8 Korean work email phrases: how to open, ask and sign off
Korean work email is more formulaic than English, and that is good news: the openers and closers are fixed, so you learn them once. What changes between emails is the one or two sentences in the middle.
Everything here is in the formal 합니다 register with the humble verbs (드리다, 문의드리다) that go with it. Casual 요 speech turns up in chat tools between close colleagues, almost never in email.
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안녕하세요. 마케팅팀 김민수입니다.
annyeonghaseyo. maketingtim gimminsuimnida.
Hello. This is Kim Minsu from the marketing team.
Every email opens with team and name, even to someone you write to daily. Outside the company you put the company name in front of the team.
Ask Ipsae about this phrase → -
수고 많으십니다.
sugo maneusimnida.
Thank you for your hard work.
Literally: You are taking much trouble.
The second line of nearly every Korean work email, a courtesy rather than a comment on anything the reader did. Safe upward and sideways; to someone junior, 수고 많아요 is enough.
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일정 관련하여 문의드립니다.
iljeong gwallyeonhayeo munuideurimnida.
I am writing to ask about the schedule.
Literally: Regarding the schedule, I humbly inquire.
The sentence that states the purpose. 관련하여 is the formal 'regarding', and 문의드립니다 is a humble 'I ask'. Swap 일정 for whatever the email is about.
Ask Ipsae about this phrase → -
바쁘시겠지만 확인 부탁드립니다.
bappeusigetjiman hwagin butakdeurimnida.
I know you are busy, but please take a look.
The standard request. 부탁드립니다 (I humbly ask a favour) is the workhorse of Korean office writing; 확인 is 'check' and covers reading, approving or replying.
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회신 주시면 감사하겠습니다.
hoesin jusimyeon gamsahagetseumnida.
I would appreciate a reply.
Literally: If you give a reply, I will be grateful.
Softer than 회신 부탁드립니다. The -(으)면 감사하겠습니다 pattern is how you ask a senior person for anything; put 금주 중으로 (within this week) in front of it for a deadline.
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확인 후 회신 드리겠습니다.
hwagin hu hoesin deurigetseumnida.
I will check and get back to you.
The holding reply that buys time without saying no. 드리겠습니다 is the humble 'I will give', which is why it feels respectful rather than vague.
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늦은 답변 죄송합니다.
neujeun dapbyeon joesonghamnida.
Apologies for the late reply.
Goes right after the greeting, before the content. 회신이 늦어 죄송합니다 is the same thing a notch more formal.
Ask Ipsae about this phrase → -
김민수 드림
gimminsu deurim
Kim Minsu (sign-off)
Literally: Offered by Kim Minsu
The sign-off: name, then 드림, after a 감사합니다 on its own line. 올림 is for someone far senior, and 배상 only appears in very formal letters.
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A whole email can be assembled from these: greeting and name, 수고 많으십니다, one line of purpose, one request, 감사합니다, name and 드림. If it reads as stiff in English, it reads as correct in Korean.