What you'll learn
- Say 감사합니다 as [감사함니다] with the right "m".
- Name the rule that turns ㅂ + ㄴ into ㅁ + ㄴ.
- Apply the same rule to any word that ends in -ㅂ니다.
- Tell 감사합니다, 고맙습니다 and 고마워요 apart.
Before you start: know that a batchim is the final consonant at the bottom of a block. The lesson takes about 10 minutes, and audio plays only when you press a button.
Key facts
- The polite informal form is 고마워요, and the other formal form is 고맙습니다 [고맙씀니다].
Last updated: 2026-10-09. The Korean text, romanization and audio scripts on this page are generated drafts that still await review by a Korean specialist.
How to Pronounce 감사합니다 in Five Steps
To pronounce 감사합니다, say gam-sa-ham-ni-da with the third syllable ending in "m". Keep the five beats even.
- 감 (gam). ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅁ. Close your lips at the end.
- 사 (sa). ㅅ + ㅏ. A soft "sah".
- 합 (hap), said as 함 (ham). Start with a light ㅎ, say "ah", and close the lips as for "m". Do not release a "p" sound.
- 니 (ni). The tongue touches the ridge behind the upper teeth for ㄴ, then "ee".
- 다 (da). ㄷ at the start of a syllable is softer than English "d", then "ah".
You will know it worked when your lips close on the third syllable, and your voice goes through the nose for a moment before 니. Next, why the letter says ㅂ but the mouth says "m".
Which Rule Changes 감사합니다?
The rule that changes 감사합니다 is nasalization of ㅂ: a ㅂ batchim becomes ㅁ before the nasal consonants ㄴ and ㅁ. The Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법) of the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) state this in Article 18.
Here is the mechanism. At the end of a syllable, ㅂ is an unreleased "p": the lips close and stop. The next sound, ㄴ, is a nasal, made with air passing through the nose. Speakers prepare the nose for ㄴ while the lips are still closed, so the lip-closed sound becomes the nasal ㅁ. The mouth does less work, and the sound flows.
| Step | Written | Spoken | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 감사합니다 | 감사합니다 | nothing yet |
| 2 | 합 + 니 | 함 + 니 | ㅂ becomes ㅁ before ㄴ |
| 3 | 감사합니다 | [감사함니다] | final spoken form |
The same rule works in other words. 입니다 ("it is") is spoken [임니다], and 먹습니다 ("eats") is [먹씀니다], where the same change follows a tense ㅆ. For the full rule with more examples, see ㅂ nasalization.
Because Revised Romanization transcribes sound, it writes gamsahamnida with an m. The romanization is therefore a clue to the sound, not to the spelling. Now look at the related forms.
What Other Ways Are There to Say Thank You?
The three common ways to say thank you in Korean are 감사합니다, 고맙습니다 and 고마워요. All three mean thank you, but they differ in word origin, level of formality and sound changes.
| Form | Spoken | Style | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 감사합니다 | [감사함니다] | formal | ㅂ + ㄴ becomes ㅁ |
| 고맙습니다 | [고맙씀니다] | formal | ㅅ turns tense, then ㅂ + ㄴ becomes ㅁ |
| 고마워요 | [고마워요] | polite informal | none |
Hear the other formal form and the informal form.
감사합니다 uses the noun 감사 (gratitude) plus 합니다 (do, in the formal style). 고맙습니다 comes from the native Korean adjective 고맙다. For context on when to use each, see polite Korean phrases and Korean greetings. The next section walks through the spelling-to-sound trace once more.
Worked Example: from Spelling to Sound
The worked example below traces 감사합니다 from the written form to the spoken form. Follow each step.
- Split into blocks. 감 / 사 / 합 / 니 / 다.
- Find the batchim. 감 ends in ㅁ, 합 ends in ㅂ, and the others have no final consonant.
- Look at what follows each batchim. After ㅁ comes 사, which starts with ㅅ. After ㅂ comes 니, which starts with ㄴ.
- Apply the rule. ㅁ before ㅅ stays ㅁ. ㅂ before ㄴ becomes ㅁ.
- Write the spoken form. [감사함니다].
- Say it aloud with five even beats, and close your lips on 감 and 함.
The trace follows the same routine used for every word on this site: split, find the batchim, look at the next sound, apply the rule. The routine is taught in full in the batchim method. Now the usual mistakes.
Why Do Learners Say Gamsahabnida?
Learners say gamsahabnida because they read the spelling letter by letter and ignore the sound. Four assumptions cause the error.
- Learners often assume that ㅂ is always a "b" sound. Actually at the end of a syllable ㅂ is an unreleased "p" and, before ㄴ, becomes "m".
- Learners often assume that the romanization shows the spelling. Actually Revised Romanization shows the sound, which is why gamsahamnida has an m.
- Learners often assume that the stress falls on "sa". Actually the beats are even.
- Learners often assume that the rule only works for this word. Actually every word with -ㅂ니다 follows it, so 갑니다 (goes) is [감니다].
Fix the first assumption and the others follow. Now test yourself.
Practice and Answer Key
Do the exercises after listening. Cover the answer key until you finish.
Practice · 8
How is 감사합니다 pronounced?
Show answer
[감사함니다]
The ㅂ of 합 becomes ㅁ before the ㄴ of 니, so the word is [감사함니다].
Which rule turns ㅂ + ㄴ into ㅁ + ㄴ in 감사합니다?
Show answer
Nasalization
Nasalization of ㅂ (Article 18): a ㅂ batchim becomes ㅁ before the nasals ㄴ and ㅁ.
How is 입니다 (it is) pronounced?
Show answer
[임니다]
The same rule applies: ㅂ before ㄴ becomes ㅁ, so 입니다 is [임니다].
How is 갑니다 (goes) pronounced?
Show answer
[감니다]
Every word with -ㅂ니다 follows the rule, so 갑니다 is [감니다].
Which of these is the polite informal way to say thank you?
Show answer
고마워요
고마워요 is polite informal. 감사합니다 and 고맙습니다 are both formal.
How is 고맙습니다 pronounced?
Show answer
[고맙씀니다]
In 고맙습니다 the ㅅ turns tense and then ㅂ + ㄴ becomes ㅁ, giving [고맙씀니다].
How many syllables does 감사합니다 have?
Show answer
Five
감사합니다 has five syllables: 감, 사, 합, 니 and 다.
Why does Revised Romanization write gamsahamnida with an m?
Show answer
Because it transcribes the sound, not the spelling
Revised Romanization follows the sound, so it already shows the ㅁ that nasalization produces.
- Rule. What happens to ㅂ in 합니다?
- Spoken. How is 감사합니다 pronounced?
- Apply. How is 입니다 pronounced?
- Choose. Which is informal: 고마워요 or 고맙습니다?
- Count. How many syllables does 감사합니다 have?
Answer key: 1. It becomes ㅁ before ㄴ. 2. [감사함니다]. 3. [임니다]. 4. 고마워요. 5. Five.
Common questions follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it gamsahamnida or gamsahabnida? Write gamsahamnida. Revised Romanization spells words by their sound, and the sound of 감사합니다 has an m: [감사함니다]. The form gamsahabnida follows the spelling letter by letter and is not the official romanization. Both point to the same Korean word, but only gamsahamnida matches what you hear.
Why is 합니다 pronounced 함니다? The ㅂ at the end of 합 is followed by the ㄴ of 니. Korean nasalization turns ㅂ into ㅁ before a nasal consonant, because the lips are already closed and the air passes through the nose. The Standard Pronunciation Rules list this change, and it applies to every -ㅂ니다 ending.
How do I say thank you informally in Korean? Say 고마워요 (gomawoyo) for polite informal speech, and 고마워 (gomawo) with close friends. Both skip the formal -ㅂ니다 ending, so no nasalization occurs. Say them as written. Use 감사합니다 or 고맙습니다 in shops, offices and with elders, where the formal ending sounds respectful.
Is 고맙습니다 pronounced differently from 감사합니다? Yes, in the details. 고맙습니다 is spoken [고맙씀니다]: the ㅅ after ㅂ turns tense, and the ㅂ before ㄴ becomes ㅁ. Both words mean thank you in the formal style. 감사합니다 has one change, and 고맙습니다 has two, so many learners start with 감사합니다.
Next Steps and Scope
How to pronounce 감사합니다 comes down to one rule: ㅂ before ㄴ becomes ㅁ, so the word is spoken [감사함니다]. This lesson does not cover the intonation of thanking someone or the many longer thank-you phrases, and it does not score your speech. The tense ㅆ in 고맙습니다 is a second rule that has its own lesson, so only the result is shown here. Practise the sound in context with polite Korean phrases, and return to How to Pronounce Korean Words for the full word list.
Next in the series: How to Pronounce 괜찮아요.