How to Say Thank You in Korean
Say "gomawo., State "kam sa hae yo.", Turn an offer down with "aniyo, kwenchanayo."
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Say "gomawo.
"This is the simplest and most casual way of saying “thanks.” Gomawo can also be romanized as “komawo.” You should only use this phrase with someone who you know you will not offend by being informal.
Usually, this means close siblings or cousins, young children, and close friends or classmates.
To make this phrase slightly more polite or more formal, you could add “yo” (요)—pronounced like the “yo” in the English term “yo-yo”—to the end.
It is usually omitted among close friends, however.Pronounce the phrase as ghoh-mah-wa.
The first Hangul or Korean character in this phrase makes a soft "g" sound that is similar to the "k" sound.
The Hangul for the phrase is 고마워. -
Step 2: State "kam sa hae yo."
This is another fairly informal way of saying thanks that should be used amongst friends and people who are younger than you.
The addition of the yo (요) at the end of the phrase makes this slightly more polite, but it can be left off in extremely casual settings.
The phrase overall is considered informal, though, regardless of whether the yo is included or not included.
The pronunciation of the phrase is similar to the way the romanization looks: kahm-sah-hae-yo.
The “k” sound in this phrase should be pronounced as a hard “k.” The Hangul for the phrase is 감사해요. , This phrase is the equivalent of saying “no, thank you” and is a fairly polite way to turn down an offer or favor.
A slightly more direct translation would be "No, that's okay." A rough pronunciation of this phrase is ah-ni-oh, kwaen-chan-nah-yo." The Hangul for the phrase is 아니오, 괜찮아요. -
Step 3: Turn an offer down with "aniyo
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Step 4: kwenchanayo."
Detailed Guide
"This is the simplest and most casual way of saying “thanks.” Gomawo can also be romanized as “komawo.” You should only use this phrase with someone who you know you will not offend by being informal.
Usually, this means close siblings or cousins, young children, and close friends or classmates.
To make this phrase slightly more polite or more formal, you could add “yo” (요)—pronounced like the “yo” in the English term “yo-yo”—to the end.
It is usually omitted among close friends, however.Pronounce the phrase as ghoh-mah-wa.
The first Hangul or Korean character in this phrase makes a soft "g" sound that is similar to the "k" sound.
The Hangul for the phrase is 고마워.
This is another fairly informal way of saying thanks that should be used amongst friends and people who are younger than you.
The addition of the yo (요) at the end of the phrase makes this slightly more polite, but it can be left off in extremely casual settings.
The phrase overall is considered informal, though, regardless of whether the yo is included or not included.
The pronunciation of the phrase is similar to the way the romanization looks: kahm-sah-hae-yo.
The “k” sound in this phrase should be pronounced as a hard “k.” The Hangul for the phrase is 감사해요. , This phrase is the equivalent of saying “no, thank you” and is a fairly polite way to turn down an offer or favor.
A slightly more direct translation would be "No, that's okay." A rough pronunciation of this phrase is ah-ni-oh, kwaen-chan-nah-yo." The Hangul for the phrase is 아니오, 괜찮아요.
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Jerry Reynolds
Committed to making lifestyle accessible and understandable for everyone.
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