선생님 안녕하세요
seonsaengnim annyeonghaseyo
The English phrase "good morning teacher" is translated into Korean as 선생님 안녕하세요 (seonsaengnim annyeonghaseyo).
While English speakers use specific phrases like "good morning" to distinguish the time of day, Korean uses the standard polite greeting 안녕하세요 for all times. Instead of a time-specific greeting, you use this polite "hello" to greet your teacher at the start of the day.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 안녕하세요 as a greeting, it is common to add a question mark to the end of the phrase to mean "Are you well?", even though it is frequently spoken as a statement.
How do you pronounce it?
seonsaengnim annyeonghaseyo
When do people say it?
When addressing a teacher, you should always use the honorific title 선생님 (seonsaengnim) to show proper respect.
Did you know?
- The title 선생님 can be used even if the person is not literally your instructor. It is a common way to respectfully address any adult or professional, such as a doctor or a stranger, to acknowledge their status.
- The root of 안녕하세요 comes from the word for 'peace'. When you greet your teacher, you are literally asking if they are residing in a state of peace.
- When saying 선생님 안녕하세요, it is customary to bow your head or upper body. The depth of the bow reflects the level of respect you have for the teacher.
Example conversation
Ji-hoon greets his teacher in the hallway.
- 지훈 Ji-hun선생님 안녕하세요.seonsaengnim annyeonghaseyo.Good morning, teacher.
- 서연 Seo-yeon어, 지훈아 안녕.eo, jihuna annyeong.Oh, hello Ji-hoon.
- 지훈 Ji-hun오늘 수업 기대돼요.oneul sueop gidaedwaeyo.I'm looking forward to today's class.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그래, 얼른 교실로 들어가렴.geurae, eolleun gyosillo deureogaryeom.Right, go ahead and enter the classroom.
