Basic Everyday Conversation Expressions

Expressions for Thanks and Farewells

The basic reply to someone who thanks you is '천만에요' (You're welcome). It is a way to lightly accept the other person's gratitude and convey that it is fine. When thanking someone for specific help, state the help itself, as in '알려 주셔서 감사합니다' (Thank you for letting me know). This is used after receiving an explanation or guidance. '덕분에' (thanks to) is used to show that something went well or became easier because of someone else's help. Example) 친구 덕분에 일이 빨리 끝났어요. (Thanks to my friend, the work finished quickly.) When you receive thanks, you can add your own feelings to '천만에요'. Saying '저도 즐거웠어요' (I enjoyed it too) is a way to express the same feeling. When someone gives you a request or reminder, first say that you understand and then add thanks, as in '네, 잘 챙겨서 다시 올게요' (Yes, I will take good care of it and come back again). '안녕히 가세요' (Goodbye, go safely) is a farewell said by the person who stays to the person who leaves. Conversely, '안녕히 계세요' (Goodbye, stay well) is said by the person who leaves to the person who stays, so the two expressions cannot be swapped. '잘 먹겠습니다' (I will eat well) is said before eating. When you receive takeout food and leave, you can say '잘 먹을게요' (I will eat it well) to express both thanks and farewell. Even after a restaurant staff member apologizes, you can accept the apology with '괜찮아요' (It's okay) and continue with '맛있게 먹을게요' (I will enjoy the food). '축하합니다' (Congratulations) is used when something good happens to the other person, so it is not a reply to thanks. '실례합니다' (Excuse me) is used to get someone's attention or to ask for their understanding.

Expressions for Guiding Appointment Times

Questions about the time and questions about the date or day of the week require different answer forms. '몇 시까지' (until what time) should be answered with a clock time, and '언제' (when) should be answered with a time such as a day of the week or a date. When stating a time, attach '까지' or '에' after the time, as in '아홉 시까지 오세요' (Please come by nine o'clock). '~까지' indicates the point when something ends, and '~에' indicates a fixed point in time. For questions answered with '네/아니요' (yes/no), first affirm or deny whether it is possible and then add a condition. Example) 내일 시간 괜찮아요? → 네, 오후에는 괜찮아요. (Is tomorrow's time okay? → Yes, the afternoon is okay.) A time is expressed by stating the day or date followed by the morning or afternoon and the clock time together, as in '오후 두 시에 만나요' (Let's meet at two in the afternoon). Stating both the date and the time together makes the appointment clear. '그전에' (before that) refers to a time earlier than the reference time, and '~ 후에' (after ~) refers to a time later than the reference action. Swapping these two expressions reverses the order, so they must be distinguished. '이번 주말' (this weekend), '다음 주 토요일' (next Saturday), and '내일' (tomorrow) have different reference points, so they are easy to confuse. If '오늘' (today) and '내일' (tomorrow) are not distinguished, the answer will not match the question about time. In problems asking you to choose what matches the content of a conversation, you must check the fixed time and place. '~ㄹ 수도 있어요' (there is a possibility that ~) only states a possibility, so it must be distinguished from confirmed content. '그런데' (but) is used to add a concern or condition about the preceding content, and it is common for it to be followed by '그럼' (then) to offer an alternative. For a noun modified by a relative clause, such as '오빠가 좋아하는 음식' (the food that my older brother likes), you must check who the subject is, meaning whose preference it is. '-니까요' (because ~) adds a reason for the preceding statement, so the content of the reason clause is often the speaker's central idea.

Expressions for Apologies and Responses

The basic response to an apology is to accept it with '괜찮아요' (It's okay) or '아니에요' (It's not a problem). When you ask someone not to repeat the same mistake, add a request such as '다음부터 조심하세요' (Please be careful from next time). Replying to an apology with '괜찮아요' and adding a reminder to check next time is also a natural response. You can also use a phrase that accepts the apology lightly by following a negative expression with a statement that it is fine, as in '아니에요, 괜찮아요' (No, it's fine). It expresses that there is no need for the other person to feel sorry. Replying to an apology with '감사합니다' (Thank you) is incorrect. Thanks is said when you receive gratitude, so it is not a response to an apology. Give the reason for an apology with '제가 ~해서' (because I ~), and use '죄송합니다' (I am sorry) or '미안해요' (Sorry) as the apology expression. '죄송합니다' is a more polite expression than '미안해요'. After receiving an apology, you can add a consideration that lets the other person try again, as in '천천히 준비해서 다시 오세요' (Please prepare slowly and come back again). After an apology, the conversation can also continue with words of encouragement. A suggestion to do it together, as in '다음에는 같이 잘해 봐요' (Let's do well together next time), is a natural response. '미안하지만' (I'm sorry, but) is used when refusing a request or suggestion, so it sounds awkward as a response to receiving an apology.

Changing Appointments and Meeting Schedules (약속·모임 일정 변경)

The reasons for changing an appointment are often external circumstances such as weather or health, so you must look for words that express the reason. Even when the cause is not stated directly, infer it from the surrounding context. Outdoor appointments are often postponed because of the weather. The most typical reason is bad weather over the weekend, and in this case a separate new date is set. '미루다'(to postpone) means to push something that was scheduled back to a later time, and '옮기다'(to move) means to change a place to another location. If only the place has changed while the time stays the same, say '옮기기로 했어요'(we decided to move it). '앞당기다'(to move up) means to pull a set date or time forward. Ex) 회의를 하루 앞당기다(to move a meeting up by one day). The purpose of a dialogue is judged by looking at both the business the speaker first raised and the request made at the end. If the statement announces a schedule change, its purpose is to inform the listener of the changed content. '-려고 하다'(-(으)려고 하다, intend to) expresses purpose, so in questions asking about purpose, a phrase with '~려고' is the basis for the answer. '-잖아'(-잖아, you know) is used when reminding the listener of a fact they already know. Ex) 내일 모임이 있잖아(We have a meeting tomorrow, you know). '-ㄹ까요?'(-ㄹ까요?, shall we) is an expression for suggesting doing something together, so it is often used when proposing to reschedule.

Responses to Invitations and Offers to Do Something Together (권유·동행 응답 표현)

When inviting the other person to do something together, such as '같이 갈래요?'(Do you want to go together?), accept with '네, 좋아요'(Yes, sounds good) and add the date or time. When declining an invitation, it is natural to say '아니요'(No) together with the reason. '-ㄹ까요?'(-ㄹ까요?, shall we) is an expression for suggesting doing something together, and the basic reply is an agreeing phrase such as '좋아요'(Sounds good) or '그게 좋겠어요'(That would be good). When accepting a proposal, add the time for doing it together to the agreeing phrase, as in '좋아요. 그때 같이 가요'(Sounds good. Let's go together then). A person receiving a proposal can state both the acceptance and the action to be done together, as in '네, 좋아요. 같이 봐요'(Yes, sounds good. Let's watch it together). A phrase that proposes accompanying someone with '같이', such as '우리 같이 들어가요'(Let's go in together), can also follow naturally after a reply to an apology. '처음 뵙겠습니다'(Nice to meet you) is a greeting to someone you meet for the first time, so do not use it with people you are already talking with. '많이 드세요'(Please eat a lot), used when offering food, is said at a meal. When declining an invitation, begin with '죄송하지만'(I am sorry, but) or '미안하지만'(Sorry, but) and add the reason. Declining without a reason makes the conversation awkward.