안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
The Korean phrase for 'hello back' is 안녕 (annyeong).
안녕 is a response used to return a greeting to someone who has just said hello.
Which one should you use?
In informal contexts, 안녕 can be used both to say hello and to say goodbye. For a standard polite greeting, you would use 안녕하세요. If you are answering a phone call, the specific formal greeting 여보세요 is used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕 is an informal form used only with friends, people younger than you or people you are very close to. For a polite way to say hello, such as when returning a greeting to elders, strangers or in professional settings, you should use 안녕하세요.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
Did you know?
- Because Korean society is strictly hierarchical, using the informal 안녕 to someone even one year older than you can be seen as a significant social offense.
- In many Korean contexts, returning a greeting involves not just the words, but a specific degree of bowing to show respect.
- The word 안녕 is actually a wish for someone to be in a state of 'peace' and 'tranquility'.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo sees Jieun in a park and greets her.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은아, 안녕!jieun-a, annyeong!Jieun, hello!
- 지은 Ji-eun안녕, 현우야!annyeong, hyeonwoo-ya!Hello, Hyunwoo!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo오늘 날씨 진짜 좋다.oneul nalssi jinjja jota.The weather is really nice today.
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 정말 그래.eung, jeongmal geurae.Yes, it really is.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
