Key Facts
- Hangul: 감사하다 (gamsahada, 4 syllables)
- Meaning: to thank
- Level: A1
- Stem: 감사하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- What it takes: The person thanked takes 에게/한테 (께 for respect); the reason uses 아서/어서 or 에 대해.
What Does 감사하다 Mean?
감사하다 expresses gratitude: 도와줘서 감사하다 is being thankful that someone helped. The person thanked takes 에게 or 한테, and 께 when you want to show respect, while the reason attaches with 아서/어서 or 에 대해.
In register, 감사하다 is more formal than 고맙다, the everyday word. For extra humility toward the person you thank, the humble form is 감사드리다.
- to thank: Express gratitude: 도와줘서 감사하다.
How Do You Pronounce 감사하다?
Four syllables, said as written. The formal 감사합니다 is pronounced [감사함니다], with the ㅂ turning into an m sound before ㄴ, and the past 감사했어요 is [감사해써요]. Revised Romanization is gamsahada.
How Do You Use 감사하다 in a Sentence?
도와주셔서 감사해요.
Thank you for helping me.
The most common use: thanks for help. 도와주셔서 adds the honorific -시- to -어서 (because), which respects the helper.
친구에게 감사해서 선물을 줬어요.
I was grateful to my friend, so I gave a gift.
The reason form 감사해서 links gratitude to an action, here giving a gift.
그 사람에게 감사하고 싶어요.
I want to thank that person.
감사하고 싶어요 states a wish to thank, with 에게 marking the person.
How Does Gamsahada Conjugation Work?
감사하다 is a regular 하다 verb. The stem 감사하 plus 여 contracts to 해, giving 감사해요 and 감사했어요. The short negative is 감사 안 해요, and 안 감사해요 also occurs.
The pattern behind 감사하다 is taught step by step in 하다 to 해요.
감사하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 감사해요 | ||
| Polite past | 감사했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 감사할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 감사하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 감사합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 감사했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 감사할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 감사해 | ||
| Casual past | 감사했어 | ||
| Casual future | 감사할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 감사하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 감사하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 감사해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 감사하면 | ||
| Present modifier | 감사하는 | ||
| Past modifier | 감사한 | ||
| Future modifier | 감사할 | ||
| Short negative | 감사 안 해요 | ||
| Long negative | 감사하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 감사해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 감사했어요 | [감사해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 감사할 거예요 | [감사할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 감사하겠어요 | [감사하게써요] |
| Formal present | 감사합니다 | [감사함니다] |
| Formal past | 감사했습니다 | [감사핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 감사할 것입니다 | [감사할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 감사해 | as written |
| Casual past | 감사했어 | [감사해써] |
| Casual future | 감사할 거야 | [감사할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 감사하고 싶어요 | [감사하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 감사하세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 감사해서 | as written |
| If (conditional) | 감사하면 | as written |
| Present modifier | 감사하는 | as written |
| Past modifier | 감사한 | as written |
| Future modifier | 감사할 | as written |
| Short negative | 감사 안 해요 | as written |
| Long negative | 감사하지 않아요 | [감사하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 친구를 감사해요
Correct: ✓ 친구에게 감사해요.
Why: The person thanked takes 에게/한테, not 을/를.
How Does 감사하다 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | How to tell it from 감사하다 |
|---|---|
| 고맙다 | 고맙다 is the everyday word; 감사하다 is more formal. |
| 인사하다 | 인사하다 is greeting. 감사하다 is thanking. |
Thanking a Neighbor for Carrying a Parcel
A neighbor helped bring a parcel upstairs. The resident offers thanks, then explains how grateful they felt the day before as well. The neighbor keeps the reply modest.
Resident
도와주셔서 감사합니다.
Dowajusyeoseo gamsahamnida.
Thank you for helping me.
Neighbor
아니에요. 괜찮아요.
Anieyo. Gwaenchanayo.
Not at all. It’s fine.
Resident
어제도 정말 감사했어요.
Eojedo jeongmal gamsahaesseoyo.
I was really grateful yesterday too.
Neighbor
필요하면 또 도와드릴게요.
Piryohamyeon tto dowadeurilgeyo.
I’ll help again if you need it.
감사합니다 offers thanks directly now. 감사했어요 looks back on gratitude connected with an earlier event. The neighbor’s reply uses 도와드리다, the humble “help” expression, to keep the offer respectful. Both people can show courtesy within the same exchange.
Phrases That Make Thanks Specific
도와주셔서 감사합니다 means “thank you for helping”. The reason comes first and 감사합니다 closes the sentence. 도와주셔서 honors the person who helped. The plain reason 도와줘서 can fit a close relationship, but the honorific version is useful when thanking a neighbor, colleague, or unfamiliar helper politely.
정말 감사합니다 means “thank you very much” or “I’m really grateful”. 정말 strengthens the sincerity of the thanks. It does not change the speech level: 감사합니다 is already formal polite. 정말 감사해요 uses a softer conversational ending while still speaking politely to the listener.
항상 감사합니다 means “thank you always”, expressing appreciation for continuing help or kindness. It can suit a message to someone who supports you regularly. The phrase thanks them for an ongoing relationship rather than identifying one particular favor. If a single action matters, a reason clause is more specific.
미리 감사드립니다 means “thank you in advance”. It anticipates a favor rather than acknowledging something already done. In a request, it can sound as though the help is expected, so consider the relationship and how much you are asking. A direct request followed by thanks after the person helps is often easier to interpret.
Where Will You Hear or See 감사하다?
감사합니다 appears at shop counters, at the end of announcements, and in messages acknowledging help. The surrounding situation often supplies the reason, so a complete list of what you appreciate is unnecessary. At the end of a presentation, the speaker may be thanking the audience for listening rather than for a separate favor.
Business messages also use 감사드립니다, from 감사드리다. This is a humble expression directed toward the recipient of the thanks. It adds deference, so it is useful in formal correspondence. It is not a tense change of 감사합니다; it uses a different verb built around the same gratitude word.
고맙습니다 is also formal polite and can be fully respectful. The difference between 감사하다 and 고맙다 is not a ranking in which every 감사 form outranks every 고맙 form. 감사해 is casual because of its ending; 고맙습니다 is formal polite because of its ending. Choose the speech ending as well as the vocabulary.
Respect the Helper, Not Your Own Gratitude
감사하세요 contains an honorific ending, but it is not the normal way to make your own “thank you” more respectful. As an instruction, it can tell someone else to be grateful. When you are expressing your own thanks, 감사합니다 or 감사드립니다 gives the intended message directly.
The particles identify two different roles. 친구에게 points to the friend who receives the thanks. A reason such as 도와주셔서 explains what prompted it. Replacing 에게 with 를 makes the person look like a direct object, which is the error in the common-mistake block above.
The past 감사했어요 can report that you felt grateful during an earlier event. It is useful when discussing yesterday’s help or looking back on a visit. For a simple thank-you as a favor is completed now, 감사합니다 remains a natural choice; English past-tense wording does not force a Korean past form.
Gratitude Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 감사 | gratitude; thanks | The noun inside 감사하다. |
| 도움 | help | Names what you may be thankful for. |
| 선물 | gift | A concrete reason to offer thanks. |
| 감사드리다 | to offer thanks humbly | Useful in respectful messages and correspondence. |
The thank-you phrases lesson compares complete expressions for different relationships and situations. For the reason clause, see thanking someone for help.
Mini Drill: Choose the Thanks Form
- Give the formal present of 감사하다.
- Give the polite past.
- Complete “I’m grateful to my friend”: 친구____ 감사해요.
- Choose your own direct thanks: 감사합니다 or 감사하세요?
Show drill answers
- 감사합니다.
- 감사했어요.
- 에게, giving 친구에게 감사해요.
- 감사합니다. 감사하세요 can instruct someone else to be grateful.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 정말 change the speech level of 감사합니다?
- Is 고맙습니다 also respectful?
- Which word names humble thanks: 감사드리다 or 인사하다?
Show answers
- No. It adds emphasis; the ending supplies the speech level.
- Yes. It is formal polite.
- 감사드리다. 인사하다 means to greet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 감사하다 More Formal than 고맙다?
Yes. 고맙다 is the everyday word, and 감사하다 is the more formal one.
What Particle Marks the Person I Thank?
Use 에게 or 한테, and 께 for someone you respect. 친구에게 감사해요 is correct.
How Do I Say It Very Humbly?
Use the humble form 감사드리다, which lowers you and raises the person you thank.
Why Is 감사합니다 so Common?
It is the formal present, 감사합니다, and it works as the default polite thanks.
Which Words Are Related to 감사하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Pair it with 고맙다 to hear the casual side of thanks, then learn 사과하다 and 미안하다 for the opposite direction. To test another form of 감사하다 ('to thank'), open the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary. Where 안 goes in the negative of 감사하다 is covered in negating 하다 verbs.