잘 지냈어요?
jal jinaesseoyo?
In Korean, "how have you been?" is expressed as 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo?)
This phrase is a greeting used to ask someone about their life and well-being since the last time you met. While 잘 지냈어요? asks how you have been over a period of time, 안녕하세요? is a standard "How are you?" or "Hello" used for the immediate present.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 잘 (well), 지냈어요 (spent time/lived/passed time).
Which one should you use?
어떻게 지내세요? is a common and formal way to ask "How have you been?" meaning "How are you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version is 잘 지냈어? which is used with close friends or people younger than you. The honorific version 잘 지내셨어요? is used when speaking to someone older or in a higher social position.
How do you pronounce it?
jal jinaesseoyo?
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to this question is 네, 잘 지냈어요 (Yes, I've been well).
Did you know?
- While 잘 지냈어요? asks about your general well-being, Koreans often ask 밥 먹었어? ('Did you eat?') as a substitute greeting to show care and concern for the other person.
- In Korean culture, if you use the informal version 잘 지냈어? with a stranger or a boss, it is not seen as just 'casual' but can be perceived as a direct social insult.
- The honorific form 잘 지내셨어요? contains a specific syllable, 시, which acts like a tiny, invisible stamp of respect within the verb itself.
Examples in context
- 그동안 잘 지냈어요?geudong-an jal jinaesseoyo?How have you been lately?
- 오랜만이에요. 잘 지냈어요?oraenman-ieyo. jal jinaesseoyo?It's been a long time. How have you been?
- 다들 잘 지냈어요?dadeul jal jinaesseoyo?Has everyone been doing well?
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin meet at a coffee shop after a long time.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨, 오랜만이에요. 잘 지냈어요?Subin-ssi, oraenman-ieyo. jal jinaesseoyo?Subin, it's been a long time. How have you been?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 저는 잘 지냈어요. 현우 씨는요?ne, jeoneun jal jinaesseoyo. Hyunwoo-ssineunyo?Yes, I have been well. How about you, Hyunwoo?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo저도 아주 잘 지냈어요.jeodo aju jal jinaesseoyo.I have been doing very well too.
- 수빈 Su-bin다행이네요.dahaeng-ineyo.That's good to hear.
