안녕, 무슨 일이야?
annyeong, museun iriya?
The English phrase "hey, what's up?" can be translated into Korean as 안녕, 무슨 일이야? (annyeong, museun iriya?)
This phrase is an informal greeting used to ask someone how they are or what is happening in their life. The part 무슨 일이야? can function as a casual greeting, but depending on your tone, it can also serve as a genuine inquiry if someone appears upset or if something unusual is occurring.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 안녕, which means "hi" or "peace" and 무슨 일이야?, which literally means "what matter is it?" or "what work is it?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
It should only be used with friends or people younger than you. If you need to say "Good afternoon" or greet someone more formally, use 안녕하세요.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong, museun iriya?
Did you know?
- Greeting someone with 안녕 can be used both when arriving to say 'hello' and when leaving to say 'goodbye'.
- In Korea, asking 무슨 일이야? can sometimes be a way to initiate a confrontation if the tone is sharp, rather than a friendly greeting.
- The word 무슨 was first recorded in a document called the Jīlín lèishì in 1103.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 무슨 일이야? 왜 그래?annyeong, museun iriya? wae geurae?Hey, what's up? What's wrong?
- 안녕, 무슨 일이야? 별일 없지?annyeong, museun iriya? byeollil eopji?Hey, what's up? Nothing much going on, right?
Example conversation
Jihoon sees Subin looking a bit tired at a cafe.
- 지훈 Ji-hun안녕, 무슨 일이야?annyeong, museun iriya?Hey, what's up?
- 수빈 Su-bin그냥 좀 피곤해.geunyang jom pigonhae.I'm just a little tired.
- 지훈 Ji-hun많이 바빠?mani bappa?Are you very busy?
- 수빈 Su-bin응, 요즘 정신이 없어.eung, yojeum jeongsini eopseo.Yeah, I've been hectic lately.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 무슨, 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
