잘 다녀왔어요
jal danyeowasseoyo
The phrase "welcome home" in Korean is 잘 다녀왔어요 (jal danyeowasseoyo).
Meaning: welcome home (phrase)
Which one should you use?
While 어서 오세요 is the standard translation for "welcome", it is used for customers entering a shop or guests arriving at a building, not for a family member returning home.
How do you pronounce it?
jal danyeowasseoyo
Did you know?
- The phrase 잘 다녀왔어요 is often used as a response by the person arriving rather than a greeting by the person staying. When a family member walks through the door, it is actually very common for the returning person to say it themselves to signal they have returned safely.
- The verb stem 다녀오다 is a compound of 'to go' and 'to come'. It is a single functional unit in Korean that describes the entire cycle of leaving and returning.
- Using 어서 오세요 to a family member is so jarring that it is often used as a joke or a sarcastic way to signal that the person is in trouble.
Examples in context
- 어서 와! 오늘은 뭐 했어?Welcome home! What did you do today?
Example conversation
Minjun arrives home from a trip.
- 민준 Min-jun잘 다녀왔어요!jal danyeowasseoyo!I'm home!
- 민지 Min-ji어서 오세요, 민준 씨.eoseo oseyo, Minjun ssi.Welcome home, Minjun.
- 민준 Min-jun집이 정말 그리웠어요.jibi jeongmal geuriwosseoyo.I really missed home.
- 민지 Min-ji고생 많았어요.gosaeng manasseoyo.You've worked hard.
