Korean at Work
Learn the Korean you need at work: greetings like 수고하셨습니다, leaving with 먼저 들어가 보겠습니다, job titles with 님, meetings, reports and polite email phrases.
Mr. Gaon · Grammar, vocabulary & TOPIKWhat you will learn in this lesson
- Use common workplace greetings and leaving phrases
- Call coworkers by job title + 님
- Understand words like 회의, 보고, 결재 and 회식
- Write a short, polite work email or message
Hello, I'm Gaon. Korean at work follows clear rules, which is good news: once you know them, you can use them every day. We'll go step by step: greetings, titles, key words, then emails.
The basic rule at work
At work, use polite speech with everyone, even coworkers who are your age or younger. Most offices use -요 in conversation and the more formal -습니다/-ㅂ니다 in meetings, reports and greetings to managers.
Use 반말 only if a coworker has clearly agreed to it, and even then, many people switch back to polite speech when others are around. Slang, short forms like ㅇㅇ, and 헐 or 대박 are best avoided with managers.
Greetings and leaving
- 좋은 아침입니다. [조은 아치밈니다.] joeun achimimnida. Good morning. Many offices also simply say 안녕하세요.
- 수고하셨습니다. [수고하셛씀니다.] sugohasyeotseumnida. Thank you for your hard work. Said at the end of a meeting, a project or the day. Safe with anyone.
- 수고하세요. sugohaseyo. Keep up the good work. (said when leaving) Common, but some people feel it sounds like an order when said to a boss. With managers, 수고하셨습니다 or 먼저 들어가 보겠습니다 is safer.
- 먼저 들어가 보겠습니다. [먼저 들어가 보겓씀니다.] meonjeo deureoga bogetseumnida. I'll be leaving first. The standard polite phrase when you leave the office before others.
- 내일 뵙겠습니다. [내일 뵙껟씀니다.] naeil boepgetseumnida. See you tomorrow. Respectful. 뵙다 is the humble form of "to see/meet."
- 고생 많으셨습니다. [고생 마느셛씀니다.] gosaeng maneusyeotseumnida. You went through a lot. Thank you. Stronger than 수고하셨습니다, after a very hard task.
Common job titles (from junior to senior)
| Title | How to call them | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
| 사원 | 민수 씨 / 김민수 님 | Staff, entry level |
| 대리 | 김 대리님 | Assistant manager |
| 과장 | 박 과장님 | Manager |
| 차장 | 이 차장님 | Deputy general manager |
| 부장 | 최 부장님 | General manager, department head |
| 사장 | 사장님 | President, CEO |
Companies differ, and many now use one title like 님 or 매니저 for everyone. Follow your company's way.
This one is easy to mix up, so let's compare. When you talk to a manager, say 과장님. When you talk about yourself, never add 님: say 저는 김 과장입니다, not 김 과장님입니다.
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Key office words
- 회의 [회이] hoeui meeting
- 보고 bogo report (to a manager)
- 보고서 bogoseo a written report
- 결재 [결째] gyeoljae official approval (a manager signs or approves a document)
- 회식 hoesik a team dinner after work
- 출근 chulgeun going to work, arriving at work
- 퇴근 toegeun leaving work
- 야근 yageun working late, overtime
- 연차 yeoncha annual leave, a day off
- 마감 magam deadline
Useful sentences
- 확인 부탁드립니다. [화긴 부탁드림니다.] hwagin butakdeurimnida. Please check this. Very common at the end of messages and emails.
- 회의는 3시에 시작합니다. [회이는 세 시에 시자캄니다.] hoeuineun 3sie sijakamnida. The meeting starts at 3.
- 부장님께 보고드리겠습니다. [부장님께 보고드리겓씀니다.] bujangnimkke bogodeurigetseumnida. I will report to the general manager.
- 결재 올렸습니다. [결째 올렫씀니다.] gyeoljae ollyeotseumnida. I've submitted it for approval.
- 오늘 회식 있어요. [오늘 회식 이써요.] oneul hoesik isseoyo. We have a team dinner today.
- 잠시만 기다려 주시겠어요? [잠시만 기다려 주시게써요?] jamsiman gidaryeo jusigesseoyo? Could you wait a moment, please?
Writing a work email
Korean work emails follow a simple order:
1. Greeting with name and title. 김 과장님, 안녕하세요. 2. Who you are. 마케팅팀 제임스입니다. 3. The main point, short and clear. 4. A request or closing. 확인 부탁드립니다. / 검토 부탁드립니다. 5. Thanks and your name. 감사합니다. 제임스 드림.
드림 means "respectfully sent by" and goes after your name at the end. Use -습니다 endings, and avoid emoticons in formal emails. In a casual team chat, a simple ^^ is sometimes okay, but follow what your coworkers do.
Email phrases
- 첨부 파일 확인 부탁드립니다. [첨부 파일 화긴 부탁드림니다.] cheombu pail hwagin butakdeurimnida. Please check the attached file.
- 회의 일정 공유드립니다. [회이 일정 공유드림니다.] hoeui iljeong gongyudeurimnida. I'm sharing the meeting schedule.
- 궁금한 점 있으시면 편하게 연락 주세요. [궁금한 점 이쓰시면 편하게 열락 주세요.] gunggeumhan jeom isseusimyeon pyeonhage yeollak juseyo. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
- 답장이 늦어 죄송합니다. [답짱이 느저 죄송함니다.] dapjangi neujeo joesonghamnida. I'm sorry for the late reply.
- 제임스 드림 jeimseu deurim Respectfully, James Put this at the very end, after 감사합니다.
End of the workday
About 회식
회식 is a team meal after work. It helps people get to know each other outside the office. The table manners you learn for elders apply here: wait for the senior person, pour drinks with two hands, and thank the person who pays with 잘 먹겠습니다 and 잘 먹었습니다.
You never have to drink alcohol. Saying 저는 술을 못 마셔서 음료수로 할게요 (I can't drink alcohol, so I'll have a soft drink) is accepted in most workplaces today.
Check quiz
Q1. You are leaving the office before your manager. What do you say?
Q2. How do you call a manager named 박 whose title is 과장?
Q3. What is 결재?
Q4. How do you introduce yourself if you are a 대리 named 김?
Q5. Which phrase ends an email politely by asking someone to check it?
Q6. What does 드림 after your name mean in an email?
Excellent work today. Start with three phrases: 안녕하세요, 확인 부탁드립니다, and 먼저 들어가 보겠습니다. Use them every day, and they'll soon feel natural. 수고하셨습니다!
Key points
- Use polite speech with everyone at work
- 수고하셨습니다 and 먼저 들어가 보겠습니다 are daily phrases
- Call people by family name + title + 님; never add 님 to yourself
- Key words: 회의, 보고, 결재, 회식, 퇴근, 마감
- Emails: greeting, who you are, main point, 확인 부탁드립니다, 감사합니다, name + 드림
Recommended official free resources
- EPS-TOPIK Korean self-study — HRD Korea
- Korean Basic Dictionary (multilingual) — National Institute of Korean Language
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