Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요? | annyeong-haseyo? | polite | |
| 처음 뵙겠습니다 | cheo'eum boepgetseumnida | [t͡ɕʰʌ̹ɯm pwe̞(ː)p̚k͈e̞ss͈ɯmnida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [t͡ɕʰʌ̹ɯm pø̞(ː)p̚k͈e̞ss͈ɯmnida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
formal |
| 어떻게 지내세요? | eotteoke jinaeseyo? | ||
| 잘 지냈어요? | jal jinaesseoyo? | ||
| 안녕하십니까? | annyeong-hasimnikka? | formal | |
| 안녕? | annyeong? | informal |
Depending on what you want to convey, you might use a general greeting or a specific inquiry about someone's well-being. While 안녕하세요? functions as a standard way to say hello or ask how someone is, 어떻게 지내세요? is used more specifically to ask how someone has been spending their time or how they have been doing lately.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 안녕하세요? literally translates to 'Are you at peace?' or 'Are you well?'
Which one should you use?
안녕하세요? is a general greeting used to say hello or ask how someone is. In contrast, 어떻게 지내세요? focuses more specifically on a person's recent well-being. If you are meeting someone for the very first time in a formal setting, you should use 처음 뵙겠습니다 (Nice to meet you) instead of a standard greeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness varies significantly between forms. 안녕하십니까? is the highest level of politeness and is appropriate for business settings, news broadcasts or addressing people of much higher social status. 안녕하세요? is a polite, standard form. 어떻게 지내세요? and 잘 지냈어요? are also polite ways to inquire about well-being. 안녕? is an informal version that should only be used with close friends, people younger than you or in very casual settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 잘 지냈어요? uses the past tense to ask if a person has been doing well since the last time you saw them.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong-haseyo?
Did you know?
- In Korea, asking 밥 먹었어요? (Did you eat?) often serves the same social function as 'How are you?', showing care through the basic necessity of food.
- When saying 안녕하세요?, it is customary to accompany the phrase with a bow, the depth of which depends on the social status of the other person.
- While 'How are you?' in English is often a rhetorical greeting, using 어떻게 지내세요? in Korean requires a more genuine description of your recent life.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요?How are you?This sentence shows the standard polite greeting 안녕하세요?Tatoeba #10663803 by Adelpa, translation #373320 by CK
- 어떻게 지내세요?How are you doing?This sentence shows a way to ask how someone is doing using 어떻게 지내세요?Tatoeba #8119491 by noget, translation #38926 by Zifre
- 어떻게 지내세요? 오랜만이네요!How are you? It's been a long time!
- 어떻게 지내? 오늘 뭐 했어?How are you? What did you do today?
- 잘 지냈어? 이번 주에 뭐 했어?Have you been well? What did you do this week?
- 안녕하세요? 선생님.annyeonghaseyo? seonsaengnim.Hello, teacher.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dohyun meets Subin in a neighborhood cafe.
- 도현 Do-hyeon안녕하세요? 수빈 씨.annyeonghaseyo? subin ssi.Hello, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin아, 도현 씨! 안녕하세요?a, dohyun ssi! annyeonghaseyo?Oh, Dohyun! Hello.
- 도현 Do-hyeon잘 지냈어요?jal jinaesseoyo?Have you been well?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 잘 지냈어요.ne, jal jinaesseoyo.Yes, I've been well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations and entries 처음 뵙겠습니다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
