What does it mean word for word?
The core of the greeting comes from 안녕, which means peace or well-being.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕하세요 is a standard polite greeting, 안녕 is a casual version used with friends. In highly formal settings such as business or news broadcasting, the version 안녕하십니까? is used instead. For a very informal or playful expression among close friends, one might use 야! (Hey!).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕하세요 is a formal greeting used to be polite and respectful to someone you are meeting for the first time or someone older than you. 안녕하십니까? is a highly formal version suitable for addressing superiors or professional environments. In contrast, 안녕 and 야! are informal and should only be used among close friends, acquaintances or with people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The shortened form 안녕 is used only with close friends or people younger than you. Additionally, if you are the one staying while the other person is leaving, you should use 안녕히 가세요 to tell them to "go peacefully".
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo?
Did you know?
- If you are the one leaving and the other person is staying, the phrase changes to 'Stay in peace' (안녕히 계세요) to reflect the change in movement.
- In Korea, the greeting 안녕하세요 is often accompanied by a bow, where the depth of the lean indicates the level of respect for the other person.
- While 안녕하세요 is used to say 'hello', the word 안녕 is also used to say 'goodbye' in casual settings among friends.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요.annyeonghaseyo.Hello.
- 선생님, 안녕하세요!seonsaengnim, annyeonghaseyo!Hello, teacher!
- 처음 뵙겠습니다. 안녕하세요.cheoeum boepgetseumnida. annyeonghaseyo.Nice to meet you. Hello.
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun meet at a cafe in the afternoon.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨, 안녕하세요.Minjun ssi, annyeonghaseyo.Hello, Minjun.
- 민준 Min-jun아, 수빈 씨! 안녕하세요.A, Subin ssi! annyeonghaseyo.Ah, Subin! Hello.
- 수빈 Su-bin잘 지냈어요?jal jinaesseoyo?Have you been well?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 잘 지냈어요.ne, jal jinaesseoyo.Yes, I have been well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕하세요, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
