안녕
annyeongcasual
To a friend, say 안녕 (annyeong) for "hello". You can follow it with 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo), "have you been well?" It is also called 왔어? (wasseo?).
Meaning: hello to a friend (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕 | annyeong | casual |
| 잘 지냈어? | jal jinaesseo? | casual |
| 왔어? | wasseo? | casual, you came? |
When a friend arrives, Koreans often say 왔어? (wasseo), literally "did you come?", as a friendly welcome.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use 안녕 only with people your age or younger. For older friends add 하세요: 안녕하세요.
Did you know?
- Close friends in Korea often skip a formal greeting and start talking right away.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 잘 지냈어?annyeong, jal jinaesseo?Hi, have you been well?
Example conversation
Kyung opens the door for his friend Sujin.
- Sujin안녕! 나 왔어.annyeong! na wasseo.Hi! I am here.
- Kyung왔어? 어서 들어와.wasseo? eoseo deureowa.You came? Come on in.
- Sujin잘 지냈어?jal jinaesseo?Have you been well?
