안녕
annyeong[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋ]
The Korean phrase for an informal hello is 안녕 (annyeong).
안녕 is a casual greeting used to say hello to friends or people younger than the speaker. In informal settings, it can be used both as a greeting when arriving and as a farewell when leaving to say 'hi' or 'bye'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 안녕 literally means 'peace' or 'well-being'.
Which one should you use?
While 안녕 is used for casual situations, you should use the polite form 안녕하세요 instead when speaking to elders, strangers or in a professional setting.
How do you pronounce it?
annyeong
Did you know?
- If you use 안녕 with someone who is actually older than you, it is not just considered 'informal', it is seen as a direct social insult or a sign of extreme disrespect.
- The word 안녕 is composed of two different Chinese characters that both mean 'peace', creating a redundant emphasis on stability and tranquility.
- In the 'banmal' system of speech, using 안녕 without the polite ending is a linguistic marker that the speaker has decided to 'drop the honorifics' and enter a closer social bond.
Examples in context
- 안녕, 친구야!annyeong, chin-gu-ya!Hello, my friend!
- 잘 있었어? 안녕!jal isseosseo? annyeong!Have you been well? Hi!
- 지훈아, 안녕!Jihoon-a, annyeong!Hi, Jihoon!
Example conversation
Jihoon meets Subin at a park.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈아, 안녕!Subin-a, annyeong!Hi, Subin!
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈아, 안녕! 오랜만이야.Jihoon-a, annyeong! oraenmaniya.Hi, Jihoon! It's been a long time.
- 지훈 Ji-hun응, 진짜 오랜만이다.eung, jinjja oraenmanida.Yeah, it really has been a long time.
- 수빈 Su-bin그동안 잘 지냈어?geudong-an jal jinaesseo?Have you been doing well?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
