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Korean Greetings Posted by on Nov 23, 2008 in Vocabulary

Hello everyone!  Today we’re going to learn some important Korean greetings.  The most basic and frequently used greeting is an-nyung-ha-se-yo (안녕하세요).  An-nyung-ha-se-yo (안녕하세요) means hello.  You might be surprised to know that there is no separate greeting for good morning, good afternoon or good evening.  Whether it’s the morning, afternoon or evening, you just use the phrase an-nyung-ha-se-yo (안녕하세요).

There is one exception.  For the phrase ‘good night’ it’s more natural to use the phrase jal ja-yo (잘 자요).  This literally means sleep well.  Now some Koreans from time to time might use the phrase jo-un a-chim (좋은 아침).  Jo-un a-chim (좋은 아침) means good morning.  However, the predominant method for saying good morning is still an-nyung-ha-se-yo (안녕하세요).  I tell my students to just learn the phrase an-nyung-ha-se-yo (안녕하세요) because it’s easier to remember and the more common greeting that Koreans use to say good morning.

Also, if you want to ask someone how they have been you can use the phrase an-nyung-ha-shim-ni-kka (안녕하십니까).  This phrase is on the formal level.  You can also say ‘how are you’ as jal ji-nes-sum-ni-kka (잘 지넸습니까).  While jal ji-nes-sum-ni-kka (잘 지넸습니까) is still formal, it’s a little less formal than an-nyung-ha-shim-ni-kka (안녕하십니까).

While there is only one phrase used to say hello, there are actually two phrases that you could use to say good-bye in Korean.  Each phrase depends on the situation and the person you are talking to.  For example, if you say good-bye to your professor in the hallway and the professor is physically walking away from you, you would use the phrase an-nyung-hi ka-se-yo (안녕히 가세요).  However, if you say good-bye to your professor in his/her office and the professor stays put at his/her desk, you would say an-nyung-hi-ke-se-yo (안녕히 계세요).  As you’ve noticed, whether the person is leaving or staying put, determines the specific good-bye greeting used.

If you want to be less formal when you say good-bye, use the phrase an-nyung (안녕).  This phrase can be used whether the person you’re talking to is staying or leaving; it doesn’t matter.  However, don’t use this phrase when you’re talking to someone older than you or someone you don’t know that well.  While saying good-bye using an-nyung (안녕) is easier to remember, it can only be used with certain people.  One way I try to remember which good-bye greeting to use is by the verb stem.  The greeting used for people who are leaving contains the verb stem ka () which means ‘to go’ while the good bye used for people who are staying contains the verb stem ke () which means ‘to be.’  They are very subtle in sound, so make sure you know the difference between the two good-byes.

Ok everyone, I have to go, so for now I’m going to say daume bayo (다음에 봐요) or see you next time!

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Comments:

  1. happy:

    ..I love almost everything about korea though i’m not a citizen of the said country..!!
    ..I’v watched several korean movies and I like them very much..!!!
    ..I also love the language and expressions of koreans..
    ..I hope that I could go to Korea sooner or later..

  2. doreen:

    yong marame na man ara hindi na ko mag hahanap ng eba!!!!

  3. Ginny:

    I have no clue what you said

  4. meachelle:

    annyung haseyo!!
    i really want to learn the korean language.it’s fun and exciting.
    daume bayo!!
    =D

  5. berna:

    Thanks for this blog…i learned something. Hope to read other greetings next time.

    I’m courting with a korean guy and it helps me.

  6. kris:

    This website is really helpful.
    Thanks!!!

  7. mia:

    kamsamita! i learned some few words in boys over flowers because i watch it over and over again.hehe

  8. mia:

    and thank you so much daume bayo!!!!! 🙂

  9. amani:

    it’s good know i learn some thing at liste and i wish that i could learn more then that . i like korean us a language

  10. zineb:

    hola.choh a yo.kamsamnida.your site is quite useful.am algerian but i’m fond of”korea”,its people,its culture,nature,dishes,…that’s why am learning the lge.wish me luck guys.is it right to say “anneonghi jumushipsiyo”to concern “good night”?by the way”onjenganun hangug kayo shipoyo.”korea saranghe”

  11. joenz:

    i really wan 2 learn bout kOrean languages^^

  12. rose ann:

    please more,thanx for the info how to speak in korean i am a pilipino i want to learn how to speak korean…tnx!=)

  13. Kitty:

    kamsahamnida !!

    daume bayo ! :’p

  14. Zelda:

    Thanks a heap!!!!!!!

  15. monique:

    I Love Korean

  16. afra:

    thank you !

  17. hannah lee:

    an nyung ha seo!

  18. hannah lee:

    i love lee hyun woo…

  19. Dale:

    I have a business meeting today with a korean firm and found exactly what i needed. Thanks a mill. annyunghi kaseyo

  20. maria francesca a reyes:

    i want to korean because that is my favorite country

  21. hermie:

    ginny, kamsa hamnida for this information. it helped a lot…

    tomorrow’s chuseok day in korea so “pukmanhi badeoseyo” to all koreans out there… more luck to come

    ok.. time for me to sleep.. jal ja yo : )

  22. rayken:

    i’ll b going to incheon seoul, koread next year may . yeayyyy!!!~

  23. jezza:

    ….anyong haseyo…….

  24. putri:

    anyung haseo
    it’s exciting to learn korea language

  25. kimshay:

    i do like korean cultures’the way they talk, their expressions, attitudes.. eveything… i love them all

  26. kimshay:

    i love kim hyun joong
    kim hyun jun
    kim hye seong
    kim kibum
    jung kyung ho
    and
    moon geun young

    hehehe!!!

  27. kimshay:

    anyeonghi kaseyo!!!!

    smile!!

  28. kimchi:

    neomu neomu bogoshipo:(

  29. kazzy:

    yoboseyo!!!!!!!
    saranghe koreaaaaaaaaanssssssssssssssssssssssssss

  30. myung hee:

    Annyoung hashimnika..!!!!! I Really LOVE KOREA….. how I wish I could go to KOREA…… i really love their languages and how they say it…………. ♥♥♥ 🙂

  31. lyhan:

    Korea have the best actress and actors ! ever !haeng un eul bin da !

  32. 공주:

    안녕하세요 !!!
    I have a question here, about “합니다”.

    when listening people’s pronunciation it sounds like “hamnida” but literally it is “hapnida”. So which one is better?

    And, another one is, is “좋은 아침합니다” is something correct to greet? thx in advance!! =D

  33. min:

    anyung haseyo 🙂 …i really want to learn korean languages…so hope someone can teach me:)….anyung….

  34. ki:

    An ngung ha se yo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i am studying korean so please kindly give me some idea for learning easier

    you are welcome !!1

    daume bayo!!!

  35. jhorna.012:

    i am learning how to speak korean now because of my bestfriend who is korean. she’s so beautiful.

  36. darren:

    hello, i am a korean. han gueg e be wo se go ma wo, ge li go de man eun sa lam del yi han geug e be wot eu myen jo ket e!!!!

  37. darren:

    it means:hello, i am a korean.thanks for learning korean, and i want more people to learn korean!!!!

  38. darren:

    ne moo jol lye!!! an nyung hee ja/ju mu se yo!!! bee meel een de… nan won le a ee ya!!! 너무졸려!!! 안녕히 주무세요/잘자!!!비밀인데…난원래 아이야!!!

  39. Tricia:

    How do you know how to construct Korean words… I’m a beginner and I’m wondering..

  40. kemer said:

    i am going to start how to write,read and every thing about korean.Because of i watch kbs world so i want to learn i wish i learn fast.

  41. kemer said:

    can any of you pepole tell me how is it to learn every thing about korean.send me please on kemersaid@hotmail.com the leters ,how to read them and write them. And if you can other things

  42. kemer said:

    can you send me how to write korean leters and read the letters.

  43. Hayleigh Hutchinson:

    Korea was great. I was stationed there for a little over a year, in the Army. Oh course, that happened, back in the late 1970’s. There were NO TV broadcast until like 6 pm, because how could you watch tv, when you should be either working, or taking care of the kids, preparing food, and the everyday grind. After work is over, then it’s relaxing time. The country has changed 500% NOW. with modernize is everything. Korea is not as advanced as Japan ( my favorite ), but trying.

  44. Queen:

    i love u lee min ho(gu jun pyo) so m learning koren…..

  45. joannah:

    anyung haseyo
    je i remeun joannah imnida .
    je uneun uganda saram imnida.
    man na seup bap gap sumnida.
    i love korean.
    i really want to learn it.
    anyway.
    gamsamida!!!
    i dont know whether i said sense.

  46. lidya:

    anihaseyo am lidya i love u korea i use to watch korean movies dat’s good
    i like it so much

  47. lidya:

    am from eritrea

  48. Jennifer Kezaabu:

    kamsa hamnida, daume bayo (thank you, see you next time)

  49. http://fiverr.com:

    Wow! This could be one particular of the most beneficial blogs We’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Basically Wonderful. I’m also a specialist in this topic therefore I can understand your effort.

  50. kamal:

    sorry for disturbing..pardon me if i ask since u have a knowledge about korean language,…so, i want to ask what is the meaning of `salanghaneun joh-eun bam’..?….i am glad if u help me….TQ

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