안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
The English phrase 'hello to friends' is translated into Korean as 안녕 (annyeong).
안녕 is an informal way to say 'Hi' or 'Hello'. Another informal way to say 'Hey' is 안뇽.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, 안녕 means 'peace' or 'well-being'.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕 is used for friends, 안녕하세요 is the polite/formal version used for strangers, elders or superiors.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕 is an informal way to say hello and should only be used with friends or people younger than you.
Did you know?
- The word 안녕 is used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye'. While English separates these moments, Korean uses the same concept of wishing someone 'peace' for both arrivals and departures.
- Adding a 'ㅇ' sound to the end to make 안뇽 is a form of 'aegyo', or acting cute. It is often used in texting or flirting to sound softer and more playful than the standard 안녕.
- If two people are the same age but have just met, they will usually start with the formal 안녕하세요 and only switch to 안녕 after explicitly agreeing to speak informally.
Examples in context
- 안녕!annyeong!Hello!
- 친구한테 안녕이라고 했어.chinguhante annyeong-irago haesseo.I said hello to my friend.
- 어, 안녕! 오랜만이야.eo, annyeong! oraenmaniya.Oh, hi! It's been a long time.
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji meet at a local cafe.
- 민준 Min-jun민지야, 안녕!Minji-ya, annyeong!Minji, hi!
- 민지 Min-ji민준아, 안녕! 잘 지냈어?Minjun-a, annyeong! jal jinaesseo?Minjun, hello! How have you been?
- 민준 Min-jun응, 그냥 그래. 너는?eung, geunyang geurae. neoneun?Yeah, just so-so. How about you?
- 민지 Min-ji나도 잘 지내.nado jal jinae.I'm doing well too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
