What does it mean word for word?
안녕히 가세요 literally means go in peace. 그리고 is a conjunction meaning and or also.
Which one should you use?
Korean has two goodbyes. Say 안녕히 가세요 when the other person is leaving, and 안녕히 계세요, literally stay in peace, when you are leaving and the other person stays. With friends, 안녕 works for both hello and bye, 잘 가 means take care when someone leaves and 고맙다 is a casual thank you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕하세요, 안녕히 가세요 and 감사합니다 are polite and suitable for most situations. 안녕, 잘 가 and 고맙다 are informal and used only with close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
Say annyeonghaseyo in five syllables and gamsahamnida in five syllables. In gamsahamnida the written b is pronounced as m, which is why it is spelled with mn.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 안녕히 가세요 when you are the one leaving. Use 안녕히 계세요 instead.
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, the physical act of bowing often accompanies 안녕하세요 and 감사합니다. The depth of the bow increases based on the social status of the person being greeted.
- The word 감사 (thanks) in 감사합니다 is composed of Chinese characters, making it a Sino-Korean word rather than a purely native Korean word.
- Depending on the level of formality, 안녕하세요 can change its ending. In extremely formal settings, such as the military or news broadcasts, you will hear 안녕하십니까 instead.
Example conversation
Seoyeon is leaving a store after talking to the clerk.
- 서연 Seo-yeon안녕하세요, 안녕히 가세요, 그리고 감사합니다.annyeonghaseyo, annyeonghi gaseyo, geurigo gamsahamnida.Hello, goodbye, and thank you.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 감사합니다. 조심해서 가세요.ne, gamsahamnida. josimhaeseo gaseyo.Yes, thank you. Please go safely.
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 나중에 또 올게요.ne, najunge tto olgeyo.Yes, I will come again later.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 또 뵙겠습니다.ne, tto boepgetseumnida.Yes, I will see you again.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 감사합니다, 그리고, 안녕하세요, 안녕히, CC BY-SA 4.0.
