정말 고마워요
jeongmal gomawoyo
The English phrase 'thanks a lot' can be said in Korean as 정말 고마워요 (jeongmal gomawoyo).
This phrase is used to express strong gratitude to someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 정말 (really) and 고마워요 (thank you).
Which one should you use?
대단히 감사드립니다. means 'Thank you very much.', 정말 고맙습니다. means 'Thank you so much.', 진짜 고마워. means 'Thanks a lot.', 너무 고마워. means 'Thank you very much.', and 많이 고마워. also means 'Thanks a lot.'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
대단히 감사합니다 is used in formal or professional settings to show higher respect. To speak informally to friends or younger people, you can use 정말 고마워.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb '고맙다' (to be thankful) is conjugated into the polite present tense form '고마워요' in the phrase 정말 고마워요.
How do you pronounce it?
jeongmal gomawoyo
Did you know?
- Using 너무 in 너무 고마워 was traditionally only for negative emotions, but it is now widely used to intensify positive gratitude.
- The word 정말 is literally composed of the characters for 'correct' and 'speech', meaning your thanks are based on 'true words'.
- In Korean, the word for 'thanks' in 고마워요 comes from an indigenous Korean root, whereas the more formal 'thank you' often uses the Sino-Korean word 감사.
Examples in context
- 정말 고마워요!Thank you so much!
- 대단히 감사드립니다.Thank you very much.
- 도와줘서 정말 고마워요.douajwoseo jeongmal gomawoyo.Thanks a lot for helping me.
- 선물 정말 고마워요.seonmul jeongmal gomawoyo.Thanks a lot for the gift.
- 맛있는 음식 정말 고마워요.masinneun eumsik jeongmal gomawoyo.Thanks a lot for the delicious food.
Example conversation
Subin is thanking Hyunwoo for bringing her a coffee.
- 수빈 Su-bin커피 정말 고마워요, 현우 씨.keopi jeongmal gomawoyo, Hyunwoo ssi.Thanks a lot for the coffee, Hyunwoo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아니에요, 맛있게 드세요.anieyo, masitge deuseyo.No problem, enjoy it.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 고마워요, 잘 마실게요.jeongmal gomawoyo, jal masilgeyo.Thanks a lot, I will enjoy it.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 수빈 씨.ne, Subin ssi.You're welcome, Subin.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 정말, CC BY-SA 4.0.
