The best impression is the first one, and simply saying hello in Korean or good morning can impress a romantic interest, coworker, or potential friend.

In Korean, “안녕하세요” (annyeong haseyo) means “hello” and conveys “to be at peace”. Other ways to say hello are “안녕하십니까” (formal), “안녕” (informal, also means “bye”), and “여보세요” (when answering the phone).

However, sometimes using just one word to greet someone can make them think you’re a tourist.

So we’ve put together a guide on how to say hello in Korean plus 20 advanced ways (like how are you ) so that you can say “hi in Korean” to anyone like a real native.

Alright world, it’s time to dig in.

How to say hello in Korean language?

안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo)is the standard and respected way of saying hello in Korean, literally meaning “to do peace” or “to have peace”. 안녕 (annyeong) is the informal way of saying hello in the Korean language, meaning peace, and it’s equivalent to “hi in Korean.” The formal way to say “hello” is 안녕하십니까? (Annyeonghasimnikka). This is often used in announcements, speeches, or on the news.

Here’s how to say hello in Korean in casual, formal, and polite situations.

안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo)- The standard way to say hello in Korean.
안녕 (annyeong)—say hello in Korean to friends.
녕하십니까 (annyeong hasimnikka)—the formal way to hello in Korean
여보세요 (yeoboseyo)-“Hello” when answering the phone.

안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo)- The standard way to say hello in Korean

This is the most common standard way to say hello in Korean is 안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo) literally means “to do peace” or “to have peace”. It is made up of two words, which are 안녕 (annyeong) means “well-being” or “peace”, while 하세요 (haseyo) comes from the Korean verb 하다 (hada), meaning “to do”. It’s similar to asking, “Have you been doing well?”. You can use 안녕하세요 in any situation, like with your teacher, with coworkers, or when you greet someone as you walk into a store or restaurant, with strangers.

You can use the Formal ‘hello’ [안녕하세요] in these situations

Used between adults at the first meeting or strangers
Used by adults in formal settings
Used you are talking to someone older or higher in rank
Used by children when speaking to adults.
Used with coworkers
Used to greet someone as you walk into a store or restaurant,

안녕하세요 can be used as both a question and an answer almost as though asking “Are you doing well?”

You can use 안녕하세요 is used in question form, which literally means “Are you at peace?”. You can simply reply, “예 (ye)[ with the Korean word for yes], 안녕하세요 (ne, annyeong haseyo) means” yes, I’m doing well.”

Hello In Korean Informal(안녕)- ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye?| How to say hi in Korean language

안녕 (annyeong) is the informal way of saying hello in the Korean language. It means peace and it’s basically equivalent to “hi in Korean.” You can only use it when talking to someone you’re close to or someone who’s younger than you. Additionally, 안녕 (annyeong) is an informal way to say “goodbye” in Korean.

You can use the informal ‘hello’ is 안녕 in these situations

Used between children
Used between young friends
Used between siblings, parents, and children (an adult in his or her 30’s is unlikely to use 안녕 to their parents.)
Used between adult females. (adults over the age of 30, it’s only used between women)

The main reason why adults, particularly men in their 40’s and over, don’t use 안녕 (annyeong) is that 안녕 is primarily used by children in Korea, and in a conservative society like Korea, it would be inappropriate for a male adult to use an expression that is used mainly by children.

안녕 (annyeong) is an informal way to say “goodbye” in Korean and it means ‘hello ‘and ‘goodbye’ but 안녕하세요 doesn’t mean goodbye. It is translated as “hello.”

The polite form of goodbye in Korean is 안녕히 계세요 (an-nyeong-hi-ge-se-yo) which means “please stay comfortable”.

If you can’t remember any other way or aren’t sure what to use in a certain situation, it is time to say cheers with 안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo)

How to say hello In Korean Formal|안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka)

안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka) is a formal way of saying hello in Korean. 안녕 means “peace” and 하십니까 the honorific form. You can use this phrase by businesses to greet their customer, on a flight on a Korean airline.

But natives rarely say 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka).

When someone greets you using this expression, you can reply with 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka).

Where to use 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka).

Used by businesses to greet their customers.
used in announcements, speeches, or on the news in South Korea.

야! (Ya!)| How to say hello in Korean In internet/chat slang form:

You can use “야! (Ya!) to say hello in Korean to someone while chatting. Young Koreans in their teens and twenties often use it, which means something similar to “yo” in English. It is basically a slang word, so be sure to use it with close friends or people younger than you.

How to Say Hello in Korean on the Phone| The correct meaning of 여보세요 [yeoboseyo]

The correct meaning of 여보세요 [yeoboseyo] hello in Korean while answering the phone, even if you don’t know who the caller is. It is a polite way. You can use it with friends, family, and strangers.

안녕 (annyeong)is hello or goodbye| The basic difference between 안녕 (annyeong) and 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo)?

The basic difference between 안녕 (annyeong) and 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is that 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is the more formal and polite way to greet someone. 안녕 (annyeong) is the informal version that is used with people you are close with.

How to write “hello” in Korean

To write “hello” in English using the Korean alphabet, you can write 헬로 (hello). You can write 안녕하세요 for annyeonghaseyo which means hello.

If you want to write it in a more formal way, you can write 안녕하십니까 for annyeonghasimnikka.

How to Say “Hello” in Korean: 10+ Ways to Greet People in Korean

To get you started though, here’s a quick list of Korean greetings:

“Hello” (polite): 안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo)
“Hi” / “Hello” (casual): 안녕 (annyeong)
“Good day” / “Hello” (formal): 녕하십니까 (annyeong hasimnikka)
“Hello” when answering the phone: 여보세요 (yeoboseyo)
“Good morning”: 좋은아침이에요 (joeun achimieyo)
“Long time no see” (polite): 오랜만이에요 (oraenmanieyo)
“Nice to meet you” (formal): 만나서 반갑습니다 (mannaseo bangapseumnida)
“What’s up?”: 무슨 일이야? (museun ir-iya?)
“How are you?”: 어떻게 지내세요? (eotteoke jinaeseyo?)
“Did you eat?”: 밥 먹었어? (bab meogeoss-eo?)
“Yo!”: 야! (Ya!)
“Please look after me”: 잘부탁드립니다 (jalbutag deurimnida)

How to Greet People in Korea? Correct Ways of Greetings [Korean Culture]

How To Learn hello in Korean language Fast and Never Forget It?

Now that you have the basics down, it’s time for some practice.

Here is a list of websites I used when I was learning hi in Korean

And it might help you too. Be sure to check it out.

Anki Isn’t The Only Game In Town. just sing a children’s song

Did you know you can sing a song and master the hello in Korean?

Well, what could be better than that?

Here is how Koreans do it all the time (now you can do it too!!!)

if learning Korean greetings songs don’t suit you,

Maybe the song is not your thing. What about flashcards?

Use flashcards and Test

I know it’s an old thing(you might be using Anki too)

But When it comes to mastering Korean vocabulary, you will never regret using these fellas.

Here are some other great resources for flashcards I found while I was learning Korean online

https://www.cram.com/flashcards/sino-Korean-numbers-3251464

https://app.memrise.com/course/370118/learn-Korean-numbers/25/

https://quizlet.com/35019815/sino-Korean-numbers-flash-cards/

Other Online Resources

We live in the era of the 20th century.

And I bet you love to surf (well, who doesn’t?)

The internet is full of free stuff and language resources that you haven’t explored yet. Here is what I found when I was learning.

Here is a list (I hope it might help you).

Want to practice and remember all the phrases you have just learned? Here are some of the resources I found on the web

https://quizlet.com/571540853/good-morningnight-in-Korean-flash-cards/

https://www.studystack.com/flashcard-100724

https://quizlet.com/210349792/Korean-greetings-flash-cards/

Conclusion

Great job. You finally know how to say hello in the Korean language.

The examples listed above aren’t the only ways that one can say hello in Korean, there are several others that you may hear or know. It is important that you consider which way of saying hello is appropriate to the situation that you are in, otherwise, it could become rather awkward.

I get it

It can be hard to remember which phrase to say and when to use it, but as long as you understand that잘 자 (jal ja) is only used to say hi in Korean to a friend or someone younger than you.

Because All these Korean greetings are widely used and accepted in Korea

Well, it’s time for you to apply it in real life and improve your pronunciation.

So go out and next time you meet a Korean speaker, Be sure to greet them.

If you want to look further into greetings in Korean, here is a list of articles that can help you:

Here are some recommended lessons:

That’s it for today’s lesson. I hope you enjoyed it

Hello in Korean Made Easy|Learn Korean Greetings(+Audio)

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