안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
안녕 (annyeong) is the Korean way to say hi.
안녕 is a simple way to say 'hi' informally among friends or peers. In different contexts, you might encounter other greetings such as 안녕하세요, which is a common way to greet someone formally in Korean or 안녕하십니까, which is a polite form suitable for addressing someone of higher social status or even older than you. For a formal 'Good morning', you can use the extended greeting 안녕하십니까, 좋은 아침입니다. You may also use the informal greeting 반가워 to say 'nice to meet you'.
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 informal, 안녕하세요 is the standard polite form used with strangers, elders or in professional settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕 is strictly informal and should only be used with friends of the same age, people younger than you or very close siblings.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the informal 안녕 with teachers or bosses, which can be perceived as rude. Use 안녕하세요 instead.
When do people say it?
Bowing is a common gesture in Korean culture to show respect during greetings.
Did you know?
- While 'hi' is a greeting, the same word 안녕 is also used to say 'goodbye' in informal settings.
- In modern Korean texting, 안녕 is often shortened to just the first consonant ㅇㄴ to speed up communication.
- When greeting someone on the phone, Koreans do not use 안녕 but instead use 여보세요, which is closer to 'hello' in the sense of 'are you there'.
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
- 안녕, 잘 지냈어?annyeong, jal jinaesseo?Hi, how have you been?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- 도현 Do-hyeon안녕, 서연아!annyeong, seoyeon-a!Hi, Seoyeon!
- 서연 Seo-yeon안녕, 도현아. 오랜만이야.annyeong, dohyun-a. oraenman-iya.Hi, Dohyun. It's been a long time.
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 진짜 오랜만이다.eung, jinjja oraenman-ida.Yeah, it really has been a while.
- 서연 Seo-yeon우리 커피 마실까?uri keopi masilka?Shall we have some coffee?
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.
