Korean Toasts: Say 'Cheers!' and 'To Your Health!' at Gatherings
Learn elementary Korean drinking toasts: 건배, 위하여, and health wishes. Use Hangul and Revised Romanization to celebrate naturally.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When Korean friends or colleagues raise glasses together, the moment calls for a short, warm toast rather than a compliment. This lesson teaches five elementary Korean phrases for toasting: the everyday cheer 건배, the formal wish 위하여, a health wish 건강을 위하여, a friendly suggestion 한 잔 하자, and a polite thanks-for-the-meal toast 잘 먹겠습니다. You will learn when each phrase fits, how to pronounce it with Revised Romanization, and how to respond naturally. The focus is celebratory language only, so you can join a table with confidence without confusing toasts with praise.
By the end, you can…
- say 'Cheers!' in Korean at a casual or work gathering.
- offer a short 'To your health!' toast and respond politely.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
건배!
Cheers!
geon-bae
The standard everyday toast when glasses are raised. Say it while looking at the person you clink glasses with.
위하여!
To (someone/something)! / Here's to...!
wi-ha-yeo
A formal toast stem meaning 'for the sake of' or 'in honor of.' Add a person or goal before it, as in 친구를 위하여 (for a friend).
건강을 위하여!
To your health!
geon-gang-eul wi-ha-yeo
A warm health toast. Use it for an older relative, a colleague, or someone recovering.
한 잔 하자!
Let's have a drink!
han jan ha-ja
A friendly suggestion to share a drink, not a toast itself. Use with close friends or people your age.
잘 먹겠습니다.
Thank you for the meal; I will eat well.
jal meok-get-seum-ni-da
Said before eating or drinking at a hosted table. It shows gratitude and often precedes a toast.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The toast pattern is [person or thing] + 을/를 위하여. 위하여 means 'for the sake of' or 'in honor of.' If the word ends in a consonant, use 을: 부모님을 위하여 (for my parents). If it ends in a vowel, use 를: 친구를 위하여 (for a friend). 건강 ends in a consonant, so say 건강을 위하여. In casual speech, people often shorten 위하여 to 위해 (wi-hae), as in 우리를 위해 (for us).
When to use it
Use 건배 for almost any gathering, from a casual dinner to a company party. Use 위하여 or 건강을 위하여 when you want a slightly formal, sincere tone, such as at a birthday, a farewell, or a family meal. Use 한 잔 하자 only with close friends or peers, because it is a casual suggestion. Say 잘 먹겠습니다 before the first bite or sip when someone else is hosting or paying. Match the tone of the table: if others say a short 건배, a long formal toast may feel out of place.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
오늘 다 같이 모였네요. 건배!
We are all gathered today. Cheers!o-neul da ga-chi mo-yeot-ne-yo. geon-bae!건배! 건강을 위하여!
Cheers! To your health!geon-bae! geon-gang-eul wi-ha-yeo!잘 먹겠습니다. 한 잔 하자!
Thank you for the meal. Let's have a drink!jal meok-get-seum-ni-da. han jan ha-ja!좋아요. 친구를 위하여!
Sounds good. To our friendship!jo-a-yo. chin-gu-reul wi-ha-yeo!A little context goes a long way
At Korean tables, the youngest or most junior person often pours for others, and glasses are usually clinked while saying 건배. If you are with older people or at a formal work dinner, use two hands when pouring or receiving, and let a senior lead the first toast. A short toast is usually enough; long speeches are not expected at everyday meals.
One thing to watch for
Using 위하여 alone as a complete toast, as if it simply means 'Cheers!'
Try this instead: 위하여 needs a person or goal before it. Say 건강을 위하여 or 친구를 위하여. If you just want 'Cheers!', use 건배 by itself.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are at a casual dinner with close friends and want to say 'Cheers!' What do you say?
Show a sample answer
건배!
건배 is the standard, flexible toast for almost any gathering, including casual ones. A longer 위하여 toast would also be understood, but 건배 fits the relaxed setting best.
2You want to toast your parents' health at a family dinner. Which phrase fits?
Show a sample answer
건강을 위하여!
건강을 위하여 means 'To your health!' and is warm and slightly formal. 부모님을 위하여 (for my parents) is also valid if you want to name them directly.
3A coworker is older than you and hosts the meal. What polite phrase can you say before starting?
Show a sample answer
잘 먹겠습니다.
잘 먹겠습니다 thanks the host and shows respect before eating or drinking. 감사합니다 (thank you) is also polite, but 잘 먹겠습니다 is the specific table phrase.
Keep 건배 ready for any celebration, and add 건강을 위하여 when you want a sincere health wish. Match your toast length to the table.
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