Korean for Leaving a Host's Home: Thanking and Saying Goodbye Politely
Learn to thank a Korean host and say goodbye at the end of a visit, including the phrase 'Thanks for a lovely evening' and natural departure expressions.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you leave a Korean friend's home after dinner or a gathering, a simple 'annyeong' is not enough. Korean hosts often expect a short, warm thank-you at the door, and the phrases you use differ from compliments about the food or the house. This lesson focuses only on the departure moment: thanking your host for the evening and saying goodbye politely. You will learn set expressions that are appropriate for friends and for people you have just met, and you will see how Korean uses different levels of politeness depending on your relationship with the host.
By the end, you can…
- thank a Korean host for a lovely evening as I leave.
- say goodbye politely at the door using the right level of speech.
- respond naturally when a host says goodbye to me.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
즐거운 저녁이었어요. 감사합니다.
It was a lovely evening. Thank you.
jeul-geo-un jeo-nyeog-i-eoss-eo-yo. gam-sa-ham-ni-da.
A polite, neutral way to thank a host as you leave. Use with acquaintances, coworkers, or someone older.
초대해 주셔서 감사합니다.
Thank you for inviting me.
cho-dae-hae ju-syeo-seo gam-sa-ham-ni-da.
Very common when leaving a hosted meal or party. It thanks the host for the invitation itself.
잘 먹었습니다.
I ate well. (Thank you for the meal.)
jal meog-eoss-seum-ni-da.
Said to the host after a meal, especially when leaving. It is a set thank-you, not a comment on your appetite.
먼저 들어가겠습니다.
I'll be heading home first.
meon-jeo deul-eo-ga-get-seum-ni-da.
A polite way to announce your departure at a gathering. Literally 'I will go in first,' meaning you leave before others.
안녕히 계세요.
Goodbye. (said to someone staying)
an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo.
Say this to the host who remains at home. Do not say it to someone who is leaving with you.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
A useful pattern for thanking a host is '즐거운 + noun + 이었어요' (jeul-geo-un + noun + i-eoss-eo-yo), meaning 'It was a lovely/enjoyable + noun.' For example, 즐거운 시간이었어요 (jeul-geo-un si-gan-i-eoss-eo-yo) means 'It was a lovely time,' and 즐거운 저녁이었어요 (jeul-geo-un jeo-nyeog-i-eoss-eo-yo) means 'It was a lovely evening.' You can add 감사합니다 (gam-sa-ham-ni-da) after it to make the thank-you complete. This pattern works because the past tense 이었어요 (i-eoss-eo-yo) refers to the time you just spent together.
When to use it
Use these departure phrases when you are at the door, putting on your shoes, or just before you step out. In Korean, the goodbye you choose depends on who is staying and who is leaving. Say 안녕히 계세요 (an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo) to the host who stays behind, and 안녕히 가세요 (an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo) to someone who is leaving. If you are the guest leaving, you normally say 안녕히 계세요 to the host. With close friends, you can shorten this to 안녕 (an-nyeong) or 잘 가 (jal ga), but with a host you do not know well, keep the full polite form.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
오늘 정말 즐거웠어요. 초대해 주셔서 감사합니다.
I really enjoyed today. Thank you for inviting me.o-neul jeong-mal jeul-geo-woss-eo-yo. cho-dae-hae ju-syeo-seo gam-sa-ham-ni-da.와 주셔서 제가 더 감사하죠. 조심히 들어가세요.
I'm the one who is more thankful that you came. Get home safely.wa ju-syeo-seo je-ga deo gam-sa-ha-jyo. jo-sim-hi deul-eo-ga-se-yo.네, 잘 먹었습니다. 안녕히 계세요.
Yes, thank you for the meal. Goodbye.ne, jal meog-eoss-seum-ni-da. an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo.네, 안녕히 가세요. 다음에 또 봬요.
Yes, goodbye. See you again next time.ne, an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo. da-eum-e tto bwae-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean, thanking a host often includes acknowledging the meal or the effort, not just the evening. Saying 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meog-eoss-seum-ni-da) as you leave is a warm, expected courtesy after being fed. Also, Koreans may say 조심히 들어가세요 (jo-sim-hi deul-eo-ga-se-yo), meaning 'Get home safely,' as a caring goodbye. It is polite to accept this with 네 (ne) rather than insisting it is unnecessary.
One thing to watch for
Using 안녕히 가세요 (an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo) to the host who is staying home.
Try this instead: If the host stays and you leave, say 안녕히 계세요 (an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo). Use 안녕히 가세요 only to someone who is leaving, for example when your friend walks you out and then goes home.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are leaving a coworker's home after dinner. Which phrase thanks them for the meal?
Show a sample answer
잘 먹었습니다. (jal meog-eoss-seum-ni-da.)
This is the standard polite set phrase for thanking a host for a meal. 즐거운 저녁이었어요 is also fine, but it focuses on the evening rather than the food.
2Your host is staying home and you are leaving. Which goodbye do you use?
Show a sample answer
안녕히 계세요. (an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo.)
계세요 is used for someone who remains. If you were both leaving, you could say 안녕히 가세요 instead.
3How do you say 'It was a lovely evening' politely?
Show a sample answer
즐거운 저녁이었어요. (jeul-geo-un jeo-nyeog-i-eoss-eo-yo.)
This uses the pattern 즐거운 + noun + 이었어요. You can add 감사합니다 to make it a full thank-you.
At a Korean host's door, thank them for the evening or the meal, then say 안녕히 계세요 if they are staying. Keep it short, warm, and polite.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Korean into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr