9 Korean office greetings, from 좋은 아침입니다 to 수고하셨습니다
A Korean office is punctuated by greetings in a way that surprises people used to a quiet nod. You announce arriving, going to lunch, stepping out, coming back and leaving, and most of those announcements have a fixed phrase. Learning them is less about vocabulary than about knowing which moment each one belongs to.
These nine use the formal -습니다 style, which is the default in a workplace for anyone senior to you and for the room in general. The notes mention where the polite 요 form is normal between peers.
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좋은 아침입니다.
joeun achimimnida.
Good morning.
Literally: It is a good morning.
Said walking in, to the room. 안녕하세요 works just as well and is what most people actually say; 좋은 아침입니다 is a little brighter and a little more corporate.
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잘 부탁드립니다.
jal butakdeurimnida.
I look forward to working with you.
Literally: (I) humbly request (you treat me) well.
The first-day line, said after your name in a self-introduction and again whenever you start working with a new team or client. There is no English equivalent; it asks for goodwill in advance.
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점심 드셨어요?
jeomsim deusyeosseoyo?
Have you had lunch?
Literally: Did (you) eat lunch?
The early-afternoon greeting, honorific because 드시다 is the respectful verb for eating. Say it to a senior; to a peer, 점심 먹었어요? is fine.
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다녀오겠습니다.
danyeoogetseumnida.
I'm heading out, back later.
Literally: (I) will go and come back.
Said when leaving for an outside meeting, a site visit, or the bank. On return the pair is 다녀왔습니다 (I'm back). Leaving the office silently in the middle of the day reads as odd.
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수고하셨습니다.
sugohasyeotseumnida.
Thank you for your work today.
Literally: (You) took trouble.
Past tense, said when something is finished: the end of a meeting, the end of the day, the end of a project. This is what you say to the room as you leave, and the honorific -셨- makes it safe for everyone present.
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고생하셨습니다.
gosaenghasyeotseumnida.
You've been through a lot. Well done.
Literally: (You) suffered hardship.
A step heavier than 수고하셨습니다, for a late night, a tough client, or the end of a hard project. Said to a team after a launch, it acknowledges the cost, not just the result.
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수고하세요.
sugohaseyo.
Keep up the good work. Take care.
Literally: Take trouble (from here).
Present tense, said to someone who is still working as you leave or hang up. Fine for peers, juniors and service staff; to a senior it can sound like you are handing out the work, so use 먼저 들어가겠습니다 instead.
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먼저 들어가겠습니다.
meonjeo deureogagetseumnida.
I'll head home first.
Literally: (I) will go in first.
The formal way to leave while others, including your boss, are still there. 들어가다 (go in) means going home here. Pair it with 수고하셨습니다 and you have the complete exit.
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내일 뵙겠습니다.
naeil boepgetseumnida.
See you tomorrow.
Literally: (I) will humbly see (you) tomorrow.
뵙다 is the humble form of 보다 (to see), so this is for seniors and clients. To a peer, 내일 봐요 is the natural version.
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The pair people mix up is 수고하셨습니다 and 수고하세요. The first is past tense and says a job is done; the second is present and tells someone to keep going. Leave a shop and 수고하세요 is right, because the staff are still working. Leave a meeting and 수고하셨습니다 is right, because it is over. Say the wrong one and nobody will correct you, but everyone will hear it.