감사합니다
gamsahamnida[ˈka̠(ː)msʰa̠ɦa̠mnida̠]
감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) is the Korean way to say thank you respectfully.
The phrase 감사합니다 is a polite way to say thank you respectfully in Korean. For expressing deep gratitude or to sound more formal, you can use the expression 깊은 감사를 드립니다.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 감사 means 'gratitude' or 'thanks'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
감사합니다 is highly formal and respectful, making it more suitable for business settings or speaking to elders. In contrast, 고마워요 is a polite but slightly less formal way to say thank you.
How does it change in a sentence?
감사합니다 is a formal verb construction where the phrase literally means 'to do gratitude' to express the meaning 'to express gratitude'.
Did you know?
- While 감사합니다 is the standard for respect, Koreans often use the word 죄송합니다 meaning 'I am sorry' to express gratitude when someone has gone out of their way to help them.
- The word 감사 comes from Hanja (Chinese characters), meaning it is a loanword from Classical Chinese rather than a native Korean root.
- When receiving a gift, it is common to say 감사합니다 while using both hands to accept the item, as using one hand is considered disrespectful.
Examples in context
- 도와주셔서 감사합니다.dowajusyeoseo gamsahamnida.Thank you for helping me.
- 선물 정말 감사합니다.seonmul jeongmal gamsahamnida.Thank you so much for the gift.
- 친절하게 대해주셔서 감사합니다.chinjeolhage daehae-jusyeoseo gamsahamnida.Thank you for being so kind to me.
Example conversation
Minji gives a small gift to Minjun at a cafe.
- 민지 Min-ji민준 씨, 이거 작은 선물이에요.Minjun ssi, igeo jageun seonmul-ieyo.Minjun, this is a small gift for you.
- 민준 Min-jun와, 정말 감사합니다, 민지 씨.Wa, jeongmal gamsahamnida, Minji ssi.Wow, thank you very much, Minji.
- 민지 Min-ji마음에 들었으면 좋겠어요.Maeume deureosseumyeon jokesseoyo.I hope you like it.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 정말 마음에 들어요.Ne, jeongmal maeume deureoyo.Yes, I really like it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 감사합니다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 감사합니다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
