여러분 어떻게 지내세요
yeoreobun eotteoke jinaeseyo
The English phrase "how are you guys" is translated into Korean as 여러분 어떻게 지내세요 (yeoreobun eotteoke jinaeseyo).
This is a friendly greeting used to ask a group of people how they have been doing. While the English phrase "you guys" is often used with friends, the Korean word 여러분 (yeoreobun) carries a level of politeness that makes this specific greeting suitable for addressing groups of people you are not intimate with.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 여러분 (everyone/you guys), 어떻게 (how) and 지내세요 (are you spending time/living).
Which one should you use?
Another formal option is 여러분 잘 지내시죠?, which can also be used to mean "How are you guys?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
여러분 어떻게 지내세요? is a formal way to say "How are you guys?" For a version that is slightly less formal but still polite and appropriate for most social situations, you can use 여러분 어떻게 지내요. If you are speaking to a group of friends, you can use the informal version 다들 잘 지내?
How does it change in a sentence?
Changing the ending from 지내세요 to 지내요 makes the phrase slightly less formal but still polite.
How do you pronounce it?
yeoreobun eotteoke jinaeseyo
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, asking how someone is 지내다 (spending time) focuses on the process of living and enduring, rather than just a momentary emotional state.
- The word 여러분 (yeoreobun) literally breaks down to 'various' and 'people', meaning it is more like saying 'various people' than the English 'you guys'.
- If you use the informal 다들 잘 지내? with a group of strangers, you might accidentally cause offense. In Korean, the level of politeness depends entirely on the social hierarchy between you and the group.
Examples in context
- 모두들 잘 지내셨나요? 여러분 어떻게 지내세요?modudeul jal jinaesyeotnayo? yeoreobun eotteoke jinaeseyo?Has everyone been well? How are you guys doing?
- 오랜만이에요. 여러분 어떻게 지내세요?oraenmanieyo. yeoreobun eotteoke jinaeseyo?It has been a long time. How are you guys doing?
Example conversation
Minjun meets Minji and her friends at a cafe.
- 민준 Min-jun민지 씨, 정말 오랜만이에요!Minji ssi, jeongmal oraenmanieyo!Minji, it has been a really long time!
- 민지 Min-ji네, 민준 씨! 반가워요.ne, Minjun ssi! bangawoyo.Yes, Minjun! It is good to see you.
- 민준 Min-jun여러분 어떻게 지내세요?yeoreobun eotteoke jinaeseyo?How are you guys doing?
- 민지 Min-ji우리 모두 잘 지내고 있어요.uri modu jal jinaego isseoyo.We are all doing well.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 어떻게, 여러분, CC BY-SA 4.0.
