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 primary way to say hello in Korean is through different forms of the word 안녕, which refers to peace or well-being. While 안녕하세요 is the standard greeting, it is important to note that if you are answering the phone or calling someone for the first time, you should use 여보세요 instead. Additionally, when meeting someone for the first time, it is common to say 만나서 반갑습니다 (formal) or 만나서 반가워 (informal) to say "Nice to meet you".
What does it mean word for word?
The core component 안녕 literally means "peace" or "well-being".
Which one should you use?
The forms are distinguished by their level of formality: 안녕하십니까 is used in highly formal settings such as news broadcasts, military contexts or business presentations to show maximum respect. 안녕하세요 is the standard polite greeting used for strangers, colleagues or people older than you. 안녕 is a less formal version that translates to "hi" or "hey".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use 안녕하십니까 for maximum respect in very formal environments. Use 안녕하세요 as a polite, standard option for most social interactions with people you do not know well or people of higher status. Use 안녕 only in informal settings with close friends, siblings or people significantly younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use the informal 안녕 when speaking to elders or superiors, as English speakers often make this mistake and it can be perceived as rude.
Did you know?
- Although 안녕하세요 is the standard greeting, Koreans often follow it with a question about whether the person has eaten yet, which serves as a second 'hello'.
- The concept of 'peace' inside the word 안녕 is so central that the same word can also be used to say 'goodbye' when parting ways.
- When saying 안녕하세요, Koreans often accompany the phrase with a bow. The depth of the bow changes depending on whether you are using the standard polite or the highly formal 안녕하십니까 form.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hello!This example shows a common informal greeting using 안녕.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, 선생님?Hello, teacher?
- 여보세요, 회사 대표이십니까?Hello, is this the company representative?
- 안녕, 어디야?Hey, where are you?
- 만나서 반가워, 오랜만이야!Nice to see you, it's been a long time!
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Jieun meet in a cafe.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은 씨, 안녕하세요.Jieun ssi, annyeonghaseyo.Hello, Jieun.
- 지은 Ji-eun아, 현우 씨! 안녕하세요.A, Hyunwoo ssi! Annyeonghaseyo.Oh, Hyunwoo! Hello.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo잘 지냈어요?jal jinaesseoyo?Have you been well?
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
