How to Say Good Job in Korean

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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.”

Also remember that romanization is only a tool. Try not to depend on it too much. Learning the Hangul alphabet is the key to success!