How to Say “Cheers” in Korean

If you are in a bar in South Korea and everybody raises their glass, do you know what to say? “Cheers” in Korean, of course!

Whether it is with co-workers or Korean friends, or if you are on a date, knowing how to say “cheers” in Korean will help you make friends quickly and enjoy your time in Korea

Two hands holding wine glasses

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

So, let’s raise our glasses and say, “Cheers!”

“Cheers” in Korean

The word for “cheers” in the Korean language is 건배 (geonbae). This means “empty glass,” so is similar to the expression “bottom’s up.”

Japanese and Chinese speakers will notice the similarities between this word and the word for “cheers” in those languages (the Chinese word “ganbei” and the Japanese word “kanpai”). This is because the word is based on Chinese characters. Remembering the meaning of these characters can help you learn Korean words quickly when your Korean reaches an intermediate level.

How to use the word 건배 (geonbae) 

To use the “Korean cheers,” raise your glass in the air, say 건배 (geonbae), and clink your glass with your friend’s glass. The word implies that you should then drink the whole of your drink, but this is not actually necessary.

건배 (geonbae) is usually said by itself rather than part of a phrase or sentence. If somebody says 건배 (geonbae) to you, then the correct response is simply to say the Korean word 건배 (geonbae) back to them.

Sample Sentences

건배할까요? (geonbaehalkkayo)

May I propose a toast?

우리의 건강을 위하여 건배 (uriui geongangeul wihayeo geonbae)

To our health, bottoms up!

Video: How to Say “Cheers” in Korean

Here’s a video to further help you practice how to say “cheers” in Korean. 

How to Say 'Cheers' in Korean | 90 Day Korean

If you learned a lot through this video, you could also subscribe to our YouTube Channel for other helpful videos!

Want more Korean phrases? Go to our Korean Phrases Page for a complete list!

Cheers in Korean: Limits on Use

In British English, “cheers” can also mean “thanks.” However, 건배 (geonbae) can only be used as a way to say “cheers” as in “bottom’s up.”

We recommend learning other basic Korean expressions and greetings such as “hello,” “nice to meet you,” and “goodbye” so you don’t confuse them with each other.

Other Ways to Say “Cheers” in Korean

Apart from the Korean word 건배 (geonbae), there are more words that mean “cheers” in Korean. Here’s how to properly use them.

1. 위하여 (wihayeo)

This Korean word literally means “for the sake of.” In your grammar lessons, you may come across the 위해서 (wihaeseo) version of this word. 위하여 (wihayeo) is used in the same way as 건배 (geonbae), but it is much less common and is mainly used by businessmen, often after they have made a long speech while drinking.

Students and alumni of Korea University often replace the 여 (yeo) at the end of this word with 고 (go) to make 위하고 (wihago).

2. 원샷! (wonsyat)

This word is derived from the English word “one-shot.” The term “one shot” literally means that you have to drink your whole drink in one go. Be careful when using this word, as it has been known to cause headaches the next day!

Be Careful When Using Romanization

Learning how to read Korean will improve your Korean dramatically. Romanization of Korean words can have some benefits when you are just starting to learn Korean. However, you should try to make the transition to Hangeul (the Korean alphabet) as soon as you can.

Hangeul is incredibly simple to learn and will allow you to read signs in Korean and even improve your pronunciation and word-learning abilities. It only takes a couple of hours, so why not learn it today?

Wrap Up

Now that you know how to say “cheers” in Korean, you can fully enjoy Korea’s many bars and restaurants. Remember, soju can be strong, so don’t celebrate too much!

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6 thoughts on “How to Say “Cheers” in Korean”

    1. Hi! 짱 is a Korean slang meaning “best”, “top of top” or “super.” For example, 오늘 날씨 짱이에요=Today’s weather is amazing.
      And it’s also used as “very” or “really”. For example, 이거 짱 맛있어=This is really delicious.

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