4 ways to respond to 감사합니다 | Don’t use “천만에요”

안녕하세요 리더님! Koreanstudyjunkie입니다~

In this lesson, we’ll talk about ways Koreans say thank you and how to respond to it.

In English, we usually respond with “you’re welcome”. The mistake Korean learners make is to Google how to say, “you’re welcome”.

The typically response that pops up is “천만에요”. Koreans don’t use this phrase in everyday spoken language.

You have to understand that languages are more than just a language, they are heavily influenced by or made up of the culture.

If you translate every thought you have in English into Korean, it will not be natural. With that being said, let’s take a look at how Koreans respond to thank you.

1). DOWNPLAYING

In Korean culture, being polite usually means being indirect, humble and considerate of other’s feelings. Oftentimes, Koreans respond to a “thank you”, by playing it off and saying things like “no problem”, “it’s nothing”, “no way”.

This in Korean would be the word: 아니다

Dialogue Examples:

가: 파티 와 줘서 감사합니다.

A: Thank you for coming to the party.

나: 아니에요. 우리 친구잖아요.

B: It’s nothing. We’re friends (aren’t we).

가: 여기.

B: Here.

나: 이거 뭐야?

B: What’s this?

가: 네 커피야. 너 위해 사 줬어.

A: It’s your coffee. I bought it for you.

나: 어, 고맙다!

B: Ah, thanks!

가: 아니야. 어제 커피 사 줬거든.

A: It’s nothing. You bought me coffee yesterday.

2). NOT RESPONDING

In Korean, it’s very common to not directly respond to “thank you” at all. Instead of saying something equivalent to “you’re welcome,” the speaker simply continues the conversation or shifts focus.

This can feel strange to English speakers, but in Korean, acknowledging the situation is often more natural than explicitly accepting thanks.

Dialogue Examples:

가: 도와주셔서 감사합니다.

A: Thank you for helping me.

나: 이거 다음에 어떻게 하면 돼요?

B: So what should we do next?

(Notice: No “you’re welcome”—just moving forward)

가: 오늘 시간 내 줘서 고마워.

A: Thanks for making time today.

나: 괜찮아. 근데 그 얘기 다시 해 줄 수 있어?

B: It’s fine. By the way, can you explain that again?

The response shifts quickly into the next topic.

3). ACKNOWLEDGING THE SITUATION

Instead of accepting thanks, Koreans often respond by commenting on the situation itself— saying it was no big deal, expected, or totally fine.

This shifts the focus away from you and onto the circumstances, which sounds more humble and natural.

Common Expressions:

• 괜찮아요 → It’s okay / No problem

• 당연하죠 → Of course (it was expected)

• 별말씀을요 → Don’t mention it (more formal/polite)

Dialogue Examples:

가: 이렇게 도와주셔서 정말 감사합니다.

A: Thank you so much for helping like this.

나: 괜찮아요. 금방 끝날 일이었어요.

B: It’s okay. It was something quick anyway.

가: 와 주셔서 감사합니다.

A: Thank you for coming.

나: 당연하죠. 꼭 오고 싶었어요.

B: Of course. I really wanted to come.

가: 바쁘신데 시간 내 주셔서 감사합니다.

A: Thank you for making time even though you’re busy.

나: 별말씀을요. 언제든지요.

B: Don’t mention it. Anytime.

4). RETURNING THE THANKS

Sometimes, instead of accepting thanks, Koreans will give the thanks back.

This is especially common when:

• Both people benefit

• There’s a relationship (friends, coworkers, etc.)

• You want to sound warm and respectful

Common Expressions:

• 제가 더 감사하죠 → I should be the one thanking you

• 저야말로 감사합니다 → I’m the one who should say thanks

• 저도 감사합니다 → Thank you as well

Dialogue Examples:

가: 오늘 도와줘서 고마워.

A: Thanks for helping me today.

나: 아니야, 내가 더 고맙지. 같이 해서 좋았어.

B: No, I’m more thankful. It was nice doing it together.

가: 와 주셔서 감사합니다.

A: Thank you for coming.

나: 저야말로 감사합니다. 초대해 주셔서요.

B: I should be thanking you. For inviting me.

가: 오늘 수업 정말 감사합니다.

A: Thank you for the lesson today.

나: 저도 감사합니다. 열심히 들어 주셔서요.

B: Thank you too. For listening so well.

In Korean, responding to ‘thank you’ isn’t about saying ‘you’re welcome’—it’s about showing humility, maintaining flow, and strengthening the relationship.

That’s all for this post! I hope you learned something new today. At the bottom of this page I have linked 3 related posts that you can use to keep learnong!