How to Say Cheers in Korean (5 Toasts, Not Just 건배)
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · How we write & review
After this page, you can toast a drink in Korean the right way, and understand what's actually being said before everyone drinks.
10-second answer
How do you say cheers in Korean?
The standard "cheers" is 건배 (geonbae, literally "dry cup") — everyone shouts it and drinks together. Casual friends often just say 짠 (jjan, the sound of glasses clinking) instead. At company dinners and formal gatherings, someone gives a short toast speech ending in 위하여! (wihayeo, "for the sake of...!"), and the group echoes 위하여 back before drinking. Which one you'll hear depends entirely on how formal the room is.
Quick check — did that land?
1. What's the most common all-purpose way to say "cheers" in Korean?
Korean has more than one way to say cheers.
The Full Spectrum
| Phrase | Situation | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| 건배 (geonbae) | The default, all-purpose "cheers" — works almost anywhere | Neutral |
| 짠 (jjan) | Casual drinks with close friends — mimics the clinking sound | Casual |
| 위하여 (wihayeo) | Formal toasts, company dinners — said after a short speech | Formal |
| 원샷 (wonshyat) | "One shot!" — a call to finish the whole glass at once | Casual |
| 건강을 위하여 | "For (our) health!" — a common full toast line | Formal |
A note on spelling. The official romanization of 건배 is geonbae, but you'll also see it written gunbae or kunbae. They're all the same word.
See also: 회식 — What Does It Mean in Korea?
건배사: The Toast Speech
At Korean company dinners (회식) and formal group gatherings, a toast is rarely just one word — it's a short 건배사 ("toast speech") given by whoever is hosting or most senior at the table. A typical 건배사 is one sentence wishing the group well or thanking everyone, ending in a call-and-response word that everyone shouts back before drinking. 위하여 is the most common closer, but many companies and friend groups have their own invented call-and-response toasts (one person shouts a made-up word, everyone shouts a matching reply) as a fun team-building ritual — so don't be surprised if the "toast word" isn't a real dictionary word at all.
우리 팀의 건강과 행복을 위하여!
uri timui geongangwa haengbogeul wihayeo!
For our team's health and happiness!
A typical formal toast line — the whole table echoes 위하여! back.
짠 하자!
jjan haja!
Let's cheers!
Casual — said right before glasses clink.
자, 건배!
ja, geonbae!
Alright, cheers!
자 ("alright/come on") commonly leads into 건배 to get everyone's attention first.
Toasting Etiquette Worth Knowing
Turn your head when drinking with someone senior
When clinking glasses with someone older or more senior and then drinking, it's polite to turn your head slightly away from them as you drink — the same drinking etiquette that governs pouring applies to the toast itself.
Clink lower, not higher
When toasting with someone senior, tilting your glass slightly lower than theirs when you clink is a small, appreciated gesture of respect — the physical version of the same hierarchy that shapes so much of Korean social interaction.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Using 위하여 with casual friends
위하여 sounds formal and a little stiff among close friends — 건배 or 짠 fits a casual table much better.
Mistake #2 — Drinking before the toast lands
In a group with a 건배사, everyone waits for the call-and-response word before drinking together — sipping early stands out.
Mini Quiz
2. At a formal company dinner, what typically follows a short toast speech?
3. What does 짠 imitate?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
You know how to toast — this covers everything else at the table, from pouring to when to say no.
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