고마워요
gomawoyo
The Korean phrase for "thanks" is 고마워요 (gomawoyo). Wiktionary also lists 고마워 (gomawo).
Meaning: used to express appreciation or gratitude (intj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 고마워요 | gomawoyo | |
| 고마워 | gomawo | [ko̞ma̠wʌ̹] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
This phrase is used to express appreciation or gratitude.
Which one should you use?
고마워 is the informal version used with friends or people younger than you, while 고마워요 is the polite version used with people you are not close to or those older than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing gratitude for something that has already been completed, you should use the past tense forms: 고마웠어 is the informal past tense and 고마웠어요 is the polite past tense. In an informal context, you can also use 고마웠어 to say "thanks for what you did".
How do you pronounce it?
gomawoyo
When do people say it?
Bowing slightly while saying 감사합니다 or komapda shows respect and sincerity.
Did you know?
- In modern Korean digital culture, particularly in text messaging, people often shorten 'thanks' to just the consonant ㄱㅅ to express quick gratitude to close friends.
- The root of 고마워 is 고맙다, which is an adjective rather than a verb. In English, 'to thank' is an action, but in Korean, you are essentially describing the state of feeling 'thankful'.
- The word 고맙다 is purely native Korean, whereas the more formal alternative 감사합니다 is derived from Sino-Korean roots.
Examples in context
- 오늘은 톰을 봐줘서 고마워.Thanks for watching Tom today.This sentence is useful for expressing thanks using the form 고마워.Tatoeba #13250330 by qiwiwi, translation #3113394 by CK
- 고마워.Thanks.Tatoeba #8363270 by Eunhee, translation #2057650 by nava
- 경고 고마워.Thanks for the warning.Tatoeba #5526774 by raining211, translation #2645999 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minjun helps Subin carry a heavy bag.
- 민준 Min-jun짐이 정말 무거워 보이네요.jimi jeongmal mugeowo boineyo.The luggage looks really heavy.
- 수빈 Su-bin도와줘서 정말 고마워요, 민준 씨.dowajwoseo jeongmal gomawoyo, Minjun ssi.Thank you so much for helping me, Minjun.
- 민준 Min-jun아니에요. 별거 아니에요.anieyo. byeolgeo anieyo.No problem. It was nothing.
- 수빈 Su-bin그래도 정말 고마워요.geuraedo jeongmal gomawoyo.Still, thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thanks” translations and entries 고마워, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
