Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠sʰe̞jo] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | polite |
| 안녕하십니까 | annyeonghasimnikka | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠ɕʰimnik͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | formal |
| 안녕 | annyeong | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | informal |
Unlike English, the level of politeness in the greeting must change based on the social hierarchy and relationship between the speaker and the listener. Note that when greeting someone on the phone, you should use a different phrase, 여보세요, instead of these forms.
What does it mean word for word?
The root of these greetings is 안녕, which literally means peace or well-being.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ by their level of formality and social function. 안녕하십니까 is a highly formal greeting used in professional or strictly respectful settings. 안녕하세요 is the standard polite greeting used with strangers, colleagues or those older than you. The informal 안녕 is unique because it can function as both a way to say hello and a way to say goodbye among close friends or to people younger than you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Korean greetings range from highly formal to informal. Use 안녕하십니까 in professional environments, such as news broadcasts, military contexts or when addressing high-ranking officials. Use 안녕하세요 for most everyday polite interactions. Use 안녕 only in casual conversations with close friends or individuals younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the informal 안녕 when speaking to elders or superiors, as this can be perceived as rude.
When do people say it?
For phone calls, use 여보세요 to answer or initiate the conversation.
Did you know?
- In Korea, saying 안녕하세요 is almost always accompanied by a bow, with the depth of the bow signaling the level of respect.
- While 안녕하세요 is a greeting, it is grammatically a question asking if the other person is at peace.
- Using 안녕하십니까 in a casual setting can sometimes feel sarcastic or overly stiff, similar to saying 'Greetings, citizen' in English.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hello!This is an example of a casual greeting using 안녕.Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #373330 by CK
- 안녕.Hello.Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #1858850 by LanguageExpert
- 또 안녕.Hello again.Tatoeba #11104741 by intertime, translation #1764868 by Amastan
- 안녕하세요? 어떻게 지내세요?Hello, how are you doing?
- 안녕, 지현아!Hi, Jihyeon!
- 여보세요, 선우 씨?Hello, Mr. Seonu?
- 여보세요, 누구세요?Hello, who is this?
- 전화해 주셔서 감사합니다. 무엇을 도와드릴까요?Thank you for calling. How can I assist you?
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Subin meets Hyunwoo in a hallway.
- 수빈 Su-bin안녕하세요, 현우 씨.annyeonghaseyo, Hyunwoo ssi.Hello, Hyunwoo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo안녕하세요, 수빈 씨.annyeonghaseyo, Subin ssi.Hello, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin오늘 날씨가 참 좋네요.oneul nalssiga cham jonneyo.The weather is really nice today.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 정말 따뜻하네요.ne, jeongmal ttatteuthaneyo.Yes, it is really warm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 안녕하세요, 안녕하십니까, 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
