Topic
Work & Formality
Greetings, politeness levels, and who you can say what to.
고마워 or 감사합니다? Picking the Right 'Thank You' in Korean (and the Little Bow That Finishes It)
English has one 'thank you' for everyone. Korean makes you choose — 고마워 for friends, 감사합니다 for everyone else — and there's a soft middle (감사해요) plus a bow that most guides skip. Here's when to use which, from a native speaker.
미안해 vs 죄송합니다: Which "Sorry" — and the One That Has No Casual Form
Both mean "sorry." The choice isn't about how sorry you are — it's about who you wronged. And there's a trap: 죄송 has no casual version, so "죄송해" to a friend is a mistake.
수고하셨습니다: The Word That Means "You Suffered" But Is Really Just "Bye"
A native speaker on 수고하셨습니다 vs 고생하셨습니다: they mean almost the same thing, so this is really a when-do-I-say-it question. It is less "well done" and more "thanks for the effort — bye."
저는 vs 나는: One of These Mismatches Is Fine. The Other Sounds Wrong.
저 and 나 both mean "I," and each has to match your verb ending — keep the whole sentence on one level. Hear it in two real situations: meeting a stranger vs. talking to a close friend.
Is 당신 Rude? Why "You" in Korean Is a Question About the Room, Not the Word
Learners are taught 당신 as "you." It isn't one. Korean picks the word for "you" from the situation — and the safest option is usually no word at all.