What Does 수고했어 (Sugohaesseo) Mean in Korean?
10-Second Answer
수고했어 (sugohaesseo) means roughly "you worked hard / good job today" — the standard phrase for acknowledging someone's effort, said at the end of work, practice, filming, or any shared task. Polite: 수고했어요; formal: 수고하셨습니다. There's no clean English equivalent — it thanks effort itself, not results.
Quick Examples
오늘 수고했어!
oneul sugohaesseo!
Good work today!
Casual — teammates, friends, juniors.
수고하셨습니다!
sugohasyeotseumnida!
Thank you for your hard work!
Formal — what a whole office says when leaving; what fans tell idols after a concert.
수고하세요~
sugohaseyo~
Keep up the good work / take care.
Said to someone STILL working — leaving a shop, ending a call with staff.
The Three Directions
| Form | When | To whom |
|---|---|---|
| 수고했어 (sugohaesseo) | Work is done | Friends, juniors — casual |
| 수고했어요 / 수고하셨습니다 | Work is done | Polite / formal upward |
| 수고하세요 (sugohaseyo) | They're still working | Staff, delivery drivers, coworkers as you leave |
수고 means 'toil/effort.' The phrase honors the effort regardless of outcome — after a failed project, a lost match, a long shift, 수고했어 still lands perfectly. That's why 'good job' isn't quite it: you can 수고 without winning.
K-pop fans know 수고하셨습니다 as the phrase idols and staff exchange after every stage — and what fans comment after a comeback ends.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — 수고했어 to your boss
Evaluating a superior's effort casually can sound presumptuous. Upward, use 수고하셨습니다 — and in very traditional workplaces, 고생하셨습니다 or a plain thank-you is even safer.
Mistake #2 — Forgetting 수고하세요 when leaving
Leaving a pharmacy, taxi, or phone call with staff, 수고하세요 is the graceful exit line English speakers never think to say.
Mini Quiz
1. Filming wraps at 11 PM. The director says to the crew:
2. You're leaving a pharmacy; the pharmacist keeps working. You say:
3. Why doesn't 'good job' fully translate 수고했어?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
What Does 화이팅 (Hwaiting) Mean?
화이팅 before the effort, 수고했어 after — Korean brackets every challenge with these two.
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.