What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 literally means 'peace' or 'well-being'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕 is an informal form used only with friends, people younger than you or people you are very close to. For more formal situations, you might use 안녕하세요 to say hello or 안녕히 주무세요 to formally bid someone goodbye when they are going to sleep or rest.
How does it change in a sentence?
While 안녕 is a casual way to say goodbye, there are specific polite ways to say goodbye depending on the situation. If you are leaving a place where someone else is staying, the polite way to say goodbye is 안녕히 계세요 (stay peacefully). If someone else is leaving, the polite way to say goodbye is 안녕히 가세요 (go peacefully). Additionally, for a friendly 'goodnight' or 'sleep well', you can use the informal 잘자 or 잘자요.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
Did you know?
- The concept of 'peace' in 안녕 was originally a literal inquiry into whether a person had remained free from illness or disaster since the last time you saw them.
- The word 안녕 is derived from two different Chinese characters, 安 and 寧, which both mean 'peace' or 'tranquility'.
- The casual greeting 안녕 is often accompanied by a slight nod or wave, as hugs and handshakes are not traditional initial greetings among close friends in Korea.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 잘 지냈어?annyeong, jal jinaesseo?Hi, have you been well?
- 안녕, 나 이제 갈게.annyeong, na ije galge.Bye, I'm leaving now.
- 안녕! 내일 봐.annyeong! naeil bwa.Hi! See you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Subin meet briefly in a hallway.
- 지훈 Ji-hun안녕, 수빈아!annyeong, subin-a!Hi, Subin!
- 수빈 Su-bin어, 지훈아. 안녕.eo, jihoon-a. annyeong.Oh, Jihoon. Hi.
- 지훈 Ji-hun나 수업 있어서 갈게.na sueop isseoseo galge.I have class, so I'm off.
- 수빈 Su-bin응, 안녕!eung, annyeong!Okay, bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
