안녕하세요, 선생님
annyeonghaseyo, seonsaengnim
The English phrase "hello sir" is translated into Korean as 안녕하세요, 선생님 (annyeonghaseyo, seonsaengnim).
안녕하세요, 선생님 is a polite greeting used when addressing a man, particularly one in a position of authority. Although the term for "sir" used here, 선생님, literally means "teacher", it is used as a respectful way to address men in professional or authoritative positions even if they are not your actual teacher.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 선생님 literally means "teacher".
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo, seonsaengnim
Did you know?
- Though 선생님 is often used for men, it is equally appropriate for women. In modern Korean, it is a gender-neutral term of respect for anyone with specialized knowledge or authority.
- The greeting 안녕하세요 is not just a 'hello' but literally asks if the person is in a state of 'peace' or 'well-being'.
- The honorific particle -님 in 선생님 is so powerful that it can be attached to almost any noun to create a title of respect, even to a person's name or a job title like 'customer'.
Examples in context
- 선생님, 안녕하세요?Hello, teacher.
- 안녕하세요, 선생님, 오랜만이에요.annyeonghaseyo, seonsaengnim, oraenmanieyo.Hello, sir, it has been a long time.
- 안녕하세요, 선생님, 질문이 있습니다.annyeonghaseyo, seonsaengnim, jilmuni isseumnida.Hello, sir, I have a question.
Example conversation
Seoyeon meets her former teacher, Hyeonwoo, at a cafe.
- 서연 Seo-yeon안녕하세요, 선생님!annyeonghaseyo, seonsaengnim!Hello, sir!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo어, 서연 씨, 안녕하세요.eo, seoyeon ssi, annyeonghaseyo.Oh, Seoyeon, hello.
- 서연 Seo-yeon정말 오랜만이에요, 선생님.jeongmal oraenmanieyo, seonsaengnim.It has really been a long time, sir.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그래요, 잘 지냈나요?geuraeyo, jal jinaennayo?Yes, have you been doing well?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 선생님, 안녕하세요, CC BY-SA 4.0.
