Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 오랜만이에요 | oraenmanieyo | informal, polite | |
| 오래간만입니다 | oraeganmanimnida | [o̞ɾɛɡa̠nma̠nimnida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [o̞ɾe̞ɡa̠nma̠nimnida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
formal, polite |
| 오랜만 | oraenman | [o̞ɾɛnma̠n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [o̞ɾe̞nma̠n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
informal |
This phrase is commonly used as a standalone greeting when meeting someone after a period of absence, much like asking "How have you been?"
What does it mean word for word?
The core of the phrase is the noun 오랜만 (oraenman), which literally refers to a long interval of time since the last occurrence of something.
Which one should you use?
Use 오랜만이에요 to be polite to acquaintances or people older than you, whereas 오랜만 is used only with close friends or people younger than you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For business settings or public speeches, use the most formal version, 오래간만입니다. For very close friends or people younger than you, you may use the informal forms 오랜만 or 오랜만이야.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the phrase in a casual, intimate way with close friends, you can add the casual ending –이야 to the noun to get 오랜만이야.
How do you pronounce it?
oraenmanieyo
Did you know?
- If you use 오랜만이야 with a superior, it is not just 'informal' but can be perceived as a serious breach of etiquette or even an insult.
- When meeting someone after a very long time, Koreans might say 얼마만이야! to express a sense of disbelief or shock at how much time has passed.
- While 'long time no see' is a greeting, in Korean, the word 만 (man) in 오랜만 actually functions as a particle meaning 'only' or 'just' in many other contexts.
Examples in context
- 오랜만!Long time no see!This example shows a very short, informal way to say "Long time no see!" using 오랜만.Tatoeba #13194521 by atitarev, translation #1230521 by alec
- 오랜만이에요.Long time no see.This example shows how to say "Long time no see." using 오랜만.Tatoeba #13117704 by atitarev, translation #2862873 by rsankarpillai
- 안녕하세요! 오랜만입니다.Hello! Long time no see.
- 네, 안녕하세요? 오래간만이에요.Yes, hello? Long time no see.
- 어이! 오랜만이야!Hey! Long time no see!
- 어, 그래? 정말 오랜만이구나.Oh, really? It's been a long time.
- 정말 오랜만이에요.jeongmal oraenmanieyo.It has really been a long time.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jihoon and Jieun meet by chance at a cafe.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지은 씨, 정말 오랜만이에요!Jieun ssi, jeongmal oraenmanieyo!Jieun, it has been a long time!
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 맞아요. 정말 오랜만이에요.Jihoon ssi, majayo. jeongmal oraenmanieyo.Jihoon, you're right. It has been a long time.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그동안 잘 지냈어요?Geudong-an jal jinaesseoyo?How have you been?
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 잘 지냈어요.Ne, jal jinaesseoyo.Yes, I have been well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “long time no see” translations and entries 오래간만입니다, 오랜만, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
