Korean Greetings: Essential Vocabulary & Phrases for Beginners
Learning Korean vocabulary greetings is your first step toward natural conversations in Korean. Whether you're planning a trip to South Korea or connecting with Korean speakers, mastering these essential greetings will help you make a great first impression.
Essential Greetings Vocabulary
These core Korean words for greetings form the foundation of everyday interactions. Korean greetings often vary based on formality level, so pay attention to when each is appropriate.
| Word | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | an-nyeong-ha-se-yo | Hello (polite) | 안녕하세요, 만나서 반갑습니다. – Hello, nice to meet you. |
| 안녕 | an-nyeong | Hi / Bye (casual) | 안녕, 잘 지냈어? – Hi, have you been well? |
| 안녕히 가세요 | an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo | Goodbye (to someone leaving) | 안녕히 가세요, 조심히 가세요. – Goodbye, go safely. |
| 안녕히 계세요 | an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo | Goodbye (when you're leaving) | 저 먼저 갈게요. 안녕히 계세요. – I'll go first. Goodbye. |
| 좋은 아침이에요 | jo-eun a-chim-i-e-yo | Good morning | 좋은 아침이에요! 잘 잤어요? – Good morning! Did you sleep well? |
| 반갑습니다 | ban-gap-seum-ni-da | Nice to meet you (formal) | 처음 뵙겠습니다. 반갑습니다. – How do you do. Nice to meet you. |
| 반가워요 | ban-ga-wo-yo | Nice to meet you (polite) | 드디어 만났네요, 반가워요! – We finally met, nice to meet you! |
| 잘 지내세요? | jal ji-nae-se-yo | How are you? (polite) | 오랜만이에요. 잘 지내세요? – It's been a while. How are you? |
| 오랜만이에요 | o-raen-man-i-e-yo | Long time no see | 와, 오랜만이에요! 어떻게 지냈어요? – Wow, long time no see! How have you been? |
| 여보세요 | yeo-bo-se-yo | Hello (on the phone) | 여보세요, 거기 김 선생님 댁이에요? – Hello, is this Mr. Kim's residence? |
| 실례합니다 | shil-lye-ham-ni-da | Excuse me (formal) | 실례합니다, 잠깐 여쭤봐도 될까요? – Excuse me, may I ask you something? |
| 저기요 | jeo-gi-yo | Excuse me (to get attention) | 저기요, 주문할게요. – Excuse me, I'd like to order. |
| 수고하세요 | su-go-ha-se-yo | Keep up the good work / Goodbye (to workers) | 감사합니다, 수고하세요! – Thank you, keep up the good work! |
| 다녀오겠습니다 | da-nyeo-o-get-seum-ni-da | I'll be back (when leaving home) | 엄마, 다녀오겠습니다! – Mom, I'm heading out! |
| 다녀왔습니다 | da-nyeo-wat-seum-ni-da | I'm back (returning home) | 다녀왔습니다! 오늘 많이 피곤해요. – I'm back! I'm really tired today. |
| 잘 자요 | jal ja-yo | Good night / Sleep well | 내일 봐요, 잘 자요. – See you tomorrow, good night. |
Common Korean Greetings Phrases
Beyond single words, these common Korean greetings phrases will help you sound more natural in conversation. Koreans appreciate when learners use complete expressions rather than just basic vocabulary.
- 만나서 반갑습니다 (man-na-seo ban-gap-seum-ni-da) – Nice to meet you (literally: "Meeting you, I am glad")
- 잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meok-get-seum-ni-da) – I will eat well (said before a meal, like "bon appétit")
- 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meo-geot-seum-ni-da) – I ate well (said after a meal to express gratitude)
- 어서 오세요 (eo-seo o-se-yo) – Welcome (said to greet customers or guests)
- 처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheo-eum boep-get-seum-ni-da) – How do you do (very formal first meeting)
- 좋은 하루 되세요 (jo-eun ha-ru doe-se-yo) – Have a nice day
- 건강하세요 (geon-gang-ha-se-yo) – Stay healthy (caring farewell)
- 또 봐요 (tto bwa-yo) – See you again
Usage Notes
When you learn Korean greetings, understanding the cultural context is just as important as memorizing vocabulary. Here are key points to remember:
- Formality matters: Korean has multiple speech levels. Use -습니다/ㅂ니다 endings with strangers, elders, and in professional settings. The -요 form is polite but slightly less formal. The casual form (no ending) is only for close friends of similar age or younger.
- Bowing accompanies greetings: A slight bow (15-30 degrees) accompanies most polite greetings. Deeper bows show more respect.
- Two goodbyes: Unlike English, Korean distinguishes between the person leaving (who says 안녕히 계세요) and the person staying (who says 안녕히 가세요). If both people are leaving, both say 안녕히 가세요.
- Phone greetings are different: Never use 안녕하세요 to answer the phone—always use 여보세요.
- Time-specific greetings are rare: While 좋은 아침이에요 exists, Koreans typically just use 안녕하세요 regardless of time of day.
- 수고하세요 is versatile: This phrase acknowledges someone's work and serves as a goodbye to service workers, colleagues, or anyone who helped you.
Practice Sentences
Put your knowledge of Korean vocabulary greetings into practice with these example sentences:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요, 저는 미국에서 왔어요. | An-nyeong-ha-se-yo, jeo-neun mi-guk-e-seo wa-sseo-yo. | Hello, I'm from America. |
| 오랜만이에요! 요즘 어떻게 지내세요? | O-raen-man-i-e-yo! Yo-jeum eo-tteo-ke ji-nae-se-yo? | Long time no see! How have you been lately? |
| 처음 뵙겠습니다. 제 이름은 수진이에요. | Cheo-eum boep-get-seum-ni-da. Je i-reum-eun Su-jin-i-e-yo. | How do you do. My name is Sujin. |
| 저기요, 실례지만 화장실이 어디에요? | Jeo-gi-yo, shil-lye-ji-man hwa-jang-shil-i eo-di-e-yo? | Excuse me, sorry but where is the bathroom? |
| 감사합니다, 좋은 하루 되세요! | Gam-sa-ham-ni-da, jo-eun ha-ru doe-se-yo! | Thank you, have a nice day! |
| 늦어서 죄송합니다. 안녕하세요. | Neu-jeo-seo joe-song-ham-ni-da. An-nyeong-ha-se-yo. | Sorry I'm late. Hello. |
| 벌써 가세요? 안녕히 가세요! | Beol-sseo ga-se-yo? An-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo! | You're leaving already? Goodbye! |
| 내일 또 만나요. 잘 자요! | Nae-il tto man-na-yo. Jal ja-yo! | Let's meet again tomorrow. Good night! |
Mastering these common Korean greetings phrases will give you the confidence to start conversations and navigate social situations in Korean. Practice these daily, and soon they'll become second nature!