안녕
annyeongcasual, friends
A casual "hi" in North Korean is 안녕 (annyeong), used between friends and with children. For anyone you should show respect, say 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka) or 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo).
Meaning: casual greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕 | annyeong | casual, friends |
| 안녕하십니까 | annyeonghasimnikka | formal |
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | polite |
안녕 is short and informal, so it is only used with people your age or younger whom you know well.
Which one should you use?
The word is the same in the South. What the North prefers in speech toward strangers and in official settings is the formal 안녕하십니까.
Did you know?
- In North Korea 동무 (dongmu) is the common word for a friend or comrade, and 동무들 (dongmudeul) can be used to greet a group.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 오랜만이야.annyeong, oraenmaniya.Hi, it has been a long time.
- 안녕하십니까, 동무들.annyeonghasimnikka, dongmudeul.Hello, everyone.
Example conversation
Chol-min meets his classmate Yeong-hui on the way to school.
- Chol-min안녕, 영희야.annyeong, yeonghui-ya.Hi, Yeonghui.
- Yeong-hui안녕, 철민아.annyeong, cheolmin-a.Hi, Cheolmin.
- Chol-min같이 가자.gachi gaja.Let us go together.
