안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
안녕 (annyeong) is the Korean way to say hi casually.
안녕 is a versatile term used for both 'hi' and 'bye' in casual speech.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 literally translates to 'peace' or 'well-being' and is used to ask if someone is in a state of peace.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕 is used with friends or people younger than you, 안녕하세요 is the standard polite form used with strangers, elders or in professional settings.
Did you know?
- Even between very close friends, people may suddenly switch from 안녕 to the polite 안녕하세요 if they are arguing or want to create emotional distance.
- The phrase 안녕 is derived from the Chinese characters for 'peaceful' and 'serenity'.
- If you use 안녕 with a teacher or a boss, you are not just being informal, you are actually being quite rude in a way that implies you are their social equal.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 오랜만이야!Annyeong, oraenmaniya!Hi, it's been a long time!
- 안녕, 잘 지냈어?Annyeong, jal jinaesseo?Hi, how have you been?
- 친구야, 안녕!Chinguya, annyeong!Hi, my friend!
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a park.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈아, 안녕!Subin-a, annyeong!Hi, Subin!
- 수빈 Su-bin도현아, 안녕! 잘 지냈어?Dohyeon-a, annyeong! Jal jinaesseo?Hi, Dohyeon! Have you been well?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 아주 잘 지냈어.Eung, aju jal jinaesseo.Yeah, I've been doing great.
- 수빈 Su-bin다행이다. 우리 같이 걷자.Dahaeng-ida. Uri gachi geotja.That's good. Let's walk together.
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.
