Key Facts
- Hangul: 환영하다 (hwanyeonghada, 4 syllables)
- Meaning: to welcome
- Level: B1
- Stem: 환영하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- What it takes: Takes an object with 을/를: 손님을 환영해요.
What Does 환영하다 Mean?
환영하다 means to welcome a person or an idea warmly: 손님을 환영하다 is welcoming a guest. The thing welcomed takes 을/를, and the register is formal.
The set phrase 환영합니다 ('welcome!') greets arrivals. It does not answer someone who thanks you; that job belongs to a different phrase.
- to welcome: Welcome a person or idea warmly: 손님을 환영하다.
How Do You Pronounce 환영하다?
The dictionary form sounds like [화녕하다]: the ㄴ at the end of 환 slides onto the vowel of 영. Revised Romanization keeps the written shape, hwanyeonghada. The past 환영했어요 is [화녕해써요] and 환영합니다 is [화녕함니다].
Use the audio above to compare the dictionary form with its polite, formal, and casual forms.
How Do You Use 환영하다 in a Sentence?
우리는 새 친구를 환영해요.
We welcome the new friend.
A group welcoming a newcomer, with the new friend as object.
모두가 손님을 환영했어요.
Everyone welcomed the guests.
Past tense: everyone welcomed the guests at an event.
환영하는 마음이 느껴져요.
You can feel the welcoming spirit.
The present modifier 환영하는 turns the verb into a description of the spirit in the room.
How Does Hwanyeonghada Conjugation Work?
환영하다 is a regular 하다 verb: 환영하 plus 여 contracts to 해, so you get 환영해요, 환영했어요 and 환영해서. The honorific is 환영하세요. The short negative is 환영 안 해요. A host can close a speech with the formal suggestion 환영합시다, 'let us welcome them'.
The pattern behind 환영하다 is taught step by step in 하다 to 해요.
환영하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 환영해요 | ||
| Polite past | 환영했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 환영할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 환영하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 환영합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 환영했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 환영할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 환영해 | ||
| Casual past | 환영했어 | ||
| Casual future | 환영할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 환영하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 환영하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 환영해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 환영하면 | ||
| Present modifier | 환영하는 | ||
| Past modifier | 환영한 | ||
| Future modifier | 환영할 | ||
| Short negative | 환영 안 해요 | ||
| Long negative | 환영하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 환영해요 | [화녕해요] |
| Polite past | 환영했어요 | [화녕해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 환영할 거예요 | [화녕할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 환영하겠어요 | [화녕하게써요] |
| Formal present | 환영합니다 | [화녕함니다] |
| Formal past | 환영했습니다 | [화녕핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 환영할 것입니다 | [화녕할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 환영해 | [화녕해] |
| Casual past | 환영했어 | [화녕해써] |
| Casual future | 환영할 거야 | [화녕할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 환영하고 싶어요 | [화녕하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 환영하세요 | [화녕하세요] |
| Because / and then | 환영해서 | [화녕해서] |
| If (conditional) | 환영하면 | [화녕하면] |
| Present modifier | 환영하는 | [화녕하는] |
| Past modifier | 환영한 | [화녕한] |
| Future modifier | 환영할 | [화녕할] |
| Short negative | 환영 안 해요 | [화녕 안 해요] |
| Long negative | 환영하지 않아요 | [화녕하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 환영해요 (used as a reply meaning 'you are welcome')
Correct: ✓ 천만에요 / 괜찮아요.
Why: 'You're welcome' in reply to thanks is not 환영해요; it is 천만에요.
How Does 환영하다 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | How to tell it from 환영하다 |
|---|---|
| 초대하다 | Inviting. 환영하다 welcomes someone who has arrived. |
| 축하하다 | Congratulating. 환영하다 is welcoming. |
A New Member Joins a Language Club
A club organizer greets a new member at their first meeting. The organizer welcomes them on behalf of the group, then asks about the reception they received.
Organizer
우리 모임에 오신 것을 환영합니다.
Uri moime osin geoseul hwanyeonghamnida.
Welcome to our group.
New member
감사합니다. 조금 긴장했어요.
Gamsahamnida. Jogeum ginjanghaesseoyo.
Thank you. I was a little nervous.
Organizer
다른 회원들도 환영했어요?
Dareun hoewondeuldo hwanyeonghaesseoyo?
Did the other members welcome you too?
New member
네. 모두 환영하는 마음으로 맞아 줬어요.
Ne. Modu hwanyeonghaneun maeumeuro maja jwosseoyo.
Yes. Everyone greeted me warmly.
환영합니다 performs the welcome at the start of the conversation. 환영했어요 asks about an earlier reception, and 환영하는 modifies 마음, the welcoming feeling. The organizer can omit “you” in the question because the new member is already the focus of the conversation.
The opening literally welcomes “the fact that you have come to our group”. 오신 is a respectful form referring to the newcomer's arrival, and 것을 makes that arrival the object of 환영합니다. The whole phrase is more ceremonial than a quick hello at the door.
Welcome Messages You Can Recognize
오신 것을 환영합니다 means “welcome”, literally welcoming someone's coming. You may see it on an event screen, a visitor page, or a banner. The destination can appear before 오신, as in the dialogue's 우리 모임에. The place takes 에 because it is the destination of coming.
신입생을 환영하다 means to welcome new students. 신입 사원을 환영하다 means to welcome new employees. The people being welcomed take 을/를. The Basic Korean Dictionary entry for 환영하다 includes both student and employee welcomes. A school or company may use the formal 환영합니다 in a public message even when individual members later greet newcomers more casually.
환영회 is a welcome party or reception. 환영 인사 is a welcoming greeting or address. Both use the noun 환영 rather than a conjugated verb. At a welcome reception, someone may give a short welcome address; the event and the speech are related but distinct.
두 팔 벌려 환영하다 literally means to welcome with both arms open. It conveys an enthusiastic welcome. The words can describe a warm reception without requiring every person to physically stretch out their arms. The image adds warmth beyond the basic statement that someone is welcome.
Welcoming a Proposal or Change
환영하다 can also express approval of something gladly received. 제안을 환영하다 means to welcome a proposal, and 결정을 환영하다 means to welcome a decision. In these uses, the object is an idea or development rather than an arriving guest.
In news or organizational statements, a welcome for a decision expresses a positive response. It does not necessarily mean the speaker made the decision or will implement it. Look at the subject to identify who approves and the object to identify what they welcome.
Which Greeting Fits the Situation?
환영합니다 suits an organized welcome: a first club meeting, a new employee's arrival, or a formal reception. 어서 오세요 is the familiar arrival greeting heard in shops and when receiving visitors. 반가워요 expresses being glad to meet or see someone. The words can accompany the same encounter, but each contributes a different message.
A host can use 환영해요 in a warmer, less formal sentence. Close friends may use 환영해, sometimes with a playful ceremonial feel. The polite ending and the situation work together: a formal welcome from a club representative can be natural even when the guest is the same age.
An answer to thanks uses a different expression. English “you're welcome” does not describe welcoming an arrival, so 환영합니다 would change the message. The common-mistake section above gives possible replies to gratitude; the choice depends on what the other person is thanking you for.
Object Markers, Endings, and Spelling
For a person, use 손님을 or 새 친구를 before 환영하다. For an action such as coming, the longer 오신 것을 phrase makes the event into a noun-like object. In both cases the verb takes an object; the longer greeting does not introduce a different verb meaning.
환영하는 is a modifier, while 환영합니다 is a complete formal predicate. Keep the ending attached to 환영하. The pronunciation links the ㄴ of 환 to 영, but spelling keeps both syllables 환영. The short negative 환영 안 해요 keeps spaces around 안, as shown in the table.
Words for Meeting Newcomers
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 손님 | guest; customer | A person a host may welcome. |
| 신입생 | new student | Common in school welcome messages. |
| 신입 사원 | new employee | Common in workplace introductions. |
| 환영회 | welcome party; reception | Names an event rather than the act of welcoming. |
The greetings lesson compares arrival greetings with other ways to greet someone. Learn 초대하다 alongside 환영하다: an invitation can happen before a visit, while the welcome concerns receiving the guest.
Mini Drill: Make the Welcome
- Give the formal present of 환영하다.
- Complete “welcome the guest”: 손님____ 환영해요.
- Give the polite past.
- Complete “a welcoming feeling”: 환영____ 마음.
Show drill answers
- 환영합니다.
- 손님을 환영해요.
- 환영했어요.
- 환영하는 마음.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 환영회 mean an invitation or a welcome event?
- What does 제안을 환영하다 express?
- Can 환영해요 answer “thank you” with the English meaning “you're welcome”?
Show answers
- A welcome event, such as a reception or party.
- Welcoming a proposal: a positive response to the idea.
- No. Welcoming and replying to gratitude use different expressions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say 'Welcome' to a Guest?
Say 환영합니다. It is the formal present of 환영하다.
Can I Answer 'Thank You' with 환영해요?
No. Use 천만에요 or 괜찮아요.
Which Particle Does 환영하다 Take?
을/를, as in 손님을 환영해요.
How Formal Is It?
Fairly formal. It suits signs, speeches and events; among friends a casual greeting usually takes its place.
Which Words Are Related to 환영하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Continue to 초대하다 and 축하하다, the two verbs most often confused with welcoming. To test another form of 환영하다 ('to welcome'), open the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary. Where 안 goes in the negative of 환영하다 is covered in negating 하다 verbs.