You might have learned that the way to say "Nice to meet you" in Korean is 만나서 반갑습니다 (or 만나서 반가워요). But guess what? Native Koreans rarely use that phrase in real life. It sounds too formal and stiff, like you're reading from a textbook. 만나서 반갑습니다 is probably a direct translation of the English expression "Nice to meet you". But you don't need to say 만나서 because it's obvious that you're meeting someone. Just saying 반갑습니다 is enough, and it means "I'm glad" or "I'm happy". The verb 반갑다 is usually used when you meet people or see people again.
But wait, there's more. Even 반갑습니다 can sound a bit too much when you meet someone for the first time in person. Korean is a language that relies a lot on context and subtlety, so Koreans don't usually say their feelings out loud. 반갑습니다 is more suitable for greeting an audience or a group of people, not a single person.
So what do you say when you meet someone new in Korean? Well, you can keep it simple and just say "안녕하세요. 문은경입니다 (Hello, my name is EK Moon)" and smile.
That's right, smile. A smile can say more than a thousand words. You can just nod your head and smile, and that's it. You've done it. You've expressed your happiness without saying a word.
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