Key Facts
- Hangul: 고맙다 (gomapda)
- Meaning: grateful
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 고맙
- Conjugation class: ㅂ-irregular
- Grammar: Thanks for an action are marked with 아/어서: 도와줘서 고마워요.
- Usage: Everyday thanks, warmer than 감사하다.
What Does 고맙다 Mean?
고맙다 means thankful, as in 도와줘서 고마워요 (thank you for helping). It is the native, warm word for friends and family.
The casual form is 고마워. To a superior, 감사합니다 is a standard formal choice; 고맙습니다 is also respectful.
How Do You Pronounce 고맙다?
The dictionary form is [고맙따], with the ㄷ tensed after ㅂ. The formal 고맙습니다 is [고맙씀니다]. Before vowel endings the ㅂ turns into 우, so 고마워요 is read as spelled.
How Do You Use 고맙다 in a Sentence?
도와줘서 정말 고마워요.
Thank you so much for helping.
도와줘서 gives the reason for thanks, and 정말 strengthens it.
고마운 마음을 전하고 싶어요.
I want to convey my gratitude.
고마운 modifies 마음을, and 전하고 싶어요 expresses the wish to pass it on.
그때 고마웠어요.
I was grateful back then.
그때 sets the time, so 고마웠어요 expresses past gratitude.
How Does Gomapda Conjugation Work?
고맙다 is a ㅂ-irregular adjective: 고마워요, 고마웠어요, 고마워서. The formal 고맙습니다 keeps the ㅂ, and the modifier is 고마운. The honorific 고마우세요 is rare.
고맙다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 고마워요 | ||
| Polite past | 고마웠어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 고마울 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 고맙겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 고맙습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 고마웠습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 고마울 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 고마워 | ||
| Casual past | 고마웠어 | ||
| Casual future | 고마울 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 고마우세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 고마워서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 고마우면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 고마운 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 고마웠던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 고마울 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 고마워요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 고맙지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary form | 고맙다 | [고맙따] |
| Polite past | 고마웠어요 | [고마워써요] |
| Polite future | 고마울 거예요 | [고마울꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 고맙겠어요 | [고맙께써요] |
| Formal present | 고맙습니다 | [고맙씀니다] |
| Formal past | 고마웠습니다 | [고마웓씀니다] |
| Formal future | 고마울 것입니다 | [고마울꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 고마웠어 | [고마워써] |
| Casual future | 고마울 거야 | [고마울꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 고마웠던 | [고마웓떤] |
| Long negative | 고맙지 않아요 | [고맙찌 아나요] |
고맙다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (grateful): 고마워요
- Earlier, in the past (grateful): 고마웠어요
- Giving the reason (grateful): 고마워서
- If the condition holds (grateful): 고마우면
- Before a noun (grateful): 고마운, or 고마웠던 for the past
- Denying it (grateful): 고맙지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (grateful): 고마우세요; rare, and not the usual way to thank the listener
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 고맙어요 or 고맙아요
Correct: ✓ 고마워요
Why: Treating the stem as regular gives 고맙어요 or 고맙아요. The ㅂ turns into 우, which merges with 어 into 워, giving 고마워요.
When Does 고맙다 Fit Best?
Use 고마워 with close friends and family. Use 고맙습니다 or 감사합니다 for formal thanks, including to superiors. The ㅂ pattern is the same one you will see in 부럽다, so learning 고마워요 first gives you a model for others. Pair 고마워요 with 도와줘서 for the standard thank-you-for-helping sentence. Because the feeling is warm, it also works when you thank a friend for a small favour, not only a big one.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 고맙다?
| Word | How to tell it from 고맙다 |
|---|---|
| 감사하다 | 감사하다 is the more formal, Sino-Korean 'thank'; 고맙다 is the native, warmer word for friends and family. |
| 미안하다 | 미안하다 apologizes; 고맙다 thanks. Do not use one for the other. |
Returning a Borrowed Umbrella
A neighbour lent Mina an umbrella yesterday. She returns it today. The thanks move from a past favour to gratitude now; the neighbour keeps the reply casual in content but polite in form.
Mina
어제 정말 고마웠어요.
Eoje jeongmal gomawosseoyo.
Thank you so much for yesterday.
Neighbour
비가 많이 왔어요. 괜찮아요.
Biga mani wasseoyo. Gwaenchanayo.
It rained a lot. No problem.
Mina
우산을 빌려줘서 고마워요.
Usaneul billyeojwoseo gomawoyo.
Thank you for lending me the umbrella.
Neighbour
저도 고마운 일이 많아요.
Jeodo gomaun iri manayo.
I have a lot to thank you for too.
고마웠어요 looks back at yesterday, while 고마워요 expresses thanks at the moment of speaking. 고마운 describes 일이, the things the neighbour appreciates. English can use “thank you” for both tenses; Korean lets the speaker choose the time more explicitly.
Which Phrases Make Your Thanks More Specific?
정말 고마워요 means “thank you so much”. 정말 adds sincerity or strength; it does not change the level of politeness. To make the same thanks formal, choose 고맙습니다. To make them casual with a close friend, choose 고마워. A stronger word such as 정말 cannot make a casual ending suitable for a stranger.
도와줘서 고마워요 names the reason: “thank you for helping”. The first part ends in -아/어서, so the action explains the gratitude. In the umbrella dialogue, 빌려줘서 fills that same slot with “for lending”. The reason comes before the thanks, letting you say exactly what you appreciate about someone’s help.
고마운 마음 is literally a thankful heart or feeling. In a card, it means gratitude. The existing example about conveying 고마운 마음 shows why the noun form matters: the writer wants to express a feeling, rather than simply end the message with thanks. 고마운 사람 means someone you are grateful to, often because of help they have given.
Where Will You Hear 고맙다?
At a shop counter or after receiving directions, 고맙습니다 can stand alone as a complete thank-you. In a message to a friend, 고마워 is warmer and less distant. In a speech or workplace exchange, 감사합니다 is another standard formal choice. 고맙습니다 is also respectful; the native Korean root does not limit the word to friends and family.
A person may say 미안해요 after accepting a troublesome favour because they feel sorry for imposing. That expresses apology, whereas 고마워요 expresses gratitude. Both feelings can occur in the same situation. If your main message is appreciation for help, naming that help and adding 고마워요 makes the intention clear.
Why Isn't 고마우세요 the Usual Respectful Thank-You?
The honorific form in the table describes a respected subject. When you thank someone, however, you are expressing your own gratitude. The respectful ending in 고맙습니다 addresses the listener politely without treating your own feeling as an honoured subject. Use 고맙습니다 or 감사합니다 when thanking a teacher; adding -시- is not a general way to upgrade every sentence.
Keep the spelling 고맙- before -습니다 and -지. The irregular change belongs to endings that trigger it, such as the ones in 고마워요 and 고마운. Hearing no final ㅂ in 고마워요 is therefore a clue about the form, not permission to drop it from the dictionary spelling.
A Small Vocabulary Set for Appreciation
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 감사하다 | to be thankful; to thank | Gives the formal expression 감사합니다. |
| 미안하다 | to be sorry | Focuses on an apology for trouble caused. |
| 반갑다 | to be glad to meet someone | Expresses pleasure at meeting, rather than thanks. |
| 고마움 | gratitude | Names the feeling as a noun. |
The feelings adjective lesson groups emotional states so you can choose between gratitude, pleasure and other reactions.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Thank a neighbour politely now: 고맙다 → ___.
- Recall a favour from last week: 고맙다 → polite past ___.
- Complete “a person I am grateful to”: ___ 사람.
- Give formal thanks while keeping the stem-final ㅂ: ___.
Show drill answers
- 고마워요. The vowel ending triggers the ㅂ change.
- 고마웠어요. The gratitude is placed in the past.
- 고마운 사람. The modifier comes before the noun.
- 고맙습니다. The consonant ending keeps ㅂ.
Quick Self-Test
- Can 고맙습니다 respectfully thank a stranger?
- Which part of 도와줘서 고마워요 names the reason?
- Does 정말 make 고마워 formal?
Show self-test answers
- Yes. It is a formal polite thank-you.
- 도와줘서 means “for helping”.
- No. 정말 strengthens the thanks; the ending still determines the speech level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 고맙다?
고마워요.
What Is the Casual Form?
고마워.
How Is It Different from 감사하다?
감사하다 is the more formal, Sino-Korean 'thank'; 고맙다 is the native, warmer word.
Can I Use 미안하다 for Thanks?
No. 미안하다 apologizes; 고맙다 thanks.
Which Words Are Related to 고맙다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 고맙다 with 감사하다 and 미안하다, then use 반갑다 for the same ㅂ pattern. The pattern is explained in ㅂ-irregular verbs and adjectives. Then run another word through the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.