Korean at work: talking to your boss, seniors and elders
In a Korean office, the words change with rank. A phrase that is perfectly polite to a coworker can sound careless or even condescending to your team leader. These are the workplace expressions AI tools most often get wrong, and what to say instead.
- Workplace & Hierarchyv0.3
고마워요
go-ma-wo-yo · “Thanks”
AI gets it wrong:고마워요 is warm and polite between equals or toward someone younger, but to a superior it can sound a little casual, as if you're thanking a peer. 감사합니다 is the expected form upward.Say instead:도와주셔서 정말 감사합니다.See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.1
김 씨
gim ssi · “Mr./Ms. Kim”
AI gets it wrong:씨 is polite only between equals or toward juniors. Surname + 씨 alone can even sound like you're addressing a laborer or a stranger you look down on. Superiors are called by their job title.Say instead:김 팀장님, 회의 자료 보내 드렸습니다.See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.3
나는
na-neun · “I (plain)”
AI gets it wrong:나 is the plain 'I' for friends and juniors. With polite endings it sounds mismatched, and in front of an interviewer, boss or elder it comes across as not knowing your place. The humble 'I' is 저.Say instead:저는 소피라고 합니다.See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.2
먹으세요
meo-geu-se-yo · “Please eat”
AI gets it wrong:For a handful of everyday verbs, Korean uses a completely different word for respected people. 먹으세요 to an elder sounds like a grammar exercise and can come across as impolite.Say instead:할머니, 맛있게 드세요.See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.2
몇 살이에요?
myeot sa-ri-e-yo · “How many years old are you?”
AI gets it wrong:몇 살 is how you ask children or close peers. Asked to an adult you've just met, it sounds childish; to an elder it is rude. Korean switches the noun itself: 나이 for adults, 연세 for elders.Say instead:연세가 어떻게 되세요?See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.3
뭐라고요?
mwo-ra-go-yo · “What did you say?”
AI gets it wrong:뭐라고요? with a rising tone is what people say when they can't believe what they just heard — closer to 'Excuse me?!' or 'What did you just say?' In a polite setting it can sound offended or confrontational.Say instead:죄송하지만, 다시 한번 말씀해 주시겠어요?See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.1
수고하세요
su-go-ha-se-yo · “Keep working hard”
AI gets it wrong:Sounds condescending when used toward superiors or elders.Say instead:먼저 들어가 보겠습니다.See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.1
알았어요
a-ra-sseo-yo · “(I) knew / Got it”
AI gets it wrong:To a superior, 알았어요 sounds brief and a little reluctant, like 'Fine, I heard you.' The expected reply to an instruction is 알겠습니다, which signals you accept the task.Say instead:네, 알겠습니다.See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.2
잘 부탁드립니다
jal bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da · “I ask you (for things) well / Please take care of me”
AI gets it wrong:The literal sentence sounds like a stiff speech. Koreans close almost every first introduction with 잘 부탁드립니다 — it means 'I'm counting on our good relationship', and leaving it out feels like something is missing.Say instead:처음 뵙겠습니다. 김소피입니다. 앞으로 잘 부탁드립니다.See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.3
축하해요
chu-ka-hae-yo · “Congratulations”
AI gets it wrong:축하해요 is fine between equals, but toward a superior Koreans lower themselves with the humble verb 드리다 ('to give, humbly'). Without it, the congratulations sounds a step too casual.Say instead:팀장님, 승진 축하드립니다!See why → - Workplace & Hierarchyv0.3
화이팅
hwa-i-ting · “Fighting! (Go for it!)”
AI gets it wrong:화이팅 is energetic slang between friends and teammates. Adding 입니다 doesn't make it formal. To a senior it can sound like you're cheering them on from the sidelines as an equal.Say instead:응원합니다!See why →