How to Say “Thanks” in Korean: 고마워! (gomawo!)

고마워!

gomawo!

Situation: Friends & social mediaLevel: Starter (just learning Hangul)

Meaning

Thanks!

[Casual speech among friends] The casual version of 고맙습니다. Adding it at the end of a message conveys warmth.

Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.

Use it with friends, people your age and younger people when they give you something or help you. Adding 정말 (“really”) makes it warmer: 정말 고마워!

Don’t use it with elders, your boss, strangers or customers. For them say 고마워요 or the more formal 감사합니다.

Syllables: 3 · Words: 1

It is pronounced just as it is written.

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
고	ㄱ+ㅗ	go
마	ㅁ+ㅏ	ma
워	ㅇ+ㅝ	wo

A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.

Style: Casual (반말)Sentence type: Exclamation

No -요 at the end. Used with close friends, younger people and family; avoid it with strangers and elders.

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “고마워!” mean?

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Answer: Thanks

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