고마워
gomawo[ko̞ma̠wʌ̹]
In Korean, thank you informally is 고마워 (gomawo).
고마워 is a common and versatile way to say thank you casually. You can also use 많이 고마워 to say thank you very much, or 진심으로 고마워 to say thank you sincerely. Another informal way to express gratitude between friends and acquaintances is 감사해, which carries a slightly more formal tone than 고마워.
Which one should you use?
고마워 is the informal version. You should use 고마워요 or 감사합니다 instead when speaking to elders or strangers to show politeness.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
고마워 is used in informal settings with people of equal or lower social status, such as close friends or younger siblings.
How does it change in a sentence?
고마워 is the banmal (informal/casual) conjugation of the verb 고맙다, which means 'to be thankful'.
Did you know?
- The root of 고마워, 고맙다, is believed by some linguists to be related to the ancient Korean word for 'god' or 'spirit', implying that being thankful is akin to recognizing a divine blessing.
- In Korean culture, the response to 고마워 is often 아니야 (no), which literally denies the favor to show modesty rather than saying 'you are welcome'.
- In Korean text messaging, friends often shorten 고마워 to ㄱㅁㅇ using only consonants to save time and appear more casual.
Examples in context
- 선물 정말 고마워.seonmul jeongmal gomawo.Thank you so much for the gift.
- 도와줘서 고마워.dowajwoseo gomawo.Thank you for helping me.
- 맛있는 거 사줘서 고마워.masinneun geo sajwoseo gomawo.Thank you for buying me something delicious.
Example conversation
Subin borrows a pen from Dohyun in class.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현아, 펜 좀 빌려줄 수 있어?Dohyeona, pen jom billyeojul su isseo?Dohyun, can you lend me a pen?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 여기 있어.eung, yeogi isseo.Yes, here it is.
- 수빈 Su-bin고마워!gomawo!Thank you!
- 도현 Do-hyeon아니야, 괜찮아.aniya, gwaenchana.No problem, it's okay.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 고마워, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
