What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 안녕히, meaning peacefully or well and 가세요, meaning please go.
Which one should you use?
The choice of farewell depends on who is moving. Use 안녕히 가세요 when the person you are addressing is leaving. In contrast, use 안녕히 계세요, which means 'Please stay in peace,' when you are the one departing and are leaving the other person behind. Another option is 잘 가세요, a formal expression that means 'Please go well.'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality varies by the situation and the relationship between speakers. For highly professional or very respectful settings, you can use the even more formal 안녕히 가십시오. For casual settings, such as with friends or people of a similar age or younger, you can use the informal 안녕. This informal form is versatile as it can be used for both hello and goodbye. Another informal option is 다음에 봐, which means 'See you next time' and conveys anticipation for your next meeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 안녕히 가십시오 serves as a more formal version of 안녕히 가세요, utilized in settings requiring high levels of respect or professionalism.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghi gaseyo
Did you know?
- If you are both leaving a location at the same time, you do not use 안녕히 가세요 or 안녕히 계세요. Instead, you might use a different phrase because neither person is staying behind to 'remain' or 'go' in relation to the other.
- In Korea, it is common to accompany a farewell with a slight bow. The depth and duration of the bow change depending on the social hierarchy between the people saying 안녕히 가세요.
- The word 안녕 (annyeong) comes from Hanja characters meaning 'peace' and 'tranquility'. When you use it to say goodbye, you are essentially wishing for the other person to exist in a state of undisturbed peace.
Examples in context
- 다음에 또 뵙겠습니다. 안녕히 가세요.daeume tto boepgetseumnida. annyeonghi gaseyo.See you next time. Goodbye.
Example conversation
Minji is seeing Hyunwoo off at the subway station.
- 민지 Min-ji현우 씨, 오늘 즐거웠어요.Hyunwoo ssi, oneul jeulgeowosseoyo.Hyunwoo, I had a good time today.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo저도요. 조심히 들어가세요.Jeodo-yo. josimhi deureogaseyo.Me too. Get home safely.
- 민지 Min-ji안녕히 가세요.annyeonghi gaseyo.Goodbye.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 안녕히 계세요.ne, annyeonghi gyeseyo.Yes, goodbye (to the person staying).
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕히 가세요, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕히, CC BY-SA 4.0.
