What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 잘 가 literally means "go well", where 잘 means "well" and 가 is the informal command form of "to go".
Which one should you use?
잘 가 is the informal version. For a more polite way to say "go well" to someone older or of higher status, you should use 잘 가세요. If you want to specifically wish someone a safe or enjoyable trip, you might use more descriptive phrases like 여행 안전하게 다녀오세요 (Have a safe journey) or 즐거운 여행 되세요 (Have an enjoyable journey).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
잘 가 is strictly informal and should only be used with close friends, siblings or people younger than you. For a polite version, add the honorific suffix -세요 to get 잘 가세요.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 잘 가 is the informal imperative form. Adding -요 to make it 잘 가요 makes it polite but still relatively casual.
How do you pronounce it?
jal ga
Did you know?
- While 잘 가 is used for someone leaving, Koreans use a completely different phrase 잘 있어 for the person staying behind.
- In Korean, the way you wish someone a safe journey changes entirely depending on whether you focus on the 'going' or the 'returning' part of the trip.
- The verb 가 used in 잘 가 is written with the very first consonant ㄱ and the very first vowel ㅏ in the order of the Korean alphabet.
Examples in context
- 영재 씨, 여행 안전하게 다녀오세요Yeongjae, have a safe journey.
- 영희야, 여행 잘 다녀와Yeonghui, have a good trip.
- 엄마, 마음 놓고 여행 다녀와Mom, have a worry-free trip.
- 잘 가.jal ga.Safe journey.
- 집에 잘 가.jibe jal ga.Get home safely.
- 조심히 잘 가.joshimhi jal ga.Go safely and well.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Seoyeon are parting ways at a subway station.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연아, 이제 가야겠다.Seoyeon-ah, ije gayagetda.Seoyeon, I should get going now.
- 서연 Seo-yeon응, 현우야, 잘 가.Eung, Hyunwoo-ya, jal ga.Okay, Hyunwoo, safe journey.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그래, 내일 봐!Geurae, naeil bwa!Okay, see you tomorrow!
- 서연 Seo-yeon응, 내일 봐.Eung, naeil bwa.Yeah, see you tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 잘 가, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 가, 잘, 잘 가, CC BY-SA 4.0.
