Korean Greetings Overview
Unlike English, which has different greetings for different times of day (good morning, good afternoon, good evening), Korean primarily uses one all-purpose greeting: 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo). This phrase literally means 'Are you at peace?' and works seamlessly from morning to night, with anyone from coworkers to strangers. Korean also has specific situational greetings for meals, phone calls, farewells, and work-related contexts. Mastering these greetings is the very first step in learning Korean, and using them correctly immediately shows cultural respect and awareness. Korean greetings are always accompanied by appropriate body language — a slight bow of about 15 degrees for standard polite situations and a casual nod among close friends. The depth and duration of the bow conveys information about the relative status and respect level between the speakers. In addition to 안녕하세요, Korean has a rich set of context-specific greetings that do not exist in English. The phrase 수고하셨습니다 (sugohaesyeosseumnida, you've worked hard) is used when someone finishes work or a task. 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo, have you been well?) is the standard follow-up greeting when you have not seen someone for a while. 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo, have you eaten?) is a traditional casual greeting that reflects Korea's cultural emphasis on meals and communal eating. Understanding that greetings in Korean carry social weight helps learners appreciate why getting them right matters so much.
Essential Greetings
| Situation | Korean | Romanization | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello (standard) | 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | Works in all situations |
| Hello (casual) | 안녕 | annyeong | Friends, younger people only |
| Hello (formal) | 안녕하십니까 | annyeonghasimnikka | Military, ceremonies, news |
| Nice to meet you | 만나서 반갑습니다 | mannaseo bangapseumnida | First meetings |
| Long time no see | 오랜만이에요 | oraenman-ieyo | Reunions |
| Hello (phone) | 여보세요 | yeoboseyo | Phone calls only |
| Goodbye (to leaver) | 안녕히 가세요 | annyeonghi gaseyo | When they're leaving |
| Goodbye (to stayer) | 안녕히 계세요 | annyeonghi gyeseyo | When you're leaving |
| Bye (casual) | 잘 가 | jal ga | Casual, to someone leaving |
| See you later | 나중에 봐요 | najung-e bwayo | Polite, informal |
How to Greet in Different Situations
- 1
Meeting someone for the first time
Say 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) with a slight bow. Follow up with 만나서 반갑습니다 (mannaseo bangapseumnida — nice to meet you).
- 2
Greeting a coworker in the morning
Say 안녕하세요 or the more specific 좋은 아침이에요 (joeun achim-ieyo — good morning), though the latter is less common than in English.
- 3
Answering the phone
Always say 여보세요 (yeoboseyo). Never use 안녕하세요 as the first word when picking up a phone call.
- 4
Saying goodbye
If the other person is leaving: 안녕히 가세요 (go in peace). If you are leaving: 안녕히 계세요 (stay in peace). This distinction is unique to Korean.
The Two Goodbyes
Korean has two different goodbyes depending on who is physically leaving, which is a concept that does not exist in English. 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo, literally 'go peacefully') is said to the person who is departing. 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo, literally 'stay peacefully') is said to the person who is staying behind. If both people are leaving the same location, both say 안녕히 가세요 to each other. This distinction comes from the verbs 가다 (gada, to go) and 계시다 (gyesida, to stay/be — the honorific form of 있다). The casual equivalents are 잘 가 (jal ga, go well) said to the person leaving and 잘 있어 (jal isseo, stay well) said to the person staying, but these are only appropriate with close friends or younger people. In modern texting and casual speech among friends, a simple 바이 (bai, bye) or ㅂㅂ (shorthand for 바이바이) is also commonly used, though this would never be appropriate with someone older or in a professional setting.
Greeting Conversation Example
A: 안녕하세요! 오랜만이에요. B: 어, 안녕! 잘 지냈어? A: 네, 잘 지냈어요. 만나서 반가워요.
A: Annyeonghaseyo! Oraenman-ieyo. B: Eo, annyeong! Jal jinaesseo? A: Ne, jal jinaesseoyo. Mannaseo bangawoyo.
A: Hello! Long time no see. B: Oh, hi! Have you been well? A: Yes, I've been well. Nice to see you.
Workplace and Situational Greetings
Korean workplaces have their own greeting ecosystem that goes beyond basic 안녕하세요. When arriving at the office in the morning, 안녕하세요 or 좋은 아침입니다 (joeun achim-imnida, good morning) is standard. When a colleague leaves the office before you, the proper phrase is 수고하세요 (sugohaseyo, keep up the good work) or the more formal 수고하셨습니다 (sugohaesyeosseumnida, you've worked hard). When you are the one leaving, you say 먼저 가보겠습니다 (meonjeo gabogetsseumnida, I will head out first) as a polite announcement. At meals, Koreans say 잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgetseumnida, I will eat well) before eating and 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meogeosseumnida, I ate well) after the meal. These are not optional courtesies but expected social phrases. When visiting someone's home, you say 실례합니다 (sillyehamnida, excuse me for intruding) upon entering. When answering a phone call, Koreans always say 여보세요 (yeoboseyo) as the initial greeting — using 안녕하세요 to answer a phone is considered incorrect. Understanding these situational greetings and using them naturally demonstrates a level of cultural fluency that impresses native speakers and helps build stronger social connections.