Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하십니까 | annyeonghasimnikka | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠ɕʰimnik͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | formal |
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠sʰe̞jo] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | polite |
| 안녕 | annyeong | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | informal |
The phrase is used as a greeting to say hello. While the standard polite version is 안녕하세요, the term is derived from the concept of well-being and is used to wish someone peace.
What does it mean word for word?
The core component 안녕 literally means peace or well-being.
Which one should you use?
안녕 is a versatile informal form that can be used as both hello and goodbye among close friends. 안녕하세요 is the standard polite version, while 안녕하십니까 is a more formal and polite expression. 안뇽 is an even more casual, abbreviated version of 안녕 typically used in texting or between very close friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕하십니까 is used in highly formal settings, such as news broadcasts, the military or business presentations. 안녕하세요 is a common and versatile polite form. 안녕 is used in informal situations, and 안뇽 is a casual form used among very close friends or in text messaging.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are saying goodbye, the phrase changes based on whether the other person is staying or leaving. Use 안녕히 계세요 to say goodbye to someone who is staying, and use 안녕히 가세요 to say goodbye to someone who is leaving.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the informal 안녕 with people who are older than you or in higher social positions, as this is considered rude.
Did you know?
- When saying 안녕하세요, it is common to accompany the phrase with a slight bow. The depth of the bow depends on the social status of the person you are greeting.
- The roots of 안녕 are Chinese characters. Specifically 安 means 'peaceful' and 寧 means 'serenity'.
- In modern Korean texting, the cute version 안뇽 is used as 'aegyo' to sound playful or affectionate, which would be considered strange or unprofessional in spoken business Korean.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hello!This is useful for a quick, informal hello.Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #373330 by CK
- 안녕.Hello.Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #1858850 by LanguageExpert
- 또 안녕.Hello again.This is useful for saying hello again informally.Tatoeba #11104741 by intertime, translation #1764868 by Amastan
- 안녕하세요! 만나서 반가워요.Hello! Nice to meet you.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jieun and Hyunwoo meet at a cafe in the afternoon.
- 지은 Ji-eun안녕하세요, 현우 씨.annyeonghaseyo, hyeonu ssi.Hello, Hyunwoo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo안녕하세요, 지은 씨.annyeonghaseyo, jieun ssi.Hello, Jieun.
- 지은 Ji-eun오늘 날씨가 정말 좋네요.oneul nalssiga jeongmal jonneyo.The weather is really nice today.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 맞아요.ne, majayo.Yes, that's right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 안녕하십니까, 안녕하세요, 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.
