Essential Korean Greetings
First impressions run on greetings. This guide covers 15 Korean greetings — from casual hellos to polite goodbyes — each with romanization, a sounds-like hint and example sentences you can use immediately.
Saying hello
One greeting covers Korea from dawn to midnight: 안녕하세요. Add your name after it and you've already made a first impression.
-
안녕하세요 annyeonghaseyo Hello
Works at any time of day — Korean gets by fine without a real 'good afternoon.'
-
좋은 아침 joeun achim Good morning
-
만나서 반가워요 mannaseo bangawoyo Nice to meet you
-
안녕하세요, 저는 민수입니다. annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun minsuimnida Hello, I'm Minsu — swap in your own name
One level fits all
Korean has several speech levels, but you only need one to start: the polite -요 (-yo) form used all over this page. Save the bare 안녕 (annyeong) for close friends and kids — with everyone else, 안녕하세요 never misses.
How are you?
Koreans ask 잘 지내세요? — literally 'are you getting along well?' The reply reuses the same verb, so one pattern buys you both sides of the exchange.
-
잘 지내세요? jal jinaeseyo? How are you?
-
잘 지내요 jal jinaeyo I'm doing well
-
안녕하세요, 오랜만이에요! annyeonghaseyo, oraenmanieyo Hello, long time no see!
Thanks, sorry, excuse me
Gratitude and apology both come in two strengths in Korean. The formal versions are never wrong, so learn those first and relax.
-
감사합니다 gamsahamnida Thank you
-
천만에요 cheonmaneyo You're welcome
In real life Koreans more often wave thanks off with 아니에요 — 'it's nothing.'
-
미안해요 mianhaeyo Sorry
-
죄송합니다 joesonghamnida I'm sorry (formal)
-
실례해요 sillyehaeyo Excuse me
Two goodbyes
Korean splits 'goodbye' by who walks away: 안녕히 가세요 ('go in peace') to the person leaving, 안녕히 계세요 ('stay in peace') when you're the one heading out.
-
안녕히 가세요 annyeonghi gaseyo Goodbye (to someone leaving)
-
안녕히 계세요 annyeonghi gyeseyo Goodbye (to someone staying)
-
잘 자요 jal jayo Good night
Who's leaving?
At a shop door, you're leaving and the clerk is staying — so you say 안녕히 계세요, and they send you off with 안녕히 가세요. If everyone is leaving, like after dinner out, it's 안녕히 가세요 all around.
In real life: first day, first meeting
안녕하세요, 저는 민수입니다. annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun minsuimnida
Hello, I'm Minsu.
만나서 반가워요, 많이 들었어요. mannaseo bangawoyo, mani deureosseoyo
Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you.
만나서 반가워요! 잘 부탁드려요. mannaseo bangawoyo! jal butakdeuryeoyo
Nice to meet you! Please look out for me.
안녕히 가세요, 내일 봐요! annyeonghi gaseyo, naeil bwayo
Goodbye, see you tomorrow!
Test yourself
Tap the meaning of each Korean phrase — answers reveal instantly.
Want a bigger challenge?
Take the full Korean vocabulary quiz
Frequently asked questions
How do I greet someone politely in Korean?
Match the greeting to the situation: the list above runs from everyday hellos to time-specific and formal greetings. When in doubt, choose the more polite option — it is never rude to be too respectful.
How do I pronounce these Korean phrases?
Every phrase comes with romanization — the phrase spelled out in Latin letters. Read it out loud slowly, then work up to the rhythm of the full phrase. Native speakers care far more about confidence and context than perfect pronunciation.
What is the best way to memorize these phrases?
Little and often beats cramming. Review a handful of phrases a day, say them out loud, and revisit them tomorrow. The Pretalk app turns lists like this one into bite-size lessons with spaced review, so the phrases actually stick.
More Korean phrases
Greetings phrases in other languages
Practice Korean on the go
Turn these phrases into real conversations. Learn Korean in five-minute lessons with Pretalk — free on iOS and Android.
