수고하셨습니다
[수고하셛씀니다]sugohasyeotseumnida
thanks for your hard work
"Thank you for your hard work" — said when work is done
Meaning & nuance
수고 means toil or effort. 수고하셨습니다 recognizes the work someone has put in: coworkers say it at the end of the day or a project, and it is a kind thing to say to anyone who has just finished a task for you.
When you leave while the other person keeps working, such as a shop clerk or a taxi driver, Koreans say 수고하세요 instead. Some people avoid 수고하세요 with a boss, since it can sound like telling them to keep toiling; 감사합니다 or 고생 많으셨습니다 is the safe choice there.
Examples
Forms & politeness
- 수고하셨습니다
- after the work is done (formal)
- 수고했어
- casual, to a friend or junior
- 수고하세요
- when you leave and the other person keeps working
Hangul blocks
Good to know
It is pronounced [수고하셛씀니다]: the ㅆ at the end of 셨 is said like a short t, and 습 turns into [씀] before 니.
Related words
Dictionary: 표준국어대사전 · 수고 ↗
Meanings are written in our own words. The link opens the Standard Korean Language Dictionary entry.