고마워
gomawo[ko̞ma̠wʌ̹]
The phrase thank you casually in Korean is 고마워 (gomawo).
고마워 is commonly used among friends and peers to say thank you casually.
Which one should you use?
고마워 is the casual form, whereas adding the suffix –요 to make 고마워요 creates a polite form suitable for strangers or acquaintances. Furthermore, while 고마워 is casual, 감사합니다 is the formal version used in professional settings or towards elders.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 고마워 is used in informal settings with friends, siblings or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'thanks for what you did' in the past tense casually, you use 고마웠어.
Did you know?
- Historically, the root of 고마워 is related to an ancient word for a 'god' or 'spirit', suggesting that being thankful was once linked to divine favor.
- In text messaging, friends often shorten 고마워 to just the consonant initials ㄱㅁ to save time, though this is extremely informal.
- While 고마워 is for peers, using it toward someone even one year older can be seen as a significant social faux pas or a sign of rebellion.
Examples in context
- 도와줘서 정말 고마워.dowajwoseo jeongmal gomawo.Thank you so much for helping me.
- 선물 진짜 고마워!seonmul jinjja gomawo!Thank you so much for the gift!
- 맛있는 거 사줘서 고마워.masinneun geo sajwoseo gomawo.Thank you for buying me something delicious.
Example conversation
Subin is thanking Jihun for lending her a book.
- 수빈 Su-bin책 빌려줘서 정말 고마워, 지훈아.chaek billyeojwoseo jeongmal gomawo, jihun-a.Thank you so much for lending me the book, Jihun.
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니야, 별거 아니야.aniya, byeolgeo aniya.No, it's nothing.
- 수빈 Su-bin다 읽고 바로 돌려줄게.da ilggo baro dollyeojulge.I'll return it right after I finish reading it.
- 지훈 Ji-hun천천히 읽어도 돼.cheoncheonhi ilgeodo dwae.You can take your time reading 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.
