How to Say “Nice to Meet You” in Korean (and What Happens After)
"Nice to meet you" in Korean is 반갑습니다 (bangapseumnida) for general use, or 처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheo-eum boepgetseumnida) specifically for a first-ever meeting — literally "I'm meeting you for the first time." Korean introductions don't end there: they close with 잘 부탁드립니다, a phrase with no English equivalent that roughly means "please look after me / let's work well together."
English gets away with one line and a handshake. Korean makes you work for it — three possible opening phrases depending on formality, then a closing line that doesn't translate at all, then a bow whose depth is basically a formality quiz you didn't study for.
None of it is hard once you see the shape. Here's the actual toolkit, in the order a real introduction uses it.
The three-phrase toolkit
처음 뵙겠습니다
cheo-eum boep-get-sseum-ni-da
It's my first time meeting you
Opens a first-ever meeting. Most formal, most literal.
반갑습니다
ban-gap-sseum-ni-da
Nice to meet you / glad to see you
Formal-polite. Works for first meetings and reunions alike.
반가워요
ban-ga-wo-yo
Nice to meet you (casual-polite)
Softer, still polite -요. Peers, classmates, a friendly first coffee.
The distinction most learners miss: 처음 뵙겠습니다 can only open a first meeting — the 처음 ("first time") makes that literal. 반갑습니다 has no such restriction. You can say it the first time you meet your girlfriend's parents and also every single time you bump into your college roommate for the next thirty years. It just means "I'm glad [to see you]."
잘 부탁드립니다: the line every introduction ends on
Say your name, say 반갑습니다, and a Korean listener is still waiting for something. That something is 잘 부탁드립니다 (jal butak-deurimnida) — and English simply does not have this sentence. The closest gloss is "please treat me well" or "I'll be counting on you," but neither captures what it's doing.
Skip it and the introduction feels unfinished — like ending an email with your name but no sign-off. Textbooks tend to teach it as a one-off business phrase and move on; it's actually load-bearing in nearly every first meeting, from a new job to meeting a partner's family to joining a group chat at school.
The physical script: bow, business card, name + 씨
The words are maybe 40% of the introduction. The rest is choreography, and it's consistent enough to predict.
| Moment | What happens | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The bow | 15° nod for peers, ~30° for someone senior or a first business meeting | Depth signals rank, not enthusiasm. Bowing too low to a peer reads as odd, not polite. |
| The card/gift | Offered and received with both hands, a slight bow, a beat to actually read it | One-handed exchange is the fastest way to look careless in a formal setting. |
| The name | Family name + 씨 (ssi) — never first name alone with someone new | 씨 is the neutral "Mr./Ms." of first meetings. First-name-only sounds presumptuous. |
| The handshake | Optional, often layered with the bow, right hand — left hand may support the forearm | A Western import Korea absorbed; the bow still carries the real formality signal. |
Name + 씨 deserves its own note: if someone introduces themselves as 김민우 (Kim Minwoo), you address them as 민우 씨 — given name plus 씨 — not 김 씨 (that sounds like you're talking to a stranger's back) and definitely not 민우 alone (that's banmal-close, reserved for people who've earned it).
Drama meet-cutes vs. real first meetings
K-dramas love to break this script for effect — the CEO who skips the bow, the rival who won't shake hands, the classic spilled-coffee meet-cute with zero formal introduction at all. That's exactly why it reads as tension: the audience knows what should happen and watches it not happen.
A more accurate scene looks like this — awkward, over-polite, exactly how strangers actually meet.
안녕하세요, 처음 뵙겠습니다. 이지훈입니다.
an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, cheo-eum boep-get-sseum-ni-da. i-ji-hun-im-ni-da.
Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Lee Jihoon.
안녕하세요, 반갑습니다. 잘 부탁드립니다.
an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, ban-gap-sseum-ni-da. jal bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da.
Hello, nice to meet you. Looking forward to working with you.
네, 저도 잘 부탁드려요.
ne, jeo-do jal bu-tak-deu-ryeo-yo.
Yes, likewise — looking forward to it too.
The mechanic worth noticing: 잘 부탁드립니다 basically always gets echoed. Whoever hears it doesn't just say "thanks" — they say some version of it back, often with 저도 ("me too") stacked on front. It's less a single line than a handshake made of words.
Frequently asked questions
What does bangapseumnida mean?
반갑습니다 (bangapseumnida) means "nice to meet you" or, more literally, "I'm glad [to see you]." It comes from the adjective 반갑다 ("to be glad/pleased") and works for both first meetings and seeing someone again after a while.
What's the difference between 처음 뵙겠습니다 and 반갑습니다?
처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheo-eum boepgetseumnida) means "it's my first time meeting you" and can only be used at an actual first meeting. 반갑습니다 just means "glad to see you" and works for first meetings and every reunion after — the more flexible, more common phrase of the two.
Why do Koreans say jal butakdeurimnida when meeting someone?
잘 부탁드립니다 closes an introduction by asking for goodwill — roughly "please treat me well" or "I'll be counting on you." It has no direct English equivalent and is said in almost every first meeting, from job introductions to meeting a partner's parents.
Do I have to bow when meeting someone in Korea?
A slight nod (about 15°) is standard even in casual settings; a deeper bow (around 30°) suits formal or business first meetings. Handshakes are common too, often paired with a small bow — the bow still carries most of the formality signal.
Should I use someone's first name when I just met them?
No — use their family name plus 씨 (ssi), like 민우 씨, or their full name with an honorific title if they have one. First-name-only is reserved for close or casual relationships and can sound presumptuous right after meeting someone.