There are two common phrases that you will hear for “good job”. From my experience, the first one is more casual than the second and I hear it used towards younger people a lot.
The second one is what you can use towards coworkers and workers you may see at shops.
The first one literally means “You did well”:
Formal 잘 했습니다. (jal hae-sseum-ni-da)
Standard 잘 했어요. (jal hae-sseo-yo)
Casual 잘 했어. (jal hae-sseo)
For the second one, it’s more formal than the first, & you would use it towards someone who just finished doing some hard work:
Formal 수고하셨습니다. (su-go ha-shyeo-sseum-ni-da)
Standard 수고했어요. (su-go hae-sseo-yo)
Casual 수고했어. (su-go hae-sseo)
Meanings include:
– “Thank you for your hard work”
– “Good work.”
– “Congrats on finishing your work.”
Remember that romanization is only a tool! Try not to depend on it too much and try learning the Korean alphabet and how to pronounce the letters properly to have an easier time learning Korean.
In Korean dramas the English subtitles often say “Work hard!” as a parting statement between people in Seoul. It sounds like “sway” or “scway” to me. What is the Korean word?