What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 오늘 (today), 어떻게 (how) and 지내세요 (are you spending/living/getting along).
Which one should you use?
A slightly less formal but still polite version is 어떻게 지내요?, which is suitable for acquaintances or colleagues. For close friends or people younger than you, you can use the informal 오늘 어떻게 지내? or simply 어떻게 지내? to ask "How are you doing?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 어떻게 지내요? is a slightly less formal but still polite version. In casual settings with close friends or people younger than you, use the informal version 오늘 어떻게 지내?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 어떻게 지내요? is a slightly less formal but still polite version of the default form, making it suitable for acquaintances or colleagues.
How do you pronounce it?
oneul eotteoke jinaeseyo?
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to this greeting is 잘 지내요 (I am doing well).
Did you know?
- If you use this phrase with someone much older, it is often better to skip 'how are you' and instead ask if they have 'eaten well' (밥 먹었어요?).
- The word for today, 오늘, etymologically means 'the day that has come'. It is built from a root meaning 'to come' and a root for 'day'.
- The phrase 오늘 어떻게 지내세요? is less common in daily Korean life than 'how are you' is in English, as Koreans often prefer specific questions about health or work.
Example conversation
Two colleagues meet at the office coffee machine.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈 씨, 오늘 어떻게 지내세요?Subin ssi, oneul eotteoke jinaeseyo?Subin, how are you doing today?
- 수빈 Su-bin저는 잘 지내요. 도현 씨는요?jeoneun jal jinaeyo. Dohyun ssineun-yo?I'm doing well. How about you, Dohyun?
- 도현 Do-hyeon저도 아주 좋아요. 감사합니다.jeodo aju joayo. gamsahamnida.I'm doing great too. Thank you.
- 수빈 Su-bin다행이네요. 이제 일하러 가요.dahaeng-ineyo. ije ilhareo gayo.That's good. Let's go back to work now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 어떻게, 오늘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
