Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕 | annyeong | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 잘 있어 | jal isseo | [t͡ɕa̠ɭ is͈ʌ̹] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | informal |
| 잘 가 | jal ga | [t͡ɕa̠ɭ ka̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | informal |
| 빠이빠이 | ppaippai | [p͈a̠ip͈a̠i] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
안녕 is a simple way to say bye or see you later in informal settings. The phrase 다음에 봐 can also be used informally to mean see you next time.
What does it mean word for word?
When using informal phrases, the direction of the goodbye matters: 잘 가 literally means 'go well' and is used when the person you are speaking to is the one leaving. Conversely, 잘 있어 literally means 'stay well' and is used when you are the one leaving and the other person is staying.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕 is used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye' in informal settings, the other informal phrases are specific to the direction of movement. 잘 가 is used for someone leaving, and 잘 있어 is used for someone staying.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The informal 안녕 is suitable for casual situations. For a very casual, often cute or playful manner, you can use the slang loanword 빠이빠이. In formal settings, 잘 가세요 is a concise and polite way to say goodbye. Other formal options include 안녕히 계세요 (used when the person you are saying goodbye to will remain in the place you are leaving) and 안녕히 가세요 (used when the person you are saying goodbye to is leaving the place).
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
Did you know?
- The core of the informal greeting 안녕 is composed of two characters meaning 'peace' and 'tranquility'. To say 'bye' is literally to wish someone a state of peace.
- Korean speakers may use a small wave or a slight bow while saying 안녕. The depth of the bow changes depending on whether they are using the informal or formal version of the phrase.
- While 안녕 works for both 'hello' and 'goodbye', it is strictly for people of equal or lower social status. Using it with a boss or teacher could be seen as a serious social mistake.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Bye!This sentence is useful for saying bye informally with 안녕.Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #647456 by Hans07
- 안녕, 내일 봐!annyeong, naeil bwa!Bye, see you tomorrow!
- 집에 잘 가, 안녕.jibe jal ga, annyeong.Get home safely, bye.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun are waving to each other as they leave school.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민준아, 나 이제 갈게. 안녕!minjun-a, na ije galge. annyeong!Minjun, I'm leaving now. Bye!
- 서연 Seo-yeon그래, 수빈아. 안녕!geurae, subin-a. annyeong!Okay, Subin. Bye!
- 지훈 Ji-hun오늘 정말 즐거웠어.oneul jeongmal jeulgeowosseo.I had a lot of fun today.
- 서연 Seo-yeon나도 그랬어. 조심히 가!nado geuraesseo. josimhi ga!Me too. Go safely!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries 안녕, 잘 있어, 잘 가, 빠이빠이, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 가, 안녕, 잘, 잘 가, 잘 있어, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
