Make your answer easy for the host to use

Someone invites you to a small dinner. You want to sound warm, but the host also needs to know whether to count you in. A considerate answer does both jobs: it acknowledges the invitation and makes your attendance clear.

This intermediate lesson follows three different situations: you can come, you cannot come, or you genuinely need to check. The dialogues use polite 요 endings between adults who have not agreed to use casual speech. They are examples for social invitations, not a rule for every workplace event or family relationship.

You should be comfortable with short polite sentences and giving a reason. If you need help asking for a repeated time or address, keep the clarification guide nearby.

Choose a yes, a no, or a real decision deadline

초대하다 means to invite someone to a place, gathering or event. In 초대해 주셔서 감사해요, you thank the person for the invitation as something they have done for you. The respectful 주셔서 fits the polite relationship used here.

갈게요 commits to your own next action in this conversation. It should not stand in for “maybe.” If you are undecided, use the third answer and give a time when you can reply. Keep that promise even if the final answer is no.

“Come” and “go” do not always line up word for word between English and Korean. When replying from somewhere else to a host’s invitation, 토요일에 갈게요 is a natural way to say you will go there. The English translation uses “come” because it is addressed to the host.

Give a warm answer without hiding the decision

그날 means “that day,” referring to the date already mentioned. 다른 약속이 있어서 gives the reason: another commitment. 못 가요 gives the host the decision. You do not have to give a detailed account of the other appointment.

If you prefer to keep the reason private, 개인 사정으로 이번에는 참석하기 어려워요. means “For personal reasons, it is difficult for me to attend this time.” It sounds more formal than 못 가요 and suits an organised gathering better than a very casual chat.

A reason is optional; clarity is not. 아쉽지만 이번에는 못 가요. is a complete, usable refusal. Adding several vague sentences after it can make the listener wonder whether you are still negotiating.

Accept and check one practical detail

The invitation 식사하실래요? asks about the guest’s willingness, with the respectful 시 element. You can recognise the whole invitation before trying to build every form yourself.

In the reply about arrival, 까지 sets a latest point: “by six.” It is not the same as “stay until six.” The verb tells you what must happen by that time. If you hear 여섯 시에 instead, the time is “at six.” Listen to the time phrase and action together.

There is no need to insert every question you know into the acceptance. First settle the attendance and arrival time. Ask for the address separately if you do not have it. For an invitation to a restaurant, check the meeting place instead of assuming the host’s home.

Recognise a softened refusal

못 갈 것 같아요 uses 것 같아요 to present the statement less directly. In this exchange, the stated conflict makes it a softened refusal. Do not translate it into a confirmed “maybe I will come” and reserve a place on that basis.

The same grammatical form can express genuine uncertainty in another context. If arrangements depend on the answer, ask 그럼 이번에는 참석이 어려우신 거죠? — “So you won’t be able to attend this time, right?” Let the person confirm. A softened expression is a clue to interpret in context, not a code with one hidden meaning.

As the guest, choose the clearer 못 가요 when the decision is final and ambiguity would cause trouble. As the host, accept the answer without demanding a different reason. This is a practical way to avoid misunderstanding; it does not assume that every Korean speaker handles invitations alike.

Ask for time only when you need it

아직 일정을 몰라서요. 오늘 저녁까지 답해도 될까요? — “I don’t know my schedule yet. May I answer by this evening?” This is an undecided reply with a concrete request, so the host can say whether that timing works.

If the host needs an answer earlier, you might hear 오늘 세 시까지 알려 주시면 좋겠어요. — “It would be helpful if you let me know by three today.” You then need to agree to that deadline or say that you cannot confirm in time.

Do not use a deadline as a way to avoid giving an answer indefinitely. If you said you would reply, send the update. A short 일정을 확인했는데 이번에는 못 가요. 죄송해요. — “I checked my schedule, but I cannot come this time. I’m sorry.” — closes the loop.

다음에 봐요, “See you another time,” leaves the next occasion open. If you actually want to propose a new meeting, name a possible day and ask: 다음 주 수요일에 점심 같이 먹을까요? — “Shall we have lunch together next Wednesday?” A suggestion becomes an arrangement only after both people agree.

Choose the reply that fits the situation

Practise the invitation three times, changing only your availability. On the last round, let your partner choose the situation without telling you first. Your job is to make the next step clear, not to recite one answer regardless of context.

A small listening check

Meaning and grammar references

• NIKL Korean-English Learners’ Dictionary: 초대하다 — Meaning and sentence pattern for inviting someone.
• How to Study Korean: 것 같다 — Further explanation of possibilities and tentative statements. Interpret an invitation reply using the whole exchange.

Reviewed September 3, 2026. Found a mistake? Send a correction.