Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 여행 잘 다녀 오십시오 | yeohaeng jal danyeo osipsio |
| 여행 잘 다녀 오세요 | yeohaeng jal danyeo oseyo |
| 좋은 여행 되십시오 | jo'eun yeohaeng doesipsio |
| 좋은 여행 되세요 | jo'eun yeohaeng doeseyo |
Say it to someone who is about to leave on a trip. 안전한 여행 되세요 means have a safe trip, and 조심해서 가세요 means be careful on your way.
What does it mean word for word?
여행 잘 다녀 오십시오 literally means go on a trip well and come back.
Which one should you use?
여행 잘 다녀 오십시오 focuses on the person returning safely, whereas 좋은 여행 되십시오 focuses on the quality of the trip itself. 좋은 여행 되십시오 is a more direct translation of have a good trip and is slightly more stiff than the version with 다녀 오십시오. 좋은 여행 되세요 is its everyday polite form.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The -십시오 ending is used in highly formal settings, such as speaking to a boss, a customer or an elder. The -세요 form, as in 여행 잘 다녀 오세요, is the most common polite way to say this to acquaintances, colleagues or people you are not extremely close with. With close friends, the informal 잘 다녀와 means go and come back well.
How do you pronounce it?
It is written in Latin letters as yeohaeng jal danyeo osipsio.
When do people say it?
When someone is simply leaving, a formal goodbye is 안녕히 가십시오, meaning please go in peace and a casual one is 잘 가.
Did you know?
- The formal ending -십시오 is so strict that using it with a close friend while saying 여행 잘 다녀 오십시오 could be interpreted as sarcasm or a joke.
- The word 여행 is a Sino-Korean term derived from the Chinese characters for 'travel' and 'walk'.
- The adverb 잘 in the phrase 여행 잘 다녀 오세요 does not just mean 'well' as an adverb of quality, but carries the connotation of 'successfully' or 'smoothly' completing an entire cycle of an action.
Examples in context
- 부장님, 여행 잘 다녀 오십시오.bujangnim, yeohaeng jal danyeo osipsio.Manager, have a good trip.
- 모두들 여행 잘 다녀 오십시오.modudeul yeohaeng jal danyeo osipsio.Everyone, have a good trip.
Example conversation
Ji-eun sees Ji-hoon off at the airport.
- 지은 Ji-eun이제 출발하시네요.ije chulbalhasineyo.You are leaving now.
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 이제 들어가 보려고요.ne, ije deureoga boryegoyo.Yes, I'm going to head inside now.
- 지은 Ji-eun여행 잘 다녀 오십시오!yeohaeng jal danyeo osipsio!Have a wonderful trip!
- 지훈 Ji-hun고맙습니다. 잘 다녀올게요.gomapseumnida. jal danyeoolgeyo.Thank you. I'll have a great time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bon voyage” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 여행, 잘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
