안녕히 계세요
annyeonghi gyeseyo[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋʝi kje̞sʰe̞jo]
The English phrase "bye politely" is expressed in Korean as 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo).
안녕히 계세요 is a polite way to say goodbye specifically when the speaker is the one departing and the listener is staying in the current location.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 안녕히, meaning peacefully or well and 계세요, meaning please stay or be.
Which one should you use?
Use 안녕히 가세요 (Go peacefully) if the person you are speaking to is the one leaving. In contrast, use 안녕히 계세요 if you are the one leaving and the other person is staying.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 안녕히 계셔요 is a slightly less formal but still polite variation of 안녕히 계세요.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghi gyeseyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 안녕히 계세요 when they are the ones staying.
Did you know?
- In highly formal settings, such as when addressing a high-ranking official or elderly person, Koreans may avoid saying 'bye' and instead use a phrase wishing the person 'health' or 'long life'.
- When saying 안녕히 계세요, Koreans often accompany the phrase with a slight bow. The depth of the bow indicates the level of respect and social hierarchy between the speaker and the listener.
- The root of 안녕히 comes from the Chinese characters for 'peace' and 'quiet'. This makes the phrase a wish for the listener to remain in a state of tranquility while the speaker departs.
Examples in context
- 먼저 가겠습니다. 안녕히 계세요.meonjeo gagetseumnida. annyeonghi gyeseyo.I will go first. Goodbye.
Example conversation
Subin is leaving the office while Hyunwoo is still working.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 씨, 저 먼저 갈게요.Hyunwoo ssi, jeo meonjeo galgeyo.Hyunwoo, I'm leaving now.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 수빈 씨. 고생하셨어요.ne, Subin ssi. gosaenghasyeosseoyo.Okay, Subin. You worked hard.
- 수빈 Su-bin안녕히 계세요.annyeonghi gyeseyo.Goodbye.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo내일 봐요.naeil bwayo.See you tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕히 계세요, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕히, CC BY-SA 4.0.
