Korean Greeting Phrases: Everything from 안녕 to 어서 오세요
Learn all the essential Korean greetings — hellos, goodbyes, formal and casual — with pronunciation and real examples from K-dramas.
Greetings are the gateway to Korean. They're the first thing you hear in every drama, the first thing you try to say, and they reveal a lot about Korean culture — respect for age, awareness of context, and the warmth beneath formal surfaces. Let's go far beyond just '안녕하세요'.
Basic Hellos
Korean has different hellos for different levels of formality. The choice isn't just about being polite — it signals your relationship with the person.
Hello. (standard polite)
안녕하세요, 처음 뵙겠습니다.
An-nyeong-ha-se-yo, cheo-eum boep-get-seum-ni-da.
Hello, it's nice to meet you for the first time.
Add 처음 뵙겠습니다 when meeting someone new
Hello. (very formal — business/news)
시청자 여러분, 안녕하십니까?
Si-cheong-ja yeo-reo-bun, an-nyeong-ha-sim-ni-kka?
Viewers, hello!
Hear this constantly in office/political dramas
Hey / Bye. (casual, between friends)
야, 안녕! 오랜만이다!
Ya, an-nyeong! O-raen-man-i-da!
Hey! It's been a while!
Used for both hello and goodbye in casual contexts
Oh, you're here? (very casual acknowledgment)
어, 왔어? 기다렸어.
Eo, wat-seo? Gi-da-ryeot-seo.
Oh, you came? I was waiting.
How close friends/family greet each other at home in dramas
Saying Goodbye
Korean goodbyes distinguish between the person leaving and the person staying — which makes them more nuanced than English 'goodbye'.
Goodbye. (said to the person leaving — 'go peacefully')
안녕히 가세요! 조심히 들어가세요.
An-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo! Jo-sim-hi deul-eo-ga-se-yo.
Goodbye! Get home safely.
The person staying says this
Goodbye. (said to the person staying — 'stay peacefully')
그럼 저 먼저 가볼게요. 안녕히 계세요.
Geu-reom jeo meon-jeo ga-bol-ge-yo. An-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo.
Then I'll head out first. Goodbye.
The person leaving says this
Take care. / Go well. (casual)
Go carefully. / Get home safe. (casual)
늦었네. 조심히 가.
Neut-eot-ne. Jo-sim-hi ga.
It's late. Get home safe.
Showing care as someone leaves late at night — very common in dramas
Time-Based Greetings
These greetings change based on when you're saying them. They're common in workplace dramas.
Good morning.
You've worked hard. / Great work today. (end of workday)
오늘도 수고하셨습니다!
O-neul-do su-go-ha-syeot-seum-ni-da!
Great work today too!
Said by senior to junior, or everyone to each other at end of shift
Keep up the good work. / Take care. (to someone continuing to work)
Sleep well. / Good night. (casual)
Sleep well. / Good night. (polite)
Situational Greetings
These greetings are tied to specific situations — entering a home, returning somewhere, welcoming a customer. They feel very 'Korean' and appear throughout dramas.
I'm home. / I'm back. (upon returning)
다녀왔습니다! 배고파.
Da-nyeo-wat-seum-ni-da! Bae-go-pa.
I'm home! I'm hungry.
Said every time you return home — responses below
Welcome back. (casual response when someone comes home)
Welcome! (to a store, restaurant, etc.)
어서 오세요, 몇 분이세요?
Eo-seo o-se-yo, myeot bun-i-se-yo?
Welcome, how many are in your party?
Heard constantly when characters enter cafés or restaurants in dramas
Please take care of me. / I look forward to working with you.
앞으로 잘 부탁드립니다.
Ap-eu-ro jal bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da.
I look forward to working with you from now on.
Said at the start of any new relationship — job, team, partnership
FAQ
Why do Koreans bow when greeting?▾
What does '잘 있었어?' mean vs '잘 지냈어?'▾
Practice with Scenarios
🎬Practice in a Scenario →
Practice greetings in the context of a first meeting at a bookstore.