잘 자
jal jacasual, friends
The everyday casual way to say good night in Korean is 잘 자 (jal ja). Young people also say 굿밤 (gutbam), a blend of English "good" and Korean 밤 (bam, night), or 꿀잠 자 (kkuljam ja), "sleep like honey".
Meaning: casual night greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 자 | jal ja | casual, friends |
| 굿밤 | gutbam | slang |
| 꿀잠 자 | kkuljam ja | slang, sweet sleep |
What does it mean word for word?
꿀 (kkul) is honey and 잠 (jam) is sleep, so 꿀잠 means deep and sweet sleep. 잘 자 is "sleep well".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
These forms are for friends, siblings and partners. To an older person use 안녕히 주무세요 (annyeonghi jumuseyo).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 잘 자 with a boss or a teacher. It sounds too blunt.
Did you know?
- A polite Korean good night to an elder uses a special verb for sleeping, 주무시다 (jumusida), instead of the plain 자다 (jada).
Examples in context
- 나 먼저 잘게. 잘 자!na meonjeo jalge. jal ja!I am going to sleep first. Good night!
- 오늘 굿밤!oneul gutbam!Good night tonight!
- 꿀잠 자, 내일 봐.kkuljam ja, naeil bwa.Sleep sweetly, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Haeun and her friend Yuna end a late text chat.
- Haeun졸리다. 이제 자야겠어.jollida. ije jayagesseo.I am sleepy. I should sleep now.
- Yuna그래, 꿀잠 자!geurae, kkuljam ja!Okay, sleep sweetly!
- Haeun너도 잘 자.neodo jal ja.You sleep well too.
