Workplace phrases

수고하셨습니다 (sugohasyeotseumnida) means 'Thank you for your hard work' or 'Good job today.' Coworkers say it to each other after a meeting, at the end of a project or when leaving for the day. There is no exact English equivalent, but it acknowledges everyone's effort. It is one of the most basic phrases in Korean office life.

Say 먼저 들어가 보겠습니다 (meonjeo deureoga bogetseumnida), 'I'll be heading out first.' It politely acknowledges that others are still working. Coworkers usually reply 네, 수고하셨습니다 (ne, sugohasyeotseumnida) or 조심히 들어가세요 (josimhi deureogaseyo), 'Get home safely.' Some offices use a shorter 먼저 갈게요 (meonjeo galgeyo).

출근 (chulgeun) means going to work, and 퇴근 (toegeun) means leaving work for the day. You might hear 몇 시에 출근해요? (myeot sie chulgeunhaeyo?), 'What time do you start work?' or 오늘 퇴근 언제 해요? (oneul toegeun eonje haeyo?), 'When are you leaving today?' The commute is 출퇴근길 (chultoegeungil).

회식 (hoesik) is a company or team meal. It is held for team bonding, celebrations, or to welcome or farewell colleagues, and sometimes continues with drinks. Lunch gatherings and alcohol-free dinners are increasingly common. If you can't attend, it's fine to let the organizer know politely in advance.

Add -님 (-nim) to their job title, as in 부장님 (bujangnim, 'department head') or 과장님 (gwajangnim, 'manager'). You can include the surname: 김 과장님 (Gim gwajangnim). Calling a superior by their name alone is considered rude. Some companies now use '○○님' or English names instead of titles.

Many Korean companies use this ladder: 사원 (sawon, staff), 대리 (daeri, assistant manager), 과장 (gwajang, manager), 차장 (chajang, deputy general manager), 부장 (bujang, general manager), with executive ranks above. Systems vary, and many firms have simplified them. When in doubt, use the title printed on the person's business card.

Say 처음 뵙겠습니다. 잘 부탁드립니다 (cheoeum boepgetseumnida. jal butakdeurimnida), 'Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.' Briefly give your name and role, then bow slightly. Many people add 열심히 하겠습니다 (yeolsimhi hagetseumnida), 'I'll work hard.' Always start in polite speech.

Write 확인 부탁드립니다 (hwagin butakdeurimnida), 'Please review this.' When sending files, a common line is 첨부 파일 확인 부탁드립니다 (cheombu pail hwagin butakdeurimnida), 'Please check the attachment.' If it's urgent, add a deadline: 오늘 중으로 확인 부탁드립니다, 'Please check by today.'

A meeting is 회의 (hoeui), and a meeting room is 회의실 (hoeuisil). You might hear 3시에 회의 있어요 (sesie hoeui isseoyo), 'I have a meeting at three,' or 회의 중이에요 (hoeui jungieyo), 'I'm in a meeting.' Meetings often end with 수고하셨습니다. A video conference is 화상 회의 (hwasang hoeui).

야근 (yageun) means working late into the evening after regular hours. Someone might say 오늘 야근해요 (oneul yageunhaeyo), 'I'm working late tonight.' Working on weekends is 주말 근무 (jumal geunmu) or 특근 (teukgeun). Many companies are now trying to reduce overtime.

연차 (yeoncha) means annual paid leave. You might say 내일 연차 써요 (naeil yeoncha sseoyo), 'I'm taking a day off tomorrow.' A half day off is 반차 (bancha). It is normal to tell your manager or team in advance. The number of days and rules depend on labor law and company policy, so check official guidance.

Start with 보고드리겠습니다 (bogodeurigetseumnida), 'Let me report to you.' For progress updates, say ○○ 건 진행 상황 말씀드리겠습니다 (○○ geon jinhaeng sanghwang malsseumdeurigetseumnida), 'I'll update you on the ○○ project.' Adding 드리다 shows respect. Leading with the conclusion and then giving reasons is considered a good report.

The standard reply is 네, 알겠습니다 (ne, algetseumnida), 'Yes, understood.' It is much more polite than 알았어요 (arasseoyo). If you didn't fully understand, ask 죄송하지만 다시 한번 설명해 주시겠어요? (joesonghajiman dasi hanbeon seolmyeonghae jusigesseoyo?). For deadlines, ask 언제까지 하면 될까요? (eonjekkaji hamyeon doelkkayo?).

People ask 식사하셨어요? (siksahasyeosseoyo?) or 점심 드셨어요? (jeomsim deusyeosseoyo?), 'Have you had lunch?' It often works as a friendly greeting rather than a real question. To invite someone, say 점심 같이 드실래요? (jeomsim gachi deusillaeyo?), 'Would you like to have lunch together?'

결재 (gyeoljae) means a superior's review and approval of a document or proposal. You might say 결재 올렸습니다 (gyeoljae ollyeotseumnida), 'I've submitted it for approval.' Don't confuse it with 결제 (gyeolje), which means payment; they sound almost the same. Many companies now use electronic approval systems.

드림 (deurim) is a humble sign-off meaning roughly 'respectfully sent by.' You write it after your name at the end of an email, as in 김민수 드림 (Gim Minsu deurim). 올림 (ollim) is even more formal. The line before is usually 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida). It is a standard part of Korean business emails.

칼퇴 (kaltoe) means leaving work exactly on time, as sharp as a knife (칼, kal). Coworkers might cheer each other on with 오늘 칼퇴하세요! (oneul kaltoehaseyo!), 'Leave right on time today!' The word grew out of a culture of frequent overtime. The formal term is 정시 퇴근 (jeongsi toegeun).

Peers often use the name plus 씨 (ssi), as in 민수 씨 (Minsu ssi). But using 씨 with a superior or older colleague can be rude, so use their title instead. Saying only the surname with 씨, like 김 씨 (Gim ssi), can sound condescending. The safest approach is to follow how others in your office address each other.

Hand over your business card, 명함 (myeongham), with both hands while saying '○○의 ○○입니다,' 'I'm [name] from [company].' Receive cards with both hands too, glance at the details, and say 반갑습니다 (bangapseumnida), 'Nice to meet you.' Rather than pocketing it immediately, keep the card on the table during the conversation.

안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is always safe, and 좋은 아침입니다 (joeun achimimnida), 'Good morning,' is also common. Greeting coworkers cheerfully when you arrive is basic office etiquette. On Mondays, people often ask 주말 잘 보내셨어요? (jumal jal bonaesyeosseoyo?), 'Did you have a nice weekend?' A slight bow adds politeness.