안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
In Korean, 안녕 (annyeong) is the way to say hi.
안녕 is a friendly, informal greeting used to say hi. It is the most common and simple way to say "hi" informally, typically used among friends and people of similar age.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 literally means 'peace' or 'well-being'.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕 is used for 'hi' among peers, 안녕하세요 is the standard polite form used for strangers or elders. 안녕하십니까? is an even more polite and formal way to greet someone, suitable for formal occasions or showing respect to someone of higher social status.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕 is an informal form and should only be used with friends, people younger than you or those you are very close to. 안녕하세요 is a common and versatile way to say "hi" in Korean that is considered polite and appropriate for formal greetings.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 안녕 with teachers or superiors, which can be perceived as rude. The polite form should be used instead.
Did you know?
- The word 안녕 is one of the few greetings that functions perfectly as both a 'hi' and a 'goodbye'.
- The concept of 'peace' in 안녕 historically relates to being safe from disasters or illness. Saying 'hi' was once a way to confirm that the other person had remained safe.
- When saying 안녕 to a very close friend, Koreans often extend the final vowel to sound more affectionate or cute, turning it into 안녕~.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hi!This example shows the use of 안녕 as an exclamation.Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #2742244 by MTC
- 안녕.Hi.This example shows the use of 안녕 as a standard greeting.Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #538123 by CM
- 안녕하십니까? [Person's Name] 씨. 저는 [Your Name]입니다. 만나서 영광입니다.Hello, Mr./Ms. [Person's Name]. My name is [Your Name]. It's an honor to meet you.
- 안녕, 잘 지냈어?annyeong, jal jinaesseo?Hi, how have you been?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jihoon meets Subin at a local park.
- 지훈 Ji-hun안녕, 수빈아!annyeong, subin-a!Hi, Subin!
- 수빈 Su-bin안녕, 지훈아. 오랜만이야.annyeong, jihoon-a. oraenman-iya.Hi, Jihoon. It's been a long time.
- 지훈 Ji-hun응, 정말 오랜만이다.eung, jeongmal oraenman-ida.Yeah, it really has been a while.
- 수빈 Su-bin어디 가는 길이야?eodi ganeun giriya?Where are you heading?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
