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 |
Literally, 안녕하세요 means "Are you peaceful?"
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?
안녕하십니까 is used in highly formal settings like news broadcasts, the military or business presentations. 안녕하세요 is the standard polite form used in daily life. 안녕 is the casual version used for both "hello" and "bye".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕하십니까 is a formal greeting. 안녕하세요 is a polite greeting and is the most common form used in formal situations. 안녕 is an informal greeting used only with close friends, people younger than you or people of equal social status.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the root 안녕 to say goodbye, the phrasing changes based on movement: use 안녕히 계세요 if you are leaving and the other person is staying and use 안녕히 가세요 if the other person is the one leaving.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the informal 안녕 with elders or teachers, as this can be perceived as disrespectful.
When do people say it?
Bowing is an important gesture when greeting someone in Korean culture. Additionally, in formal situations, you can use 선생님 after a person's name to mean "teacher" or "instructor".
Did you know?
- While English uses 'hello' for any situation, Korean speakers often replace 안녕하세요 with a question about whether the person has eaten, such as 밥 먹었어?, to express care and friendliness.
- The word 안녕 is a Sino-Korean word, meaning it was originally borrowed from Chinese characters 安 and 寧. Together, these characters evoke a state of being both tranquil and serene.
- Using 안녕 to an older person is not just a mistake in formality but can be interpreted as a deliberate act of aggression or a social challenge.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hello!This example shows a casual way to say hello.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? 만나서 반갑습니다.Hello? Nice to meet you.
- 안녕! 만나서 반가워.Hey! Nice to meet you.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin meet in a cafe.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈 씨, 안녕하세요.Subin ssi, annyeonghaseyo.Hello, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin아, 민준 씨! 안녕하세요.A, Minjun ssi! annyeonghaseyo.Oh, Minjun! Hello.
- 민준 Min-jun잘 지냈어요?jal jinaesseoyo?Have you been well?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 잘 지냈어요.ne, jal jinaesseoyo.Yes, I have 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.
