How to Say "Hi" in Korean - How To Say Guide

안녕

annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]

안녕 (annyeong) is the Korean way to say hi.

안녕 is a friendly, informal greeting used to say hi. It should only be used with people of the same age or younger, or very close friends.

Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)

What does it mean word for word?

The word 안녕 literally means peace or well-being.

While 안녕 is used for hi among friends, the form 안녕하세요 is the standard polite way to say hello to elders or strangers.

The word 안녕 can also function as the root for formal farewells, such as 안녕히 가세요, which means go peacefully.

annyeong

While 안녕 is the standard informal greeting, Koreans often greet close friends by asking if they have eaten yet using the phrase 밥 먹었니? This replaces 'hi' as a way to show care and affection.
The word 안녕 consists of two different Chinese characters that both mean 'peace'. This creates a redundant emphasis on tranquility and safety within a single word.
In historical Korean contexts, 안녕 was not a casual 'hi' but a serious inquiry into whether someone had remained safe and healthy during a difficult period.

안녕!
Hi!
This example shows how to use 안녕 as an enthusiastic greeting.
Tatoeba #5548647 by YUJIHEE, translation #2742244 by MTC
안녕.
Hi.
This example shows how to use 안녕 as a simple, calm greeting.
Tatoeba #8355888 by Eunhee, translation #538123 by CM
안녕하세요, 제 이름은 민지예요. 처음 뵙겠습니다.
Hello, my name is Minji. It's nice to meet you.
안녕하세요, 선생님. 오늘 수업은 어떠셨어요?
Good day, teacher. How was today's class?
안녕, 언니! 오랜만이야.
Hi, sis! Long time no see.
안녕, 친구야! 뭐 해?
Hey, buddy! What's up?
안녕, 잘 지냈어?
annyeong, jal jinaesseo?
Hi, how have you been?
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Two friends meet at a cafe.

Sources

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