잘 지내?
jal jinae?casual
To a friend you can ask 잘 지내? (jal jinae?), which means "are you doing well?" If you have not met for a while, ask 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo?), and for "how are things lately" use 요즘 어때? (yojeum eottae?).
Meaning: casual question about well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 지내? | jal jinae? | casual |
| 요즘 어때? | yojeum eottae? | casual |
| 잘 지냈어? | jal jinaesseo? | casual, after a while |
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
These are plain speech, called 반말 (banmal). Use them with friends of about the same age. Add 요 (yo) to make them polite, for example 잘 지내요? (jal jinaeyo?).
Is it said differently in some regions?
Friends sometimes add the name and 야 (ya) or 아 (a) first, like 민수야, 잘 지내? (minsuya, jal jinae?).
Did you know?
- Korean friends often use the plain -어 ending and drop the subject, so 잘 지내? needs no word for "you".
Examples in context
- 민수야, 잘 지내?minsuya, jal jinae?Minsu, how are you doing?
- 요즘 어때? 바빠?yojeum eottae? bappa?How are things lately? Busy?
- 오랜만이다. 잘 지냈어?oraenmanida. jal jinaesseo?It has been a while. How have you been?
Example conversation
Minsu and his old schoolmate Jian run into each other at a cafe.
- Minsu지안아! 잘 지냈어?jiana! jal jinaesseo?Jian! How have you been?
- Jian응, 잘 지내. 요즘 어때?eung, jal jinae. yojeum eottae?Yes, doing well. How are things with you?
- Minsu바쁘지만 괜찮아.bappeujiman gwaenchana.Busy, but fine.
