LinguaTwo ways to thank, two ways to apologise
감사합니다 and 고맙습니다 both mean thank you and are both formal; the first is Sino-Korean and sounds a shade more official, the second is native and a shade warmer. Either is right with strangers, staff and elders. For apologies the split is by weight: 죄송합니다 is the formal I am sorry for anything from bumping into someone to being late, while 미안해요 is softer and closer, for friends and small slips. A deeper I am truly sorry adds 정말 in front of either.
Answering, and getting attention
To a thank you Koreans answer 아니에요 (it is nothing) far more often than the textbook 천만에요, which sounds a little stiff today. To an apology the answer is 괜찮아요 (it is fine), which also answers are you all right and do you mind. To ask for a moment: 잠깐만요. To get someone's attention politely, for instance before asking the way: 실례합니다. And in a restaurant or shop the call that actually works is 저기요 – literally over there – said clearly across the room.
| You want to | Say |
|---|---|
| thank (formal) | 감사합니다 / 고맙습니다 |
| apologise (formal) | 죄송합니다 |
| apologise to a friend | 미안해요 |
| answer a thank you | 아니에요 |
| answer an apology | 괜찮아요 |
| ask for a moment | 잠깐만요 |
| call a waiter | 저기요 |
죄송합니다, 몰랐어요I am sorry, I did not know.
아니에요, 괜찮아요Not at all, it is fine.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 감사합니다 | thank you (formal) | 선물 감사합니다 Thank you for the present. |
| 고맙습니다 | thank you (formal, native word) | 고맙습니다, 선생님 Thank you, teacher. |
| 죄송합니다 | I am sorry (formal) | 정말 죄송합니다 I am truly sorry. |
| 미안해요 | sorry (softer) | 미안해요, 제 잘못이에요 Sorry, it is my fault. |
| 괜찮아요 | it is fine, I am all right | 괜찮아요, 안 아파요 It is fine, it does not hurt. |
| 아니에요 | not at all, it is nothing | 아니에요, 별거 아니에요 Not at all, it is nothing. |
| 실례합니다 | excuse me | 실례합니다, 길 좀 물을게요 Excuse me, may I ask the way? |
| 잠깐만요 | just a moment | 잠깐만요, 금방 갈게요 Just a moment, I am coming right away. |
| 천만에요 | you are welcome (formal) | 천만에요, 별말씀을요 You are welcome, do not mention it. |
| 저기요 | excuse me (calling someone) | 저기요, 여기 물 좀 주세요 Excuse me, some water here, please. |
Exercises
This lesson has 11 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 4
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 2
- translate the sentence: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
You bump into a stranger on the subway. What do you say?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.