안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
The Korean phrase for "hi back" is 안녕 (annyeong).
안녕 is a friendly response used to greet someone who has just said hello to you. In informal settings, this word is versatile and can be used both to say hello and to say goodbye.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 안녕 is informal and should be used only with friends or people younger than you. To respond to a greeting politely or to someone older, you should use 안녕하세요 instead of 안녕.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
Did you know?
- The two characters in the Hanja for 안녕 both contain the radical for 'roof', symbolizing a sense of being sheltered or safe indoors.
- There is a specific version of this greeting, 안녕히 가세요, used when the other person is leaving but you are staying, which differs from the version used when both people are leaving.
- In modern digital slang, Koreans often write 안녕 as 안뇽 to sound 'cute' or more affectionate, a practice known as 'aegyo'.
Examples in context
- 안녕!annyeong!Hi back!
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- 서연 Seo-yeon현우야, 안녕!Hyeon-u-ya, annyeong!Hi, Hyeon-u!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연아, 안녕!Seo-yeon-a, annyeong!Hi, Seo-yeon!
- 서연 Seo-yeon잘 지냈어?Jal jinaesseo?Have you been well?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo응, 잘 지냈어.Eung, jal jinaesseo.Yes, I've been well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
