안녕히 가세요
annyeonghi gaseyo[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋʝi ka̠sʰe̞jo]
The Korean phrase for goodbye to someone leaving is 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo).
안녕히 가세요 is a common formal way to say goodbye to someone who is departing, literally meaning "Please go in peace."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 안녕히, which means "peacefully" or "in peace" and 가세요, which is the polite imperative form of the verb "to go" (meaning "please go").
Which one should you use?
Use 안녕히 가세요 when the other person is leaving. If you are the one leaving and the other person is staying, use 안녕히 계세요 instead.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghi gaseyo
Did you know?
- The root of 안녕히 comes from the Hanja characters for 'peace' and 'comfort'. Historically, these words were used as a question to ask if a person had remained safe and healthy during a time of crisis.
- In Korea, it is common to physically walk a guest toward the door or even a short distance down the street while continuing to say 안녕히 가세요 until the person is out of sight.
- Because the phrase 안녕히 가세요 uses the verb 'to go', it can feel awkward to use if you are both leaving the same location at the same time. In that specific social situation, other polite alternatives are often preferred.
Examples in context
- 안녕히 가세요, 이 선생님.Goodbye, Mr. Lee. Please go in peace.
- 안녕, 다음에 봐!Bye, see you next time!
- 안녕히 가세요.annyeonghi gaseyo.Goodbye.
Example conversation
Minji is leaving Hyunwoo's house.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo벌써 가요?Beolsseo gayo?Are you leaving already?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 시간이 늦었어요.Ne, sigani neujeosseoyo.Yes, it is late.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 안녕히 가세요.Ne, annyeonghi gaseyo.Okay, goodbye.
- 민지 Min-ji현우 씨도 안녕히 계세요.Hyeonwu ssido annyeonghi gyeseyo.Goodbye to you too, Hyunwoo.
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.
