안녕하세요, 아가씨
annyeonghaseyo, agassi
The English phrase "hello miss" is translated into Korean as 안녕하세요, 아가씨 (annyeonghaseyo, agassi).
The phrase is a polite greeting used when addressing a young unmarried woman. While 아가씨 means "miss" or "young lady", be aware that in modern urban settings, it can sometimes carry a connotation of a service worker or a person of lower social status depending on the context. Because of this, it is often more natural in modern Korean to address a woman by her professional title or a more neutral term like 씨 attached to her name to avoid potential social awkwardness.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the polite greeting 안녕하세요 and the noun 아가씨, which literally means "young lady" or "miss".
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo, agassi
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone of voice, 아가씨 can shift from a polite address to a slang term used by street touts to call out to passersby.
- While 아가씨 refers to a young woman, it was historically used as a term of high respect for the daughters of nobility.
- The greeting 안녕하세요 is not just a way to say 'hello'. It literally asks the listener if they are in a state of 'peace' or 'wellness'.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요? 아가씨. 저희 동네에 새로 오신 건가요?Hello? Miss. Are you new to our neighborhood?
Example conversation
A man greets a young woman entering a traditional tea house.
- 민준 Min-jun안녕하세요, 아가씨. 어서 오세요.annyeonghaseyo, agassi. eoseo oseyo.Hello miss. Please come in.
- 서연 Seo-yeon안녕하세요. 빈 자리가 있나요?annyeonghaseyo. bin jariga innayo?Hello. Is there a vacant seat?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 창가 쪽 자리가 있습니다.ne, changga jjok jariga itseumnida.Yes, there is a seat by the window.
- 서연 Seo-yeon감사합니다. 그쪽으로 갈게요.gamsahamnida. geujjogeuro galgeyo.Thank you. I will go that way.
