How to Say “Nice to Meet you” in Korean

Today, we’ll be learning how to say “nice to meet you” in Korean.

First impressions are so important. That first meeting can often shape other people’s perspectives of you forever! Let’s make sure that they have a great impression of you by learning how to say “nice to meet you” in Korean.

We’ve included a FREE PDF version of this lesson you can take with you on the go. Check it out:

This small phrase will not only show that you have excellent manners but also that you enjoyed meeting your new friend, acquaintance, or potential future romantic partner. 

How to say “nice to meet you” in Korean

We’ll teach you three ways to say “nice to meet you” in Korean: 만나서 반갑습니다 (mannaseo bangapseumnida), 만나서 반가워요 (mannaseo bangawoyo), and 만나서 반가워 (mannaseo bangawo). Which one to use will depend on the person you’re talking to or the level of formality. 

Let’s discuss each one! 

“Nice to meet you” in Korean (Formal)

The formal way to say “nice to meet you” in Korean is 만나서 반갑습니다 (mannaseo bangapseumnida). This is an excellent phrase to use after saying hello to someone for the first time.

Listen here: 만나서 반갑습니다 (mannaseo bangapseumnida)

 This phrase consists of two words: A verb and an adjective:

만나다 = mannada | to meet

반갑다 = bangapda | to be happy

When you put them together, you have the phrase “Nice to meet you.” It is quite formal since this phrase uses the -입니다 (imnida) ending. You might use this in a business setting or talk to people who are higher up in the social rank. It is also good if you’re speaking to a large group.

Learn more in the video below:

If you enjoyed our video on how to say “Nice to meet you” in Korean, you can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel for other helpful videos!

“Nice to meet you” in Korean (Standard)

The standard form of “nice to meet you” in Korean is 만나서 반가워요 (mannaseo bangawoyo). It uses the same verb and adjective, except that the ending is less formal. You can use this with everyone, but it’s not quite as polite as the formal version.

Listen here: 만나서 반가워요 (mannaseo bangawoyo)

You might consider using this version with people similar in age to you or people with whom you feel it’s better to be slightly less formal. It’s a polite expression, so you can feel confident using it.

“Nice to meet you” in Korean (Informal)

To say “Nice to meet you” in Korean informally, you can say 만나서 반가워 (mannaseo bangawo). This informal version of “Nice to meet you” is almost identical to the standard version. The only difference is that there is no 요 (yo) at the end.

Listen here: 만나서 반가워 (mannaseo bangawo)

Taking away the 요 (yo) transforms standard expressions into informal expressions. Since you’re going to be using “nice to meet you” with people you’re first meeting, you’ll likely want to use the standard or formal version. This is because you’re not close to the other person yet.

You can use the informal version of this phrase with young children. That is because they are below you in the social rank, so it’s not necessary to use formal language. It might seem a bit strange if you used the formal version.

Other ways to say “nice to meet you” in Korean

There can be other ways to say express that you enjoyed meeting someone for the first time. Here are some ways to say them in Korean.

“Nice meeting you” in Korean

Saying “nice meeting you” in Korean expresses the same meaning as “nice to meet you” but can be said differently. You can say it as 만나서 반가웠습니다 (mannaseo bangawotseumnida) when you need to say it formally.

Another way is through its standard form, which is 만나서 반가웠어요 (mannaseo bangawosseoyo ). Here’s an example of how to say it to someone.

Sample sentence:

수진 씨, 오늘 만나서 반가웠어요. (sujin ssi, oneul mannaseo bangawosseoyo)

Nice meeting you today, Soojin. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you” in Korean

You can also tell someone, “it’s a pleasure to meet you,” when you’ve had a great time meeting them. Similar to the previous examples, you can say it in a formal and standard way. If you’re speaking to someone formally, you can say 만나서 반갑습니다 (mannaseo bangapseumnida). Below is an example of how to use this in a sentence.

Sample sentence:

여러분, 만나서 반갑습니다. (yeoreobun, mannaseo bangapseumnida.)

It’s a pleasure to meet you all.

If you’d like to say “It’s a pleasure to meet you” in a standard way, you can use this version instead: 만나서 반가워요 (mannaseo bangawoyo).

How to say “Nice to meet you too” in Korean

Now that you know how to say “nice to meet you” in Korean, how about learning how to respond to it? We normally respond with “Nice to meet you, too,” and we’ll teach you how to say it in Korean. Here are the different ways.

“Nice to meet you too” in Korean (Formal)

To respond to someone who says “nice to meet you” to you in Korean, you can say 저도 만나서 반갑습니다 (jeodo mannaseo bangapseumnida). This is a formal way of saying this phrase.

“Nice to meet you too” in Korean (Standard)

Another way common way of saying “nice to meet you too” in Korean is 저도 만나서 반가워요 (jeodo mannaseo bangawoyo), which is its standard form. Here’s an example of how to use this in a sentence.

Sample sentence: 

저도 만나서 반가워요, 김 선생님. (jeodo mannaseo bangawoyo, gim seonsaengnim.)

Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Kim. 

Wrap Up

There you have it! You’re all set to go out and make Korean friends. Of the three phrases, you’ll probably want to start by learning the standard version first. That’s because you will be able to use it with the widest variety of people.

Once you get that phrase down, you can use the informal phrase by simply dropping the 요 (yo). Lastly, add the formal version, and you’ll be all set to go.

Now, get out there and start mingling! And if you’re not confident enough yet, put in some more time with more Korean Phrases. ^^

Interested in more Korean lessons? Try our structured course, which will have you engaging in 3-minute Korean conversations in the first 90 days!