Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠sʰe̞jo] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | polite |
| 안녕하십니까 | annyeonghasimnikka | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠ɕʰimnik͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | formal |
| 안녕 | annyeong | [a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | informal |
The phrase is used as a greeting. The form 안녕 can mean hi or hey in casual settings. In digital contexts like texting or online chats, you may also see the shortened version 안뇽.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 literally means peace or well-being.
Which one should you use?
The highly formal 안녕하십니까 is used in professional settings or news broadcasts. In contrast, 안녕하세요 is the standard polite version for daily use. The short form 안녕 is intended only for close friends or people younger than you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
안녕하십니까 is a very formal version used for people of high authority or in very polite situations. 안녕하세요 is a common polite greeting. 안녕 is an informal greeting for friends, colleagues or people of the same age group. For texting, 안뇽 is an informal, shortened version of 안녕.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeonghaseyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the short form 안녕 with strangers or superiors, as this is considered rude.
Did you know?
- While 안녕하세요 is the standard 'hello', Koreans may avoid it in favor of asking 밥 먹었어? meaning 'Did you eat?' to show care and closeness.
- While 안녕 is used to say 'hello', it is also the standard way to say 'goodbye' when speaking casually to friends.
- In Korea, a bow usually accompanies 안녕하세요. The depth of the bow changes depending on whether you use the polite 안녕하세요 or the very formal 안녕하십니까.
Examples in context
- 안녕!Hello!This example shows the use of the informal 안녕.Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #373330 by CK
- 안녕.Hello.Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #1858850 by LanguageExpert
- 또 안녕.Hello again.Tatoeba #11104741 by intertime, translation #1764868 by Amastan
- 선생님, 안녕하세요?Teacher, hello?
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dohyeon and Subin meet in a hallway.
- 도현 Do-hyeon안녕하세요, 수빈 씨.annyeonghaseyo, Subin ssi.Hello, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin아, 도현 씨! 안녕하세요.a, Dohyeon ssi! annyeonghaseyo.Oh, Dohyeon! Hello.
- 도현 Do-hyeon잘 지냈어요?jal jinaesseoyo?Have you been well?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 잘 지냈어요.ne, jal jinaesseoyo.Yes, I have been well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 안녕하세요, 안녕하십니까, 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
