Level 1 Unit 01: Hello, Thank you (안녕하세요, 감사합니다)

Welcome to your very first Easy Korean lesson! In this unit, we will cover the two most essential phrases in the Korean language.

1. Hello: 안녕하세요 (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo)

In Korean, 안녕하세요 is the most common and polite way to say "Hello" or "Hi."

• 안녕 (an-nyeong) means "well-being," "peace," or "health."
• 하세요 (ha-se-yo) means "you do," "do you?," or "please do."

When put together, it literally translates to "Are you at peace?" but it is universally used as "Hello." You can use this phrase with almost anyone, regardless of whether it's morning, afternoon, or evening!

Pronunciation Tip:

• Listen to the flow: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo
• You don't need to pronounce it like a question, even though historically it was one. Just say it with a friendly, flat, or slightly falling intonation.

---

2. Thank you: 감사합니다 (gam-sa-ham-ni-da)

When you want to say "Thank you" politely, you use 감사합니다.

• 감사 (gam-sa) means "appreciation" or "thankfulness."
• 합니다 (ham-ni-da) means "I do."

Put together, it literally means "I do thankfulness." This is the most standard, formal, and polite way to express gratitude.

Pronunciation Tip:

• Even though it is written as 합 (hap), it is pronounced as 함 (ham) due to Korean consonant assimilation rules.
• Pronounce it as: gam-sa-ham-ni-da.

---

Summary

• 안녕하세요 = Hello (Polite)
• 감사합니다 = Thank you (Formal/Polite)

Now head over to the workbook to practice writing and using these phrases!