What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 잘 (well), 지내고 계시다 (to be doing/staying in a state of being) and 바랍니다 (I hope/wish).
Which one should you use?
The phrase 잘 지내고 계시길 바랍니다 uses the honorific 계시다 instead of 있다, which makes it specifically respectful toward the recipient's well-being. Another option is 건강하시길 바랍니다, which is used specifically to express concern for someone's health and means "I hope you are in good health".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 잘 지내고 계시길 바랍니다 is highly formal and polite, making it suitable for written correspondence with superiors or people you are not close to. A slightly less formal but still polite version used in spoken conversation or friendly messages is 잘 지내길 바라요. For addressing someone superior, such as a teacher or an elderly person, you can also use the respectful and formal expression 잘 지내시길 바랍니다.
How do you pronounce it?
jal jinaego gyesigil baramnida
Did you know?
- When writing to someone much older, many Koreans skip the literal 'doing well' and instead focus on 'seasonal greetings', mentioning the current weather or temperature to implicitly express the wish that the person is staying healthy.
- In highly formal Korean business emails, this sentiment is often expressed through the phrase 노고가 많으십니다, which acknowledges the recipient's hard work rather than just their well-being.
- The honorific verb 계시다 used in this phrase is a 'suppletive' form, meaning it is a completely different word used specifically to elevate the person you are talking about.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요, 선생님. 잘 지내시길 바랍니다.Hello, teacher. I hope you are doing well.
- 형아, 잘 지내?Hey, brother. Are you doing well?
- 항상 잘 지내고 계시길 바랍니다.hangsang jal jinaego gyesigil baramnida.I hope you are always doing well.
- 가족 모두 잘 지내고 계시길 바랍니다.gajok modu jal jinaego gyesigil baramnida.I hope your whole family is doing well.
- 건강하게 잘 지내고 계시길 바랍니다.geonganghage jal jinaego gyesigil baramnida.I hope you are doing well and staying healthy.
Example conversation
Subin sends a polite message to Dohyeon via email.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨, 잘 지내고 계시길 바랍니다.Dohyeon ssi, jal jinaego gyesigil baramnida.Dohyeon, I hope you are doing well.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈 씨, 연락 주셔서 감사합니다.Subin ssi, yeollak jusyeoseo gamsahamnida.Subin, thank you for contacting me.
- 수빈 Su-bin별일 없으신지 궁금했습니다.byeolil eopseusinji gunggeumhaesseumnida.I was wondering if everything was okay with you.
- 도현 Do-hyeon덕분에 아주 잘 지내고 있습니다.deokbun-e aju jal jinaego itseumnida.Thanks to you, I am doing very well.
