안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
The English phrase 'hi' is translated to Korean as 안녕 (annyeong).
안녕 is a casual way to say 'hi' in Korean, used among friends, family or close colleagues.
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?
In informal settings, the form 안녕 can be used as both a greeting ('hi') and a parting ('bye').
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For the standard polite form used with strangers or elders, you should use 안녕하세요. An even more formal and respectful way to say 'hi' is 안녕하십니까.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
When do people say it?
For formal greetings, one can bow at around a 15 to 30-degree angle while saying 안녕하세요.
Did you know?
- In Korea, it is common to ask 밥 먹었어? ('Did you eat?') as a greeting similar to 안녕. It is not necessarily an invitation to lunch but a way of showing care for the other person's well-being.
- Using the casual 안녕 with someone even one year older than you can be perceived as rude. In Korean culture, age often dictates which form of 'hi' is appropriate, regardless of how close the friendship is.
- The word 안녕 is composed of two different Chinese characters that both mean 'peace', essentially making the word a double emphasis on tranquility.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hi!Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #2742244 by MTC
- 안녕.Hi.Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #538123 by CM
- 안녕하세요? 저는 [Your Name]입니다.Hello? I am [Your Name].
- 안녕, 어떻게 지내?Hi, how are you?
- 어이, 뭐하니?Hey, what are you up to?
- 안녕, 잘 지냈어?annyeong, jal jinaesseo?Hi, have you been doing well?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin meet at a cafe.
- 민준 Min-jun안녕, 수빈아!annyeong, subin-a!Hi, Subin!
- 수빈 Su-bin안녕, 민준아. 오랜만이야.annyeong, minjun-a. oraenmaniya.Hi, Minjun. It's been a long time.
- 민준 Min-jun응, 정말 오랜만이다.eung, jeongmal oraenmanida.Yeah, it really has been a while.
- 수빈 Su-bin커피 마시러 왔어?keopi masireo wasseo?Did you come to drink coffee?
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.
