잘 지내요
jal jinaeyo
The English phrase 'be well' can be translated into Korean in several ways depending on the context, with 잘 지내요 (jal jinaeyo) being the default form.
In Korean, 'be well' can be used to wish someone a healthy and good life or it can be used as a statement to say that you yourself are doing well. The meaning is often determined by the context and your intonation. For example, 잘 지내요 can function as a wish for someone else's well-being or as an answer stating that you are doing well.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 잘 지내요 is composed of 잘, meaning 'well' and 지내요, which means 'to spend time' or 'to live'.
Which one should you use?
While 잘 지내요 is a general way to say 'be well' or 'I am doing well', other forms exist for specific purposes: 건강하십시오 specifically wishes someone good health and 안녕히 계십시오 is a respectful way to wish someone peace and health when bidding farewell. 잘 지내 is a casual version of the default form used among peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form 잘 지내요 uses the polite ending '-요', which makes it appropriate for social situations involving people you are not extremely close with. To use the informal version, you drop the '-요' to say 잘 지내.
How do you pronounce it?
jal jinaeyo
Did you know?
- While 잘 지내요 focuses on the quality of time spent, the farewell 안녕히 계십시오 specifically uses a verb meaning 'to stay'. This creates a linguistic distinction based on whether the person being addressed is remaining in a location or leaving.
- In Korean, the word 잘 in 잘 지내요 does not always mean 'healthily'. It is frequently used to mean 'successfully' or 'correctly', such as in the phrase 잘 먹겠습니다 used before meals.
- The word 잘 in the phrase 잘 지내요 is historically an abbreviation of the native Korean word 자루.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Jihun are talking on the phone after a long time.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈 씨, 잘 지내요?Jihun-ssi, jal jinaeyo?Jihun, are you doing well?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 서연 씨도 잘 지내요?Ne, Seoyeon-ssi do jal jinaeyo?Yes, are you doing well too, Seoyeon?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 저는 아주 잘 지내요.Ne, jeoneun aju jal jinaeyo.Yes, I am doing very well.
- 지훈 Ji-hun다행이네요. 다음에 또 연락해요.dahaeng-ineyo. da-eume tto yeollak-haeyo.That is a relief. Let's talk again next time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 잘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
