안녕히 주무세요
annyeonghi jumuseyo
In Korean, goodnight is expressed as 안녕히 주무세요 (annyeonghi jumuseyo).
This phrase is a polite expression used to wish someone a peaceful sleep specifically before they go to bed. It is used when someone is actually going to sleep, rather than just leaving a social gathering.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 안녕히, which means peacefully or in peace and 주무세요, the honorific form of the verb meaning please sleep.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕히 주무세요 is the standard polite way to say goodnight, you can also use 잘 주무세요 to mean sleep well in a polite manner. For a more casual approach, 잘 자 means sleep well or goodnight. There is also a more affectionate or descriptive expression, 꿈 많이 꾸고 푹 자, which translates to dream a lot and sleep well.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase can be made even more formal by replacing the ending -세요 with -십시오, resulting in 안녕히 주무십시오.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghi jumuseyo
Did you know?
- The word 안녕 comes from Chinese characters meaning 'peace' and 'comfort'. In historical times, this was a genuine inquiry into whether a person had survived the night without disaster or illness.
- The verb 주무시다 is a special honorific word for 'sleep'. Using the standard verb 자다 when speaking to a grandparent or boss is considered quite rude in Korean culture.
- Depending on the relationship, a Korean speaker might use 잘 자 for a partner or child, but switch to 안녕히 주무세요 for a parent. This switch happens even if the two people are in the same room.
Examples in context
- 안녕히 주무세요.Goodnight!This sentence is useful for saying goodnight using the form 안녕히 주무세요.Tatoeba #5548649 by YUJIHEE, translation #1068125 by erik21889
- 안녕히 주무세요, 할머니.annyeonghi jumuseyo, halmeoni.Goodnight, grandmother.
- 부모님께 안녕히 주무세요라고 말했어요.bumongke annyeonghi jumuseyorago malhaesseoyo.I said goodnight to my parents.
Example conversation
Seoyeon is saying goodnight to her older brother Jihun.
- 서연 Seo-yeon오빠, 이제 잘 시간이에요.oppa, ije jal siganieyo.Brother, it is time to sleep now.
- 지훈 Ji-hun맞아, 벌써 시간이 이렇게 됐네.maja, beolsseo sigani ireoke dwaenne.You're right, it's already this late.
- 서연 Seo-yeon안녕히 주무세요.annyeonghi jumuseyo.Goodnight.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그래, 너도 잘 자렴.geurae, neodo jal jaryeom.Okay, you sleep well too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕히, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
