Master Korean Holiday Greetings Like a Local!
Hello! This is [Daily Hangul], here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Are you ready to spread some joy? Today, we are diving into a very special theme: Writing Holiday Greeting Cards (Yeonhajang, 연하장).
Whether it’s New Year’s, Chuseok, or Christmas, sending a heartfelt message is crucial in Korean culture to maintain good relationships. But here is the twist—in Korea these days, sending physical cards is becoming rare. Instead, people create beautiful mobile cards or send heartfelt messages via KakaoTalk, often accompanied by a small digital gift (Gifticon).
If you want to touch the hearts of your Korean friends or colleagues (and show off your professional Korean skills), you need more than just “Happy New Year.” Let’s learn how to write greetings that sound natural, polite, and sincere!
✨ Key Expressions for Holiday Cards
Here are 3 essential expressions suitable for B2 level learners, perfect for professional and social contexts.
1. 베풀어 주신 은혜에 감사드립니다.
- Pronunciation: [Bepureo jusin eunhyee gamsadureumnida]
- English Meaning: Thank you for the grace/kindness you have bestowed upon me.
- Detail: This is a highly formal and polite expression. It is perfect for writing to a boss, a mentor, or an elder. It acknowledges the help they gave you over the past year. “은혜 (Eunhye)” means a great favor or grace.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip (Nasalization):
- Look at the word ‘드립니다 (deurimnida)’.
- It is written as
deu-rib-ni-da, but the ㅂ (b) sound changes to ㅁ (m) when it meets ㄴ (n). - This rule is called Nasalization. It makes the transition between consonants smoother. So, say [deu-rim-ni-da], not [deu-rib-ni-da]!
2. 올 한 해도 같이 성장하는 한 해가 됩시다.
- Pronunciation: [Ol han haedo gachi seongjanghaneun han haega doepsida]
- English Meaning: Let’s make this another year where we grow together.
- Detail: This is a great phrase for colleagues or team members. It shows your intention to work hard and your desire for mutual success. It sounds professional yet proactive.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip (Palatalization):
- Pay attention to ‘같이 (gachi)’.
- It is written as
gat-i, but it is pronounced [gachi]. - When the batchim ㅌ (t) meets the vowel 이 (i), it changes to a ㅊ (ch) sound. This is called Palatalization (구개음화). Just like ‘together’ in English implies a bond, pronounce this softly as [gachi] to sound natural!
3. 하시는 일마다 만사형통하시길 기원합니다.
- Pronunciation: [Hasineun ilmada mansahyeongtonghasigil giwonhamnida]
- English Meaning: I pray that everything you do goes smoothly/successfully.
- Detail: “만사형통 (Mansahyeongtong)” is a four-character idiom (Sajeoseong-eo) meaning “everything turns out as wished.” Using idioms like this in your writing makes you look very intellectual and sophisticated. It is suitable for general well-wishing to anyone respected.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip (H-Weakening):
- In fast speech, the ㅎ (h) in ‘형통 (hyeongtong)’ or ‘기원합니다 (giwonhamnida)’ can sometimes sound weak or blend with the previous sound.
- However, when you want to emphasize sincerity in a formal phrase, try to pronounce the ㅎ clearly to sound energetic and polite!
💬 Example Dialogue
Let’s see how these are used in a workplace context.
Min-ji: Mark, are you writing New Year’s greetings to the team manager?
Mark: Yes, but I’m not sure what to write. Is “Happy New Year” enough?
Min-ji: Hmm, since he is our superior, you should be more polite. Nowadays, people appreciate a message about gratitude.
Mark: Okay. How about this? “지난해 베풀어 주신 은혜에 감사드립니다.” (Thank you for the kindness you showed last year.)
Min-ji: Wow, that’s perfect! And you can add, “올해도 같이 성장하는 한 해가 되었으면 좋겠습니다.” (I hope we can grow together this year too.)
Mark: Thanks! I will send this with a coffee coupon on KakaoTalk.
🇰🇷 Culture Tip & Trend: “Untact” Greetings
In the past, everyone sent paper cards via post. However, the recent trend in Korea is “Untact” (non-contact) greetings.
- Mobile Cards: People design custom images using apps like Canva or Snow, inserting their own photos or cute characters (like the zodiac animal of the year) with the text we learned above.
- Gifticons: It is considered very sensible (“Sense-jaeng-i”) to send a small Gifticon (mobile voucher) along with your message. A cup of coffee for a colleague or a vitamin set for an elder is a very popular way to express “Jeong” (affection) digitally.
- Timing: Sending your message at exactly 00:00 on New Year’s Day or early in the morning of a holiday shows that you were thinking of that person first!
📝 Wrap-up & Practice
Today we learned how to write sophisticated holiday greetings using expressions like “베풀어 주신 은혜” and “같이 성장합시다.” Remember, a well-written message can strengthen your relationships significantly!
🎯 Mini Quiz:
Which pronunciation is correct for the word ‘같이’ (together)?
1. [Gat-i]
2. [Ga-si]
3. [Ga-chi]
Leave your answer in the comments below! Also, try writing a short greeting message to your Korean teacher or friend using what you learned today.
Happy studying, and 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (Happy New Year)!
