고마워
gomawo[ko̞ma̠wʌ̹]
gomawo is the Korean way to say thank you.
고마워 is a commonly used way to express gratitude in an informal setting.
Which one should you use?
For comparison, 고맙습니다 is a more formal and polite way of expressing gratitude, while 감사합니다 is much more formal and is used with strangers, superiors or in official settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
고마워 is an informal expression that should only be used with friends, people younger than you or those with whom you have a very close, casual relationship.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a completed action and say 'thanks for what you did', you can use the past tense form 고마웠어.
How do you pronounce it?
romanization: gomawo
Did you know?
- The root of 고마워, which is 고맙다, is historically linked to the word 고마 meaning 'god' or 'spirit' in ancient Korean. This suggests that expressing gratitude originally implied a sense of being moved by a divine or spiritual presence.
- In text messaging or online gaming, Koreans sometimes shorten 'gomawo' to 'ㄱㅁㅇ' using the Korean alphabet consonants. This allows for extremely rapid communication in digital spaces.
- In Korea, it is common to respond to 고마워 with a phrase meaning 'don't be thankful' or 'no need for thanks' rather than saying 'you are welcome'.
Examples in context
- 도와줘서 정말 고마워.dowajwoseo jeongmal gomawo.Thank you so much for helping me.
- 선물 정말 고마워!seonmul jeongmal gomawo!Thank you so much for the gift!
- 맛있는 거 사줘서 고마워.masineun geo sajwoseo gomawo.Thank you for buying me something delicious.
Example conversation
Jihoon gives Subin a coffee at a cafe.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈아, 커피 마셔.Subin-a, keopi masyeo.Subin, drink this coffee.
- 수빈 Su-bin와, 고마워 지훈아!Wa, gomawo Jihoon-a!Wow, thank you, Jihoon!
- 지훈 Ji-hun별거 아니야.Byeolgeo aniya.It's nothing.
- 수빈 Su-bin잘 마실게.Jal masilge.I will enjoy it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 고마워, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 고마워, CC BY-SA 4.0.
