감사합니다, the universal polite thank you
감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) is the most polite and most-used thank you in Korean. You can say it to anyone safely: cashier, superior, stranger, client, teacher. It's the default 'thank you'.
Etymologically, it's a Sino-Korean word: 감사 (gam-sa) comes from hanja meaning "to feel + thank". The attached verb 합니다 is the most formal form of 하다 (to do).
This is the version you'll hear at a shop counter, in an elevator, at the end of a business call, or in a professional email.
- 감사합니다gamsahamnidaThank you (formal)(to a shopkeeper, a superior)
- 정말 감사합니다jeongmal gamsahamnidaThank you very much(to emphasize)
- 감사합니다, 선생님gamsahamnida, seonsaengnimThank you, teacher(to a teacher or expert)
고맙습니다, the pure-Korean thank you
고맙습니다 (gomapseumnida) is almost interchangeable with 감사합니다 in modern usage. The nuance is subtle:
• 감사합니다 comes from Chinese (Sino-Korean, more bookish). • 고맙습니다 is a purely Korean word (native stem).
Many Koreans find 고맙습니다 slightly warmer and more personal, it's the thank you you'd say to a neighbor doing you a favor, more than to a CEO in an email. But in most polite situations, both work.
- 고맙습니다gomapseumnidaThank you (formal, warmer)(to a neighbor, a family friend)
- 도와주셔서 고맙습니다dowajusyeoseo gomapseumnidaThank you for helping me(thanking for a favor)
고마워 / 고마워요, among friends and close people
For everyday life with people you're close to, two shorter versions exist:
• 고마워 (gomawo), banmal version, said to a close friend, sibling, partner. • 고마워요 (gomawoyo), semi-polite version (해요체), for a colleague on first-name terms or a slightly more distant friend.
Avoid 고마워 with anyone older or in a higher position, even if you're close, default to 고마워요 or 고맙습니다.
- 고마워!gomawo!Thanks!(to a close friend)
- 고마워요gomawoyoThanks (semi-polite)(colleague or semi-close friend)
- 정말 고마워jeongmal gomawoReally, thank you(sincere thanks to a friend)
감사드립니다, the ultra-respectful thank you
감사드립니다 (gamsadeurimnida) is one notch above 감사합니다, reserved for situations where you want to express maximum, formal gratitude:
• public speeches, • email to an important client, • official thank-you letter, • media appearance.
The verb 드리다 is a humble form of 주다 (to give), you 'offer' your thanks rather than 'do' them. It's a very high-register form.
- 진심으로 감사드립니다jinsimeuro gamsadeurimnidaI thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart(speech, official letter)
How to respond to a thank you
When someone thanks you, here are the most common Korean replies:
• 천만에요 (cheonmaneyo), 'you're welcome', classic and polite but sometimes felt as a bit dated. • 아니에요 (anieyo), literally 'it's nothing', very natural and frequent. • 별말씀을요 (byeolmalsseumeullyo), 'don't mention it', formal and modest.
In real life, many Koreans don't reply verbally and just smile or nod slightly.
- 천만에요cheonmaneyoYou're welcome (polite)(classic reply)
- 아니에요anieyoIt's nothing(most natural in speech)
- 별말씀을요byeolmalsseumeullyoDon't mention it (formal)(high-register)
Common mistakes to avoid
A few traps to know:
1. Don't say 고마워 to a senior or older person, even with warm intent, it reads as disrespectful. Use 고맙습니다 or 감사합니다 instead. 2. Don't write 'thank you' phonetically in hangeul: it exists in casual writing but sounds clunky or inappropriate. Use the real Korean forms. 3. Watch the tone: 감사합니다 said dryly comes off as cold. Add a smile or a slight nod. 4. Don't confuse with 미안합니다 (mianhamnida = 'I'm sorry'). In Korean, you don't say 'thank you' as an apology like in some Western contexts, each emotion has its own verb.