안녕, 베프!
annyeong, bepeu!
In Korean, the phrase for "hi best friend" is 안녕, 베프! (annyeong, bepeu!)
This phrase is an informal greeting used to say hello to a very close friend. The first part, 안녕, is a simple and commonly used informal way to say hi.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕, 베프! is a casual way to greet a close friend, you might see the formal version 안녕하세요, 베프! However, using the polite 안녕하세요 with the slang term 베프 creates a stylistic clash because one part is formal and the other is highly casual.
How does it change in a sentence?
The greeting 안녕 is the informal version of hello.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong, bepeu!
Did you know?
- The greeting 안녕 literally translates to 'peace' or 'tranquility'. When you say hello, you are essentially asking if the person is in a state of peaceful repose.
- Because Korean culture is hierarchical, very close friends often express their intimacy by using blunt speech or aggressive nicknames instead of polite greetings.
- The word 베프 is an example of Konglish, as it is a shortened version of the English phrase 'best friend' transliterated into Korean.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 베프!annyeong, bepeu!Hi, best friend!
- 안녕, 베프! 잘 지냈어?annyeong, bepeu! jal jinaesseo?Hi, best friend! How have you been?
- 안녕, 베프! 오늘도 만나서 반가워.annyeong, bepeu! oneuldo mannaseo bangawo.Hi, best friend! It's good to see you today too.
Example conversation
Two close friends meet at a cafe.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo안녕, 베프! 여기서 보네.Annyeong, bepeu! Yeogiseo bone.Hi best friend! I see you here.
- 지은 Ji-eun어, 현우구나! 반가워.Eo, Hyeon-u-guna! Bangawo.Oh, it's Hyeon-u! Good to see you.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo너도 커피 마시러 왔어?Neodo keopi masireo wasseo?Did you come for coffee too?
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 지은이도 커피 좋아하잖아.Eung, Ji-eun-ido keopi johajana.Yeah, you know Ji-eun likes coffee too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
