How to Say Cheers and Short Toasts in Korean
Learn beginner Korean toasting phrases like 건배! and 위하여!, plus simple ways to respond at celebrations without giving a formal speech.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
Korean celebrations often begin with a short toast rather than a long speech. The most useful word to know is 건배 (geonbae), which means "cheers" and works at dinners, birthdays, office gatherings and family events. You can also propose a toast with 위하여 (wihayeo), literally "for," followed by the person or thing you are honoring. This lesson teaches short, practical toasts and the replies you can give when someone toasts you. Keep your lines brief, hold your glass with both hands or support your right forearm with your left hand, and say the toast clearly before everyone drinks.
By the end, you can…
- say "Cheers!" and propose a short toast in Korean.
- respond politely when someone toasts me or my group.
- use 위하여 with a person, team or occasion.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
건배!
Cheers!
geonbae
The standard toast before drinking. Say it once, clearly, as everyone raises glasses.
위하여!
Here's to...! / For...!
wihayeo
Use alone as a short toast, or put a person or group before it with the object marker: 우리 팀을 위하여!
짠!
Cheers! (casual)
jjan
A light, friendly toast common among friends and younger speakers. Less formal than 건배.
우리 팀을 위하여!
Here's to our team!
uri tim-eul wihayeo
A short toast naming the group. Replace 우리 팀 with the person or group you are honoring.
건배합시다!
Let's toast! / Let's drink to that!
geonbaehapsida
A polite group suggestion. Useful when you are the one inviting everyone to raise glasses.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The key pattern is [person or group] + 을/를 위하여, meaning "for [person or group]." Use 을 after a consonant and 를 after a vowel: 우리 팀을 위하여 (for our team), 민수를 위하여 (for Minsu), 건강을 위하여 (for health). You can also say just 위하여! as a short toast when the occasion is already clear. To invite everyone, use 건배합시다! (let's toast) or 건배! as a simple call.
When to use it
Use 건배! at almost any celebration: office dinners, birthdays, weddings and family meals. Use 짠! with friends in a relaxed setting. When someone toasts you personally, you can respond with 감사합니다 (thank you) or 고마워요 (thanks, polite but warmer), then take a sip. If you are the host, a short line like 여러분, 건배! (Everyone, cheers!) is enough; you do not need a formal speech.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
여러분, 건배!
Everyone, cheers!yeoreobun, geonbae건배!
Cheers!geonbae우리 팀을 위하여!
Here's to our team!uri tim-eul wihayeo감사합니다. 위하여!
Thank you. Cheers!gamsahamnida. wihayeoA little context goes a long way
At Korean gatherings, the person who proposes the toast often says it first, and everyone else repeats 건배 or raises their glass. When someone toasts you, a short thank-you and a sip is polite. With older people or at work, use 건배 rather than 짠, and hold your glass with two hands or support your right arm with your left hand.
One thing to watch for
Using 위하여 by itself with no context, or attaching it directly to a name without 을/를.
Try this instead: Name the person or group with the object marker: 민수를 위하여 (for Minsu), 우리 팀을 위하여 (for our team). If the occasion is obvious, a plain 위하여! is fine, but adding the name makes the toast clear.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "Cheers!" at a work dinner?
Show a sample answer
건배!
건배 is the standard, polite toast for work and formal-ish settings. 짠 is also correct among close friends, but it is more casual.
2How do you toast your friend Minsu?
Show a sample answer
민수를 위하여!
Put the name before 위하여 and use 를 after the vowel ending. 민수을 위하여 is wrong because 수 ends in a vowel.
3Someone toasts you. What is a polite short reply?
Show a sample answer
감사합니다.
감사합니다 means "thank you" and works in most settings. 고마워요 is also fine with people you know well.
Keep toasts short: 건배 for "cheers," 위하여 for "here's to," and a simple 감사합니다 when someone toasts you.
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