How to Write an Email in Korean: a Practical Guide

Key facts

• A Korean email has five parts: subject line (제목), greeting, introduction, purpose and thanks, closing and signature.
• The greeting is 안녕하세요 plus the reader's title and 님 or 선생님, never a bare name and never 당신 ("you").
• Body sentences use the polite -아요/어요 style or the formal -ㅂ니다/습니다 style, and one email keeps one style.
• Signature: your name followed by 드림 or 올림, both meaning roughly "from".

What you'll be able to do

• Write a subject line that states the topic in a few words.
• Greet a reader with the right title and introduce yourself in one line.
• State a request politely and thank the reader in one sentence.
• Close the email and sign it with 드림 or 올림.

Before you start: you need the Korean keyboard set up and a basic feel for polite endings. If you cannot type Hangul yet, read the Korean keyboard layout lessons first. Difficulty: easy to medium. Time: about 15 minutes for one email. Audio plays only when you press a button.

How to Write an Email in Korean: the Five Parts

A Korean email is built from five parts in a fixed order. The order matters more than in English because readers expect to find the topic first, the request in the middle and the signature last. Every part can be one short line.

Why this order? Korean readers often judge an email by its first lines, so the subject and greeting carry the tone. A request that arrives before the greeting looks abrupt, and a greeting with no title looks careless.

Here is one sentence from the table, with a pronunciation note.

• 안녕하세요, 담당자님. (annyeonghaseyo, damdangjanim.) = "Hello, person in charge." The title 담당자 means "the person responsible", and 님 adds respect.

The table gives the whole shape. The next steps fill in each part, starting with the part readers see first.

Step 1: Write the Subject Line

Write the subject line as a short noun phrase that names the topic and ends with an action word such as 문의드립니다 ("I am inquiring"). Keep it under about ten syllables of topic plus the action word. Do not write a full sentence, and do not end it with a full stop.

The formula is topic + action word. One working example is 수업 시간표 문의드립니다 (sueop siganpyo munuideurimnida) [수업 시간표 무늬드림니다], "Inquiry about the class timetable". The topic is 수업 시간표 ("class timetable"). The action word is 문의드립니다, which combines 문의 ("inquiry") with 드립니다, the humble form of "give".

Five action words cover most subject lines.

A bracketed tag before the topic is common in work and school emails, for example [한국어 수업] 시간표 문의드립니다. The tag helps the reader sort the message. For a first personal email, the tag is optional.

You will know the subject works when a stranger could guess the topic from it alone. The most common mistake is writing 안녕하세요 as the subject. That is a greeting, and it belongs in the body. With a subject ready, the next job is the greeting.

Step 2: Greet the Reader and Introduce Yourself

Open the body with 안녕하세요, then the reader's title with 님, then one line saying who you are. This takes two sentences. The greeting sets the tone and the introduction tells the reader why a stranger is writing.

For the greeting, choose the title that fits the reader:

• A person whose name you do not know: the role plus 님, as in 담당자님 ("person in charge") or 선생님 ("teacher").
• A person whose name you know: the full name plus the title, as in 김민수 선생님 or 박지영 대리님 (a mid-level employee).
• A group: 안녕하세요, 여러분. is for a class or team, but a single reader should always get a title.

The introduction uses 저 (jeo), the humble "I", never 나. A reliable pattern is 저는 + who you are + 입니다. In the model email the line is below.

Word by word: 저는 is "I" plus the topic marker 는. 다음 달부터 means "from next month". 한국어 수업을 is "the Korean class" with the object marker. 듣는 [든는] is the verb 듣다 ("take, listen to") in its describing form, and it describes 에밀리 스미스. 입니다 is the formal "to be". The sentence is one long noun phrase that ends in the identity.

A shorter option is 저는 에밀리 스미스라고 합니다 (jeoneun emilli seumiseurago hamnida), "My name is Emily Smith". Use it when you have nothing else to add. A very formal opening is 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka), common in speeches and official letters, though 안녕하세요 is normal in email.

The greeting and introduction are done. The purpose comes next, and it needs the most care.

Step 3: State Your Purpose

Say what you want in one sentence, with a polite request form. The request is the reason for the email, so put it right after the introduction. Two request patterns work for beginners.

1. Asking whether something is possible: -아/어 주실 수 있을까요? ("Could you...?"). Example: 수업 시간표를 보내 주실 수 있을까요? (sueop siganpyoreul bonae jusil su isseulkkayo?) [이쓸까요], "Could you send me the class timetable?"
2. Asking for action in a formal way: -아/어 주시기 바랍니다 or 부탁드립니다. Example: 확인 부탁드립니다 (hwagin butakdeurimnida) [부탁뜨림니다], "Please check."

The first pattern is a question and sounds softer. Notice the pieces: 보내다 ("to send") plus 주다 ("to do for someone") gives 보내 주다, and the honorific -(으)시- turns it into 보내 주실. The ending 수 있을까요 means "would it be possible". The question ends with a rise because it is a yes/no question.

Why not just say 보내 주세요 ("Please send")? That is correct and polite, but 주실 수 있을까요 leaves room for the reader to say no, and Korean writers often prefer that softer shape with someone they do not know. For a first email to a stranger, use the question form.

If you have background to give, write it before the request in one sentence, such as 수업 일정에 대해 문의드리고 싶어서 연락드립니다 (sueop iljeong-e daehae munuideurigo sipeoseo yeollakdeurimnida) [열락뜨림니다], "I am contacting you because I would like to ask about the class schedule." Keep it to one reason, because long explanations make the request hard to find.

The purpose is stated. Thanks and the closing finish the email.

Step 4: Say Thanks

Thank the reader in one sentence after the request, using 감사합니다 or the humbler 감사드립니다. Thanks in advance is normal in Korean email, because the reader is about to do work for you.

In the model email the thanks sentence is as follows.

The phrase 바쁘신 중에 means "while you are busy" and shows that you respect the reader's time. The honorific -시- in 바쁘신 and 주셔서 points at the reader. The ending -아/어 주셔서 gives the reason for thanking: "because you did it for me". For more on this thanks pattern, see the longer list of polite Korean phrases.

Thanks done, the last step is to close and sign.

Step 5: Close and Sign

End with one short closing line and then your name followed by 드림 or 올림. The closing line can be a wish, a promise to wait for the answer, or nothing at all if the thanks already closes the email.

Common closing lines:

• 좋은 하루 보내세요. (joeun haru bonaeseyo.) = "Have a good day."
• 답장 기다리겠습니다. (dapjang gidarigetseumnida.) [답짱 기다리겓씀니다] = "I will wait for your reply."
• 건강하세요. (geonganghaseyo.) = "Please stay healthy." This is a warm closing for a teacher or an older person.

Then the signature. 드림 (deurim) comes from 드리다, the humble "to give", and 올림 (ollim) comes from 올리다, "to offer up". Both mean "from" at the end of a letter. 드림 is the common everyday choice. 올림 sounds a little more formal, and writers often choose it for teachers, elders and senior colleagues. Between equals, or for a friend, the name alone is enough.

Put the signature on its own line. The five steps are complete, so the next section puts them together.

A Complete Model Email

Here is the whole email in five parts, with Revised Romanization. Read it once, then press the audio buttons for the lines you want to hear.

제목: 수업 시간표 문의드립니다

안녕하세요, 담당자님.

저는 다음 달부터 한국어 수업을 듣는 에밀리 스미스입니다. 수업 시간표를 보내 주실 수 있을까요? 바쁘신 중에 확인해 주셔서 감사합니다.

에밀리 스미스 드림

The romanization, line by line:

1. sueop siganpyo munuideurimnida
2. annyeonghaseyo, damdangjanim.
3. jeoneun daeum dalbuteo hangugeo sueobeul deunneun emilli seumiseuimnida.
4. sueop siganpyoreul bonae jusil su isseulkkayo?
5. bappeusin junge hwaginhae jusyeoseo gamsahamnida.
6. emilli seumiseu deurim

You will know it works when each sentence does one job: greet, introduce, request, thank, sign. The email is short on purpose. A reader who opens it on a phone should see everything without scrolling.

The model uses the polite-formal mix typical of a first email. The next section explains how to choose the level for your reader.

How Formal Should a Korean Email Be?

Choose the level by the reader: use formal -ㅂ니다/습니다 or very polite -(으)세요 forms for teachers, clients and strangers, and polite -아요/어요 for peers you know. A formal email is not stiff in Korean. It is the normal respectful choice.

If you are unsure, use the formal level for a first email. The email in this lesson uses -ㅂ니다/습니다 and -ㄹ까요, which is safe for strangers. To learn the formal endings in depth, see Korean formal speech, and for the full ladder see Korean speech levels.

Pick one level and keep it across the email. Switching between -습니다 and -어 in a single email reads as careless. The next section covers typing, which affects how the email looks.

How Do I Type a Korean Email?

Type with a Korean keyboard, and check the spacing and the line breaks before you send. Korean text on a phone or computer uses the same 2-beolsik layout everywhere, so the Korean keyboard layout lessons apply to email too.

Four habits make an email easier to read:

1. Put a blank line between parts. A blank line after the greeting and before the signature mimics the paper-letter shape.
2. Keep sentences short. One request per sentence works better than a long chain with -는데.
3. Use a normal full stop (.) and question mark (?). The Korean punctuation lesson covers Korean punctuation in detail.
4. Check the spacing. Korean puts spaces between phrases, not between a noun and its particle: 시간표를, not 시간표 를.

Many email apps correct English words automatically. Switch the keyboard to Korean before you type, and read the subject line once more before you send. The text is ready. The next section lists the errors to avoid.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes and How Do You Fix Them?

Learners usually make six mistakes when writing a Korean email, and each has a quick repair.

1. Using a greeting as the subject. Learners often assume 안녕하세요 can head the email. Actually, the subject names the topic, because readers use it to sort mail. Fix: 수업 시간표 문의드립니다.
2. Writing the reader's name with no title. Learners often assume a name is polite enough. Actually, a bare name sounds like talking down to the reader. Fix: add 님 or 선생님.
3. Calling the reader 당신. English "you" tempts learners to translate directly. Actually, 당신 is rare in polite writing and can sound rude or intimate. Fix: use the reader's title, or leave the subject out, as Korean often does.
4. Using 나 or 내가 for yourself. Actually, 저 and 제가 are the humble forms for a reader you respect. Fix: 저는 에밀리입니다.
5. Adding ㅋㅋ, emoji or casual endings. These belong to chat with friends. Fix: use a full stop and a polite ending.
6. Opening with 친애하는 ("dear"). This word is found mostly in speeches and formal letters. In everyday email, 안녕하세요 is the normal opener.

An honest limit: this lesson gives one safe pattern for a first email. Korean workplaces and schools differ, and a reply from the reader may be more or less formal than yours. Copy the level of the reply. For emails to a company, see the next lesson on the Korean business email.

Practice and Answers

Try the four items before you read the answers.

1. Choose the subject. Which is a good subject line for asking about a class: 안녕하세요 / 수업 문의드립니다 / 질문이 있어요?
2. Fix the greeting. Rewrite 김민수 안녕 as a polite greeting to a teacher called 김민수.
3. Translate. "Could you please check this?" (polite request, to a stranger).
4. Write your own. Write a five-line email asking a school for its opening hours. Use a subject line, a greeting, an introduction, a request, thanks and a signature.

Answer key

1. 수업 문의드립니다. It names the topic and ends with an action word. 안녕하세요 is a greeting, and 질문이 있어요 is a casual sentence.
2. 안녕하세요, 김민수 선생님. (annyeonghaseyo, gimminsu seonsaengnim.) The title 선생님 follows the full name.
3. 확인해 주실 수 있을까요? (hwaginhae jusil su isseulkkayo?) Or the shorter 확인 부탁드립니다. (hwagin butakdeurimnida.)
4. Answers vary. A model: subject 운영 시간 문의드립니다; 안녕하세요, 담당자님. 저는 한국어를 배우는 학생입니다. 운영 시간을 알려 주실 수 있을까요? 감사합니다. 이름 드림. Check that the subject is a noun phrase, the greeting has a title, and the sentences end with -ㅂ니다/습니다 or -(으)ㄹ까요.

A rule of thumb for checking your own email: read it aloud as if you were speaking to the person in an office. If any line sounds too blunt, add a title, a 주실 수 있을까요, or a thank-you.

Where to Go Next

After this lesson you can write a short, polite everyday email. This lesson covers the basic five-part shape and a first-email level, but not workplace fixed phrases, attachments or replies.

1. Study the Korean business email for requests, attachments and signature blocks at work.
2. Review Korean speech levels to see why the formal and polite endings differ.
3. Return to how to write a letter in Korean to see every message lesson in the set.

With these steps, writing an email in Korean becomes a routine of five short parts, each with a fixed phrase you can reuse.

Audio, Review Status and Scope

Min-ji Park reviewed and signed off this page on 15 October 2026. Min-ji Park reviewed and signed off the Korean on this page on 15 October 2026. This lesson teaches a first polite email only; it does not cover long business correspondence or text-message style.

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