안녕, 잘 지내?
annyeong, jal jinae?
In Korean, the phrase for "hi, how are you doing" is 안녕, 잘 지내? (annyeong, jal jinae?)
This phrase is a casual greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being. While 안녕 is a general greeting, the addition of 잘 지내? specifically focuses on the person's recent state of being or how they have been lately.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 literally means "peace" or "well-being". The phrase 잘 지내? is composed of 잘, meaning "well" and 지내다, meaning "to spend time/live".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a polite version, use 안녕하세요, 잘 지내세요? If you want to say a simple "hello" informally, you can use 안녕!, whereas the standard formal way to say "Hello" is 안녕하세요?
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to answer "I am doing well" using the same informal register, you can say 잘 지내.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong, jal jinae?
When do people say it?
When someone greets you formally with 안녕하세요?, a common response is 네, 안녕하세요? (Yes, hello).
Did you know?
- Instead of asking how someone is doing, Koreans often ask 밥 먹었어?, which means 'did you eat?' This functions as a greeting and a way to show care for the other person's well-being.
- In Korea, people rarely ask 잘 지내? to someone they see every day. It is usually reserved for people who have been apart for a while.
- The word 안녕 is formed from two different Chinese characters that both mean 'peace', effectively doubling the wish for tranquility when you greet someone.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 잘 지내? 요새 어때?annyeong, jal jinae? yosae eottae?Hi, how are you doing? How have you been lately?
- 오랜만이야! 안녕, 잘 지내?oraenmaniya! annyeong, jal jinae?It's been a while! Hi, how are you doing?
Example conversation
Two friends run into each other at a cafe.
- 민지 Min-ji안녕, 잘 지내?annyeong, jal jinae?Hi, how are you doing?
- 민준 Min-jun응, 나 잘 지내. 너는?eung, na jal jinae. neoneun?Yeah, I'm doing well. How about you?
- 민지 Min-ji나도 잘 지내고 있어.nado jal jinaego isseo.I'm doing well too.
- 민준 Min-jun다행이다. 만나서 반가워!dahaengida. mannaseo bangawo!That's good to hear. Nice to see you!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, 잘, 지내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
