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 |
The phrase is used as a greeting such as 'Hello' or 'How are you?' The informal form 안녕 is unique because it can be used for both 'hello' and 'bye'.
What does it mean word for word?
The core component 안녕 literally means 'peace' or 'well-being'.
Which one should you use?
안녕하십니까 is a formal version of the greeting. 안녕하세요 is the standard polite version. 안녕 is the casual version used for 'hi' or 'hey'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕하십니까 is used in highly formal settings like news broadcasts, military contexts or when addressing a client for the first time. 안녕하세요 is the most common and widely used greeting, suitable for strangers, colleagues or people older than you. 안녕 is a casual way to greet friends or peers and should only be used with close friends or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are leaving and the other person is staying, use 안녕히 계세요 (stay peaceably / goodbye). If you are staying and the other person is leaving, use 안녕히 가세요 (go peaceably / goodbye).
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the informal 안녕 with a stranger or a superior, as this is considered rude.
Did you know?
- When saying 안녕하세요, it is customary to bow your head or upper body to show respect to the other person.
- In very formal settings, 안녕하십니까 is phrased as a question, effectively asking the other person if they are at peace.
- The word 안녕 is composed of two different Chinese characters, 安 and 寧, which both individually convey the idea of being peaceful or quiet.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hello!This example shows the informal form 안녕 used as an exclamation.Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #373330 by CK
- 안녕.Hello.This example shows the informal form 안녕 used as a statement.Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #1858850 by LanguageExpert
- 또 안녕.Hello again.This example shows the informal form 안녕 used to say hello again.Tatoeba #11104741 by intertime, translation #1764868 by Amastan
- 안녕하세요! 만나서 반갑습니다.Hello! Nice to meet you.
- 안녕하십니까, 회사 대표님.How do you do, company representative.
- 안녕! 오랜만이다.Hey! Long time no see.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun meet at a cafe.
- 지은 Ji-eun안녕하세요.annyeonghaseyo.Hello.
- 민준 Min-jun안녕하세요, 지은 씨.annyeonghaseyo, jieun ssi.Hello, Ji-eun.
- 지은 Ji-eun잘 지냈어요?jal jinaesseoyo?Have you been well?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 잘 지냈어요.ne, jal jinaesseoyo.Yes, I've been well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 안녕하세요, 안녕하십니까, 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, 안녕하세요, 안녕하십니까, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
