How to Say Please and Thank You in Korean: Politeness for Beginners
Learn Korean please and thank you for everyday situations. Master 주세요 and 감사합니다, plus casual and formal variations and natural replies to thanks.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In Korean, please and thank you change shape depending on who you are talking to. The most useful request word is 주세요 (juseyo), which attaches to a noun to mean please give me. The most useful thanks word is 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida), a polite everyday thank you. This lesson teaches only these two functions: making polite requests and expressing thanks. You will learn formal and informal versions, how to reply when someone thanks you, and the register choices that keep you sounding natural rather than rude or overly stiff.
By the end, you can…
- ask for something politely using 주세요 with a noun.
- thank someone using 감사합니다 and choose a casual or formal alternative.
- respond appropriately when someone thanks me in Korean.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
물 주세요.
Please give me water.
mul juseyo
Standard polite request. Put the noun before 주세요. Fine with strangers, staff, and most everyday situations.
감사합니다.
Thank you.
gamsahamnida
The safest all-purpose polite thank you. Use it with strangers, teachers, coworkers, and anyone older.
고마워요.
Thanks.
gomawoyo
Warm and polite but less formal than 감사합니다. Good with people you know well, such as friends you are not close to yet or friendly acquaintances.
고마워.
Thanks.
gomawo
Casual thanks for close friends, younger people, or family. Do not use it with strangers or superiors.
천만에요.
You're welcome.
cheonmaneyo
A textbook reply to thanks. It is correct but can sound slightly formal; many Koreans instead say 아니에요 or just smile.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core request pattern is noun + 주세요 (juseyo). 주세요 comes from 주다 (juda, to give) plus the polite ending -세요. You do not need a separate word for please in most requests. Examples: 커피 주세요 (keopi juseyo, please give me coffee), 메뉴 주세요 (menyu juseyo, please give me the menu), 도와주세요 (dowajuseyo, please help me). For thanks, 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) is a fixed polite phrase. If you want to thank someone for a specific thing, say noun + 감사합니다, as in 도움 감사합니다 (doum gamsahamnida, thank you for your help).
When to use it
Use 주세요 when you are asking a person to hand you something or do something for you. It is polite enough for shops, restaurants, offices, and strangers. Use 감사합니다 in almost any polite situation, including after receiving help, a gift, or good service. Switch to 고마워요 (gomawoyo) with people you know well but still want to be friendly-polite with, and 고마워 (gomawo) only with close friends, younger people, or family. When someone thanks you, 천만에요 (cheonmaneyo) is a correct reply, but 아니에요 (anieyo, it's nothing) or a simple smile often sounds more natural in daily conversation.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
저기요, 물 주세요.
Excuse me, please give me water.jeogiyo, mul juseyo네, 여기 있습니다.
Yes, here you are.ne, yeogi itseumnida감사합니다.
Thank you.gamsahamnida천만에요.
You're welcome.cheonmaneyoA little context goes a long way
Korean politeness is built into verb endings and word choice more than into a standalone word for please. 주세요 is polite because of the -세요 ending, not because of an extra please word. Age, workplace rank, and how well you know someone affect which thank-you form feels right. When in doubt with an adult you do not know well, 감사합니다 is the safer choice; 고마워 can sound too casual in a formal setting.
One thing to watch for
Adding a separate please word before a request, as in please water 주세요.
Try this instead: Korean does not use a separate please word in this pattern. Put the noun directly before 주세요: 물 주세요 (mul juseyo, please give me water). The politeness is carried by 주세요 itself.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are at a cafe and want to ask the staff for a menu politely. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
메뉴 주세요. (menyu juseyo)
The noun 메뉴 comes before the polite request form 주세요. This works with staff and strangers. 커피 주세요 would also be correct if you wanted coffee instead.
2A close friend helps you carry a heavy bag. Which thank-you form fits best?
Show a sample answer
고마워. (gomawo)
With a close friend, casual 고마워 is natural. 고마워요 would also be acceptable and slightly more polite, but 감사합니다 would sound too formal between close friends.
3Someone says 감사합니다 to you. Give one natural polite reply.
Show a sample answer
천만에요. (cheonmaneyo)
천만에요 is a standard polite reply meaning you're welcome. 아니에요 (anieyo) is also very common and often sounds more natural in everyday speech.
Use noun + 주세요 for polite requests, 감사합니다 for safe polite thanks, and 고마워 only with people close to you. Reply to thanks with 천만에요 or 아니에요.
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