How to Say Congratulations in Korean: 9 Ways, and Who You Can Say Each One To
How to say congratulations in Korean looks like a one-word problem: 축하 (chukha). It isn't. The word never changes — the ending does, and the ending is what tells the room whether you just honoured your partner's father or spoke to him like a classmate. Almost nobody gets this wrong from missing vocabulary. They get it wrong because they learned 축하해 (chukhahae) from a drama and then said it to somebody's mother at a wedding. So: one word, four endings, plus a few things friends actually say instead of the textbook line. You pick by who is standing in front of you, not by what the occasion is. Situation Congratulating someone in Korean How much politeness matters High - the ending changes with age gap, workplace rank, and whether anyone else is listening Safe default 축하합니다 (chukhahamnida) - 'Congratulations.' Safe with anyone you are not close to. If You Only Remember One Say 축하합니다 (chukhahamnida). Pronounced chu-ka-ham-ni-da . Safe with anyone: str...