안녕하십니까
annyeonghasimnikkaformal, any time of day, North Korea
In North Korea the usual morning greeting is 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka), a formal greeting that fits any time of day. To an elder you can also ask 안녕히 주무셨습니까 (annyeonghi jumusyeotseumnikka), "did you sleep well". It is also called 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo).
Meaning: morning greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하십니까 | annyeonghasimnikka | formal, any time of day, North Korea |
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | polite |
| 안녕히 주무셨습니까 | annyeonghi jumusyeotseumnikka | morning, to elders |
Korean on both sides of the border has no short "good morning" that everyone uses. People greet with the general 안녕하십니까 or ask whether the other person slept well.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The -ㅂ니까 style of 안녕하십니까 is typical of official and public speech. Among friends people say just 안녕 (annyeong).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The standard language in North Korea is called 문화어 (munhwaeo) and is based on the speech of Pyongyang. The South uses 표준어 (pyojuneo). The greetings above are understood in both.
Did you know?
- In North Korea the word 동무 (dongmu) is used to address people, much as "comrade" would be, while in the South it now sounds old fashioned.
Examples in context
- 할아버지, 안녕히 주무셨습니까?harabeoji, annyeonghi jumusyeotseumnikka?Grandfather, did you sleep well?
- 안녕하세요, 아주머니.annyeonghaseyo, ajumeoni.Good morning, ma'am.
Example conversation
Chol-su greets his teacher, Mrs. Kim, at the school gate in the morning.
- Chol-su안녕하십니까, 선생님.annyeonghasimnikka, seonsaengnim.Good morning, teacher.
- Mrs. Kim그래, 안녕. 어서 들어가자.geurae, annyeong. eoseo deureogaja.Good morning. Let us go in.
- Chol-su예, 선생님.ye, seonsaengnim.Yes, teacher.
