인사
insa[insʰa̠]
The Korean word for greeting is 인사 (insa).
인사 refers to an acknowledgement of a person's presence or arrival. This term covers both verbal greetings, such as saying hello and physical greetings, such as bowing.
Meaning: acknowledgement of a persons presence or arrival (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
To specifically refer to the words or remarks used during a greeting, you can use 인사말, which is formed by adding the suffix –말 (words) to 인사.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'to greet' or 'to give a greeting', the noun 인사 is most commonly used with the verb 하다 (to do) to form the phrase 인사를 하다. To say that someone received a greeting, use the verb 받다 (to receive) with the object 인사, resulting in 인사를 받다.
How do you pronounce it?
insa
When do people say it?
안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo) is the most common way to say hello in formal situations, while 안녕 (Annyeong) is the most common way to say hello in informal situations. You can show respect and politeness by adding the suffix -yo to the end of words when greeting someone.
Did you know?
- In some traditional contexts, a greeting is not complete without the phrase 식사하셨어요?, which asks 'Have you eaten?'
- There is a specific type of greeting called 인사치레 which refers to a greeting done purely out of formality or politeness without sincere feeling.
- The word 인사 (insa) originally meant 'human affairs' or 'personnel matters' rather than a social greeting. It is a Sino-Korean word derived from the Hanja 人事.
Examples in context
- 지리는 우리에게 반갑게 인사했고, 우리도 인사했어.Ziri gave us a friendly greeting and we gave him one back.This sentence shows how someone can give a greeting using 인사.Tatoeba #13756513 by qlTmalffk, translation #12652795 by always
- 그는 가벼운 인사와 함께 들어왔어요.geuneun gabyeoun insawa hamkke deureowasseoyo.He entered with a light greeting.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Minji meet at a cafe.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민지 씨, 안녕하세요!Minji ssi, annyeong-haseyo!Hello, Minji!
- 민지 Min-ji지훈 씨, 반가워요. 인사 나눠서 좋네요.Jihoon ssi, bangawoyo. insa nanwoseo jonneyo.Jihoon, it's nice to see you. It's good to exchange greetings.
- 지훈 Ji-hun저도요. 정말 오랜만이에요.jeodoyo. jeongmal oraenman-ieyo.Me too. It has been a long time.
- 민지 Min-ji맞아요. 이제 들어가요.majayo. ije deureogayo.Right. Let's go inside now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greeting” translations and entries 인사, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 인사, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
