What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 항상 (always) and 행복하세요 (be happy/please be happy).
Which one should you use?
Other forms exist depending on the setting. 항상 행복하시길 바랍니다 and 행복하시기 바랍니다 focus on conveying the desire for the person's happiness, and 항상 행복하자 means "let's always be happy."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 항상 행복하세요 is in the polite style, making it suitable for most social situations with people you are not intimately close to. For more formal settings, such as a speech or a written letter to a superior, you can use the highly formal 항상 행복하십시오 or 행복하시기 바랍니다. Conversely, 항상 행복해 is an informal version used with close friends or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version 항상 행복해 is used specifically with close friends or people younger than you. For a highly formal setting, use 항상 행복하십시오.
How do you pronounce it?
hangsang haengbokhaseyo
When do people say it?
People often use this phrase as a closing sentiment in letters or cards, or when parting ways with someone, to express a sincere wish for their continued well-being. You may also encounter the phrase 즐겁게 살아! which means "live happily!"
Did you know?
- While 항상 행복하세요 is polite, using it with someone of significantly higher social rank can sometimes feel overly prescriptive, as you are technically telling them to 'be' something. In extremely formal hierarchies, Koreans often prefer the phrasing 행복하시길 바랍니다 to frame it as a hope rather than a request.
- In Korean culture, wishes for happiness like 항상 행복하세요 are frequently paired with the physical gesture of a slight bow. The depth of the bow changes based on which version of the phrase is used, from a nod for 항상 행복해 to a deep bow for 항상 행복하십시오.
- The word 항상 ('always') is a Sino-Korean word formed by combining two different characters, 恒 and 常, both of which independently mean 'always' or 'constant'.
Examples in context
- 할머니, 행복하시기 바랍니다.Grandma, I hope you stay happy.
- 민지야, 항상 행복하자!Minji, let's always be happy!
- 항상 행복하세요.hangsang haengbokhaseyo.Stay happy always.
- 가족 모두 항상 행복하세요.gajok modu hangsang haengbokhaseyo.I hope your whole family stays happy always.
- 새해에는 항상 행복하세요.saehaeyeneun hangsang haengbokhaseyo.May you stay happy always in the new year.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo is saying goodbye to Subin as she moves to a new city.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨, 새로운 곳에서도 항상 행복하세요.Subin-ssi, saeroun goseseodo hangsang haengbokhaseyo.Subin, please stay happy always even in your new place.
- 수빈 Su-bin고마워요, 현우 씨도 항상 행복하세요.Gomawoyo, Hyunwoo-ssido hangsang haengbokhaseyo.Thank you, Hyunwoo, please stay happy always too.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 꼭 그럴게요.Ne, kkok geureolgeyo.Yes, I definitely will.
- 수빈 Su-bin조심히 가세요.Josimhi gaseyo.Go safely.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 항상, CC BY-SA 4.0.
