잘 지냈어요?
jal jinaesseoyo?polite
A natural Korean way to ask "how are you", the way fans and idols talk, is 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo?), which means "have you been well?" With close friends it shortens to 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo?). It is also called 어떻게 지내요? (eotteoke jinaeyo?).
Meaning: question about well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 지냈어요? | jal jinaesseoyo? | polite |
| 잘 지냈어? | jal jinaesseo? | casual |
| 어떻게 지내요? | eotteoke jinaeyo? | polite |
Korean fans and idols often use this question when they meet again after some time, for example at a concert or a livestream. For someone you saw yesterday it sounds odd.
Which one should you use?
어떻게 지내요? (eotteoke jinaeyo?) asks "how are you getting along?" and is about the present, while 잘 지냈어요? looks back at the time since last meeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Idols speak politely to fans, so -어요 (-eoyo) is the usual ending. Members of a group talk to each other in casual -어 (-eo) if they are close in age.
Did you know?
- Korean has no exact word for "how are you". People often greet with 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo?), "have you eaten?", which also shows care.
Examples in context
- 여러분, 잘 지냈어요?yeoreobun, jal jinaesseoyo?Everyone, have you been well?
- 오랜만이야, 잘 지냈어?oraenmaniya, jal jinaesseo?Long time no see, have you been well?
- 요즘 어떻게 지내요?yojeum eotteoke jinaeyo?How are you these days?
Example conversation
Fan Mina meets her friend Eunji at a concert and they talk about the show.
- Mina은지야, 잘 지냈어?eunjiya, jal jinaesseo?Eunji, have you been well?
- Eunji응, 잘 지냈어. 너는?eung, jal jinaesseo. neoneun?Yes, I have been well. And you?
- Mina나도 잘 지냈어. 콘서트 너무 기대돼.nado jal jinaesseo. konseoteu neomu gidaedwae.Me too. I am so excited for the concert.
