enjoy it?
A host's or restaurant owner's answer to 잘 먹었습니다.
That last one is the reply to the mealtime thanks in how to say thank you in Korean; there is more on praising the food in how to say delicious in Korean.
What mistakes do learners make with you're welcome?
English uses "welcome" for two different things, and Korean doesn't. Staff greet you with 어서 오세요 (eoseo oseyo) as you walk in, and an event opens with 환영합니다 (hwanyeonghamnida). Neither works as a reply to thanks.
The other habit to drop is answering every thank you with 천만에요. It isn't wrong, but used all day it sounds like a phrasebook. Vary it with 아니에요 and a smile. And when someone apologises rather than thanks you, the answer is 괜찮아요, as explained in how to say sorry in Korean.
Read the Namdaemun Detective Agency at A2 and find out what the fabric seller is hiding.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce cheonmaneyo?
Roughly "chun-man-eh-yo". The eo in 천 is like the u in "fun", and the syllables run together evenly.
Is cheonmaneyo rude?
No. It is correct and polite, just a little formal and textbook-sounding in conversation. 아니에요 (anieyo) is what you will hear most.
How do you say you're welcome to a friend in Korean?
Say 아니야 (aniya), "nah", or 뭘 (mwol), "what for?". Between close friends a grin and 됐어 (dwaesseo), "forget it", also works, though in a cold tone 됐어 can sound dismissive.
What does byeolmalsseumeullyo mean?
Roughly "don't mention it". It uses 말씀, the honorific word for someone's words, so it suits replying to thanks from an elder, a customer or a senior colleague.