안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
안녕 (annyeong) is the Korean way to say hi.
안녕 is a friendly, informal greeting. It can be used as both a greeting for hi and a parting for bye.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 literally means peace or well-being.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕 is informal, the version 안녕하세요 is the polite or formal version used with strangers, elders or in professional settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕 is informal and should only be used with friends, people younger than you or those you are very close to. For a common and versatile way to say hi in a formal setting, use 안녕하세요.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the informal 안녕 with teachers or bosses, which can be perceived as rude. Use 안녕하세요 instead.
Did you know?
- The characters in the Hanja for 안녕 contain a component meaning 'roof', suggesting that true 'peace' is a state of being sheltered and protected.
- When saying 안녕하세요, it is common to slightly tilt the head and shoulders. In very formal settings, the gaze is lowered rather than maintaining direct eye contact.
- Using the informal 안녕 to someone who is only slightly older than you, even if you are friends, can sometimes be seen as an accidental challenge to the social hierarchy.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hi!Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #2742244 by MTC
- 안녕.Hi.Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #538123 by CM
- 안녕, 오랜만이야!annyeong, oraenmaniya!Hi, it's been a long time!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- 서연 Seo-yeon안녕, 현우야!annyeong, hyeonuya!Hi, Hyeonwoo!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo어, 서연아! 왔어?eo, seoyeona! wasseo?Oh, Seoyeon! Are you here?
- 서연 Seo-yeon응, 기다렸어?eung, gidaryeosseo?Yeah, have you been waiting?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아니, 나도 방금 왔어.ani, nado banggeum wasseo.No, I just got here too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
