좋은 아침, 안녕히 주무세요
joeun achim, annyeonghi jumuseyo
The English phrase "good morning and good night" can be expressed in Korean as 좋은 아침, 안녕히 주무세요 (joeun achim, annyeonghi jumuseyo).
This phrase serves as a pair of greetings used to wish someone a good start to their day and a restful sleep.
What does it mean word for word?
The first part, 좋은 아침, is composed of 좋은 (good) and 아침 (morning). The second part, 안녕히 주무세요, literally translates to "sleep peacefully".
Which one should you use?
좋은 아침 is a relatively casual or neutral way to say "good morning". In contrast, 안녕히 주무세요 is the polite/honorific form used for elders or superiors, whereas the informal version 잘 자 would be used with friends.
How do you pronounce it?
joeun achim, annyeonghi jumuseyo
Did you know?
- The word 아침 can also mean 'breakfast' in Korean, meaning you can use the same word for the time of day and the meal you eat during it.
- While English speakers say 'good morning', the Korean phrase 좋은 아침 is actually a relatively recent way to greet someone. In many traditional settings, people often use phrases about having eaten or having slept well instead.
- The root of 안녕히 comes from the Chinese characters for 'peace' and 'comfort', meaning the phrase wishes for a state of complete tranquility.
Example conversation
Hyun-woo and Min-ji are chatting online across different time zones.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민지 씨, 좋은 아침, 안녕히 주무세요.Min-ji ssi, jo-eun achim, annyeong-hi jumuse-yo.Min-ji, good morning, and sleep well.
- 민지 Min-ji현우 씨도 좋은 아침이에요.Hyeon-u ssi-do jo-eun achim-ieyo.Good morning to you too, Hyun-woo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이제 정말 자야겠어요.ije jeongmal jaya-gesseoyo.I really should go to sleep now.
- 민지 Min-ji네, 푹 쉬세요.ne, puk swiseyo.Yes, get some good rest.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 아침, 안녕히, CC BY-SA 4.0.
