How to say “Nice to meet you” in Korean
- 만나서 반가워요mannaseo bangawoyo
Nice to meet you
"Nice to meet you" in Korean is 만나서 반가워요 (mannaseo bangawoyo), or 만나서 반갑습니다 (mannaseo bangapseumnida) in formal settings. With people your age or younger you can just say 반가워 (bangawo).
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 만나서 반가워요 mannaseo bangawoyo | Polite | Friendly and polite. Good for most first meetings with people you don't know well. |
| 만나서 반갑습니다 mannaseo bangapseumnida | Formal | Formal. Use it at work, in interviews, or when meeting someone much older. |
| 반갑습니다 bangapseumnida | Formal | A shorter formal version, very common when introducing yourself to a group. |
| 반가워 bangawo | Casual | Casual, for meeting a friend's friend or someone younger. Also means "good to see you". |
| 처음 뵙겠습니다 cheoeum boepgetseumnida | Formal | Very formal: "I am meeting you for the first time." Often said with a bow when meeting someone important. |
Examples
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First day at a new job
Meeting a friend's friend
Meeting a language exchange partner
Tips
Koreans often follow it with their name and 잘 부탁드립니다 (jal butakdeurimnida), which roughly means "I look forward to getting along with you". It is very common at work and school.
반가워요 literally means "I'm glad to see you", so you can also use it when you see someone again after a while, not just the first time.
To say "Nice to meet you too", add 저도 (jeodo, "me too") politely: 저도 반가워요. Casually it is 나도 반가워.
Questions learners ask
How do you say nice to meet you too in Korean?
Say 저도 반가워요 (jeodo bangawoyo) politely, or 나도 반가워 (nado bangawo) casually.
What is the difference between bangawoyo and bangapseumnida?
Both mean "glad to meet you". 반가워요 is polite and friendly, while 반갑습니다 is more formal.
What does cheoeum boepgetseumnida mean?
처음 뵙겠습니다 is a very formal way to say "It's my first time meeting you", used like "Pleased to meet you".