잘 지내고 있길 바라
Jal jinaego itgil bara
The English phrase "hope you are doing well" can be said in Korean as 잘 지내고 있길 바라 (Jal jinaego itgil bara).
This is a friendly expression used in letters or messages to wish that the recipient is healthy and happy.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 잘 (well), 지내고 있다 (to be spending time/living) and 바라 (hope/wish).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on your relationship with the person. Use 잘 지내고 있길 바랍니다 when writing to someone older, a superior or in a professional business email. For people you are not close with, but who are not formal superiors, use the polite form 잘 지내고 있길 바라요. The form 잘 지내고 있길 바래 is a common colloquial variation used in casual text messages between friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding 요 to the end of the phrase, making it 잘 지내고 있길 바라요, makes it polite. If you want to ask someone if they are doing well as a question, you can use the informal 잘 지내고 있어?
How do you pronounce it?
Jal jinaego itgil bara
Did you know?
- While 잘 지내고 있길 바라 focuses on wellbeing, Koreans often start letters by mentioning the weather or the changing seasons to establish a shared mood before wishing the recipient well.
- When writing to someone much older or in a high position, it is often more common to use a phrase about their 'health' specifically, such as 건강하시길 바랍니다, rather than the more general 'doing well'.
- In Korean culture, if someone responds to 잘 지내고 있어? with a very detailed list of problems, it can sometimes be seen as 'too much' unless the two people are extremely intimate.
Examples in context
- 기원하오니 건강하시고 잘 지내시기 바랍니다.I hope you are healthy and doing well.
- 오랜만이야! 잘 지내고 있어?Long time no see! Are you doing well?
- 네가 항상 잘 지내고 있길 바라.nega hangsang jal jinaego itgil bara.I hope you are always doing well.
- 모두가 잘 지내고 있길 바라.moduga jal jinaego itgil bara.I hope everyone is doing well.
- 그곳에서도 잘 지내고 있길 바라.geugoteseodo jal jinaego itgil bara.I hope you are doing well there too.
Example conversation
Minjun sends a message to Subin after a long time.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈아, 잘 지내고 있길 바라.subin-a, jal jinaego itgil bara.Subin, I hope you are doing well.
- 수빈 Su-bin응, 민준아! 나 정말 잘 지내.eung, minjun-a! na jeongmal jal jinae.Yes, Minjun! I am doing really well.
- 민준 Min-jun다행이다. 언제 한번 만나자.dahaeng-ida. eonje hanbeon mannaja.That's a relief. Let's meet up sometime.
- 수빈 Su-bin좋아! 연락 줘서 고마워.joha! yeonrak jwoseo gomawo.Sounds good! Thanks for reaching out.
