안녕하세요, 어떻게 지내세요?
annyeonghaseyo, eotteoke jinaeseyo?
The English phrase "hello and how are you" is translated into Korean as 안녕하세요, 어떻게 지내세요? (annyeonghaseyo, eotteoke jinaeseyo?)
This phrase is a polite greeting used to say hello and ask about someone's well-being. While 안녕하세요 is a standard greeting, adding 어떻게 지내세요? makes the greeting more intentional and conversational rather than just a passing acknowledgment.
What does it mean word for word?
The greeting 안녕하세요 literally translates to "Are you at peace?" or "Are you doing well?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 안녕하세요, 어떻게 지내세요? is polite. For a formal way to say hello, you can use 안녕하세요? If you are speaking with close friends or people younger than you, you can use the informal version 안녕, 어떻게 지내?
How does it change in a sentence?
The part 어떻게 지내세요? uses the verb 지내다 (to pass time/live) to ask how one is getting along.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo, eotteoke jinaeseyo?
When do people say it?
A common polite response to this greeting is 잘 지내요, 감사합니다 (I am doing well, thank you).
Did you know?
- Because 안녕하세요 literally asks about one's peace, it was historically used to check if someone had survived a difficult period or illness.
- In Korean culture, the spoken greeting 안녕하세요 is almost always accompanied by a bow to show respect to the other person.
- While 안녕하세요 is used as 'hello', the word 안녕 can also be used to say 'goodbye' when speaking informally to friends.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요, 어떻게 지내세요? 오랜만이에요.annyeonghaseyo, eotteoke jinaeseyo? oraenmanieyo.Hello, how are you? It has been a long time.
- 선생님, 안녕하세요, 어떻게 지내세요?seonsaengnim, annyeonghaseyo, eotteoke jinaeseyo?Teacher, hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Jihoon meets Jieun on the street after a long time.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지은 씨, 안녕하세요, 어떻게 지내세요?Jieun ssi, annyeonghaseyo, eotteoke jinaeseyo?Jieun, hello, how are you?
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 안녕하세요! 저는 잘 지내요.Jihoon ssi, annyeonghaseyo! jeoneun jal jinaeyo.Jihoon, hello! I am doing well.
- 지훈 Ji-hun다행이네요. 요즘 바쁘세요?dahaengineyo. yojeum bappeuseyo?That is good to hear. Are you busy lately?
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 조금 바빠요.ne, jogeum bappayo.Yes, I am a little busy.
