처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheoeum boepgetseumnida) — The Greeting You Only Get to Use Once in a Lifetime
처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheoeum boepgetseumnida) means “Today I am meeting you for the first time,” and it is the most formal opening greeting you can offer someone you have never met before. The moment you open the office door on your first day of work. The client’s meeting room where you reach for your business card. The private room at a Korean restaurant where both sets of parents sit down face to face before a wedding — in those three seconds when the air stiffens a little and everyone is still on their feet, this is the phrase that comes out.
Korean has no shortage of greetings, but 처음 뵙겠습니다 carries one condition that none of the others do: you can use it with any one person only once in your entire life. From the second meeting onward, you have to reach for something else. That makes this greeting less of a greeting and more of a key that unlocks the door to a relationship.
처음 뵙겠습니다
Cut the phrase into three pieces and the meaning comes into focus.
First, 처음 (cheoeum) — the beginning, the very first time. Second, 뵙다 (boepda) — the humble form of 보다 (boda), “to see.” This is the heart of it. Korean honorifics run in two directions: one lifts the other person up (가시다 (gasida), 드시다 (deusida)), and the other lowers you so that the other person ends up higher by comparison. 뵙다 is the second kind. It doesn’t elevate the listener — it lowers your own act of seeing. Compared with the similar 뵈다 (boeda), 뵙다 is one notch more formal and more careful.
Third, -겠- (-get-). This is where learners stumble most often. The two of you are already standing right there looking at each other, so why the future-tense “I will see you”? This -겠- isn’t pointing at time at all; it’s a cushion that softens the sentence. It’s the same -겠- you hear in 하겠습니다 (hagetseumnida) and 알겠습니다 (algetseumnida). Taking a step back instead of stating things flatly — that posture is exactly what reads as politeness.
So this phrase is not a question but a declaration. Don’t let your pitch rise at the end; bring it down calmly. In terms of temperature, it’s heavier than 반갑습니다 (bangapseumnida) — there’s more caution in it than smile. It’s safest when the other person is older or higher in rank than you, or when the two of you still know nothing about each other.
In real conversation it almost never comes out alone. Three lines travel together as a set.
처음 뵙겠습니다. 김지호라고 합니다. 잘 부탁드립니다. (Cheoeum boepgetseumnida. Gim Jiho-rago hamnida. Jal butakdeurimnida.)
Greeting → name → a request for the relationship ahead. Memorize that order exactly as it is and you won’t be caught off guard in any room.
See It in a Real Conversation
Scene: Thirty minutes before the two families meet. Emily is practicing her greeting inside the car, parked outside the Korean restaurant.
Jun-kyung: 아직 20분 남았어. 한 번만 더 해 볼래? We still have 20 minutes. Want to try it one more time?
Emily: 어… 처음 뵙겠습니다. 에밀리라고 합니다. Um… It’s the first time I’m meeting you. My name is Emily.
Jun-kyung: 좋아. 뒤에 “잘 부탁드립니다” 한마디만 더 붙여. Good. Just add “I look forward to your kindness” at the end.
Emily: 그 말까지 해야 돼? 좀 과한 거 아니야? Do I have to say that too? Isn’t it a bit much?
Jun-kyung: 아니야, 그게 세트야. 고개는 말 다 끝나고 숙여, 말하면서 말고. No, they come as a set. Bow after you finish speaking, not while you’re speaking.
Emily: 알겠어. 처음 뵙겠습니다, 에밀리라고 합니다. 잘 부탁드립니다. …나 손 떨려. Got it. It’s the first time I’m meeting you, I’m Emily. I look forward to your kindness. …My hands are shaking.
When It Sounds Awkward
✗ (To a team lead from another department you already greeted at a workshop six months ago) 처음 뵙겠습니다! ✓ (Same situation) 안녕하세요, 오랜만입니다 (annyeonghaseyo, oraenmanimnida) — “Hello, it’s been a while.” → When they remember you and you’re the only one who forgot, this phrase becomes a declaration that says “I am seeing you for the first time,” and it erases them. If your memory is fuzzy, starting with a plain 안녕하세요 instead of 처음 뵙겠습니다 is far safer. This one greeting, above all, should never be used when you aren’t sure.
✗ (To a same-age junior colleague a friend brought along, at a bar) 처음 뵙겠습니다. 잘 부탁드립니다. ✓ (Same situation) 안녕하세요, 반가워요. 저는 준경이라고 해요 (annyeonghaseyo, bangawoyo. Jeoneun Jun-kyung-irago haeyo) — “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Jun-kyung.” → The grammar is flawless, but the setting is wrong. 처음 뵙겠습니다 carries a seriously heavy counterweight of formality, so aiming it at someone your own age over drinks either sounds like a joke or reads as a signal that you want to keep your distance. For a first meeting in a relaxed setting, 반가워요 (bangawoyo) is the right answer.
Example Sentences by Situation
1. First day at work, standing in front of your department
처음 뵙겠습니다. 오늘부터 마케팅팀에서 일하게 된 이서준이라고 합니다. (Cheoeum boepgetseumnida. Oneulbuteo maketingtim-eseo ilhage doen I Seojun-irago hamnida.)
You use this phrase even when greeting a whole group at once. Whether there’s one person in front of you or twenty, the form doesn’t change. Add one line about the work you’ll be handling and your self-introduction is complete.
2. Visiting a client for the first time and handing over your business card
처음 뵙겠습니다. 명함 먼저 드리겠습니다. (Cheoeum boepgetseumnida. Myeongham meonjeo deurigetseumnida.)
In Korean business settings, this greeting is practically glued to the business card. Hold the card with both hands and turn it so the text faces the other person. Words first, card second.
3. Showing up at a club or hobby group meetup for the first time
처음 뵙겠습니다. 온라인에서만 뵙다가 이렇게 뵈니 정말 반갑습니다. (Cheoeum boepgetseumnida. Onlain-eseoman boepdaga ireoke boeni jeongmal bangapseumnida.)
People you’ve known online for ages but are seeing in person for the first time — these days, that’s the most common kind of first meeting there is. Since it’s still your first time face to face, 처음 뵙겠습니다 works here too. Tack 반갑습니다 onto the end and you deliver formality and warmth at the same time.
Formal, Casual, and Related Expressions
| Expression | Temperature & Weight | Where to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| 처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheoeum boepgetseumnida) | The most formal; careful and heavy | First meetings. Seniors, clients, meeting the in-laws. Can’t be used from the second meeting on |
| 반갑습니다 (bangapseumnida) | Formal, but warm | Fine for first meetings and later ones alike; great to attach right after a first greeting |
| 만나서 반가워요 (mannaseo bangawoyo) | Soft and friendly | First meetings with peers or in relaxed settings |
| 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) | Neutral, all-purpose | Anywhere. Your safe zone when your memory is hazy |
| 처음 뵙네요 (cheoeum boemneyo) | One notch less formal, softer | Light gatherings, when you’re noting the fact as you realize it |
It’s fair to say there’s no casual (반말 (banmal)) version of this one. 뵙다 is itself a humble form that lowers the speaker, so pairing it with casual speech breaks the sentence. For a first meeting between friends, use 안녕, 반가워 (annyeong, bangawo).
Cultural Background — Nobody Sits Down Until the Greeting Is Over
In Korean dramas, this greeting almost always shows up in a “standing” scene. The door to the family meeting room opens and both families face each other and bow. A new hire bows once in front of the office before taking a seat. Only after the greeting is finished does everyone sit. It’s no accident that you rarely see anyone say 처음 뵙겠습니다 while seated — this phrase includes the angle of your body.
Bow your head about 15 to 30 degrees, and do it after you’ve finished speaking. If you bow while you’re talking, your voice drops to the floor and never reaches the other person. That’s exactly what Jun-kyung was nagging Emily about in the car.
If you’re a Hallyu fan, you’ve probably heard this greeting plenty of times in early-debut idol variety shows or in a rookie actor’s opening line in an interview. That scene where someone folds at a full 90 degrees in front of the camera and calls out “처음 뵙겠습니다” is close to an old custom in the Korean entertainment industry. There, the angle itself carries the message: “I am still nobody.”
One more thing: 뵙다 is very much alive in everyday conversation too. 부모님 뵈러 간다 (bumonim boero ganda), “I’m going to see my parents.” 교수님을 뵈었다 (gyosunim-eul boeeotda), “I met with the professor.” Whenever the situation involves meeting someone older or above you, this verb shows up instead of 보다. If you pick up the verb 뵙다 itself while you’re learning 처음 뵙겠습니다, the whole humble-speech system of Korean opens up at once.
Today’s Quiz
You run into a team lead from another department in the elevator — someone you exchanged a brief greeting with at a company workshop six months ago. You recognize the face, but the name is fuzzy. What’s the most appropriate greeting?
- 처음 뵙겠습니다!
- 안녕하세요, 오랜만입니다.
- 처음 뵙겠습니다. 잘 부탁드립니다.
Answer: 2
처음 뵙겠습니다 is a phrase that declares the fact that this is your first meeting, so using it on someone you’ve already met amounts to denying their memory of you. It can sting especially when they do remember you. In ambiguous situations, open with 안녕하세요, and if they acknowledge you first, just pick up the thread naturally from there. This is one greeting to pull out only when you’re certain.
Definitions and example sentences are from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr); that portion of this post, including our translations, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.