안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
The phrase 'hi informally' in Korean is 안녕 (annyeong).
안녕 is a basic and widely-used informal greeting that can translate to hi, hello or bye. It is used for both 'hi' and 'bye' in informal settings.
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 with friends or those younger than you, 안녕하세요 is the standard polite form used with strangers or superiors.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
Did you know?
- Using 안녕 with someone older than you, even if you are friends, can be perceived as a significant social faux pas or a sign of extreme intimacy.
- In texting and online gaming, Koreans often shorten 안녕 to just the first character 안 or use 하이 as a phonetic loanword from the English 'hi'.
- While an English speaker might say 'hi' with a rising intonation, using 안녕 with a certain downward tone can signal that you are actually saying 'goodbye'.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 잘 지냈어?annyeong, jal jinaesseo?Hi, have you been well?
- 안녕! 오랜만이야.annyeong! oraenmaniya.Hi! It's been a long time.
- 안녕, 오늘 뭐 해?annyeong, oneul mwo hae?Hi, what are you doing today?
Example conversation
Subin and Dohyun meet by chance at a cafe.
- 수빈 Su-bin안녕, 도현아!annyeong, dohyeon-a!Hi, Dohyun!
- 도현 Do-hyeon어, 수빈아! 안녕.eo, subin-a! annyeong.Oh, Subin! Hi.
- 수빈 Su-bin여기서 뭐 해?yeogiseo mwo hae?What are you doing here?
- 도현 Do-hyeon그냥 커피 마시고 있어.geunyang keopi masigo isseo.I'm just drinking coffee.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
