Korean Greetings: Everyday Courteous Phrases in Hangul
In Korean culture, greetings express respect and warmth. Learning full courteous expressions rather than isolated words helps you communicate naturally and politely with native speakers right from the start.
See the sound, tap the matching Hangul letter.
Essential Daily Greeting Phrases
Korean uses specific expressions depending on whether people are meeting, leaving, or wishing each other well throughout the day. The most standard courteous greeting is 안녕하세요, which literally asks whether the other person has peace.
Understanding Korean Honorifics and Polite Speech
Korean speech is divided into different politeness levels known as jondaetmal for respectful speech and banmal for casual speech. When interacting with elders, teachers, colleagues, or strangers, polite language is standard. Politeness is primarily marked through verb and adjective suffixes.
The two most prevalent polite endings in contemporary Korean are the formal ending -ㅂ니다 / -습니다 (-mnida / -seumnida) and the standard polite ending -아/어요 (-a/eoyo). The formal style sounds dignified, professional, and crisp, making it frequent in presentations, military contexts, and formal announcements. The standard -요 style is softer, friendly, and courteous, widely spoken in daily conversations among adults.
Grammar and Word Breakdown of Greetings
| Phrase | Word Breakdown | Literal Meaning | Natural English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | 안녕 (peace) + 하세요 (please do) | Are you doing peacefully? | Hello / How are you? |
| 반갑습니다 | 반갑다 (to be glad) + 습니다 (formal ending) | I am glad | Nice to meet you |
| 안녕히 가세요 | 안녕히 (peacefully) + 가세요 (please go) | Please go in peace | Goodbye (when you stay) |
| 안녕히 계세요 | 안녕히 (peacefully) + 계세요 (please stay) | Please stay in peace | Goodbye (when you leave) |
| 좋은 아침이에요 | 좋은 (good) + 아침 (morning) + 이에요 (is) | It is a good morning | Good morning |
| 오랜만이에요 | 오랜만 (long time) + 이에요 (is) | It is after a long time | Long time no see |
| 어떻게 지내세요 | 어떻게 (how) + 지내다 (spend time) + 세요 (honorific) | How are you spending time? | How have you been? |
| 잘 지내요 | 잘 (well) + 지내요 (spend time) | I spend time well | I am doing well |
| 내일 또 만나요 | 내일 (tomorrow) + 또 (again) + 만나요 (let us meet) | Let us meet again tomorrow | See you tomorrow |
| 주말 잘 보내세요 | 주말 (weekend) + 잘 (well) + 보내세요 (please spend) | Please spend the weekend well | Have a great weekend |
Notice the subtle difference between 안녕히 가세요 and 안녕히 계세요. If you are staying at a venue while a guest departs, tell them to go peacefully with 가세요. If you are departing while the other party remains, wish them to remain peacefully with 계세요. Remembering this distinction demonstrates cultural awareness and precision.