The key rule: who's leaving, who's staying?
Formal Korean doesn't have a single "goodbye" but TWO, depending on who's going.
• If YOU leave and the other person STAYS: they tell you 안녕히 계세요 ("stay well"). • If YOU stay and the other person LEAVES: you tell them 안녕히 가세요 ("go well").
If both of you leave at the same time, modern usage accepts either, but 안녕히 가세요 sounds slightly more natural.
This is the main mistake English speakers make when learning Korean farewells. Once the logic is clear, the rest is easy.
- 안녕히 가세요annyeonghi gaseyoGoodbye (to the one leaving)(you stay, they leave)
- 안녕히 계세요annyeonghi gyeseyoGoodbye (to the one staying)(you leave, they stay)
안녕, the all-purpose word among close people
안녕 (annyeong) is used both for hello AND goodbye between close friends and with children. Context tells which one.
It's the casual version, only for people the same age as you or younger, or for close family. With a senior, a neighbor you barely know or a shopkeeper, stick with 안녕히 가세요 / 안녕히 계세요.
- 안녕!annyeong!Bye! (when leaving)(between same-age friends)
- 안녕, 내일 봐annyeong, naeil bwaBye, see you tomorrow(casual)
잘 가 and 잘 있어, the casual symmetry
If you want to keep the "leave / stay" distinction in casual speech, use 잘 가 ("go well") and 잘 있어 ("stay well").
These work with close people: friends, siblings, partner. They sound affectionate and natural. Don't use them with someone older or higher in rank, who deserves 안녕히 가세요.
- 잘 가jal gaGo well (to the one leaving)(you stay)
- 잘 있어jal isseoStay well (to the one staying)(you leave)
- 잘 가요jal gayoGo well (polite, not honorific)(polite version with someone close in age)
들어가세요, the "get home safe" you'll hear everywhere
들어가세요 (literally "go inside [your home] well") is probably the most common way Koreans actually end a conversation in real life, especially on the phone or when getting out of a taxi.
It's warmer than a plain 안녕히 가세요 and works in nearly any polite context: at the office, with a client, with a neighbor, at the end of a work call. Koreans use it as a sign of care, regardless of the time of day.
- 들어가세요deureogaseyoGet home safe(ending a call, leaving a shop)
- 조심히 들어가세요josimhi deureogaseyoGet home safely(at night, in bad weather)
See you soon, see you tomorrow, until next time
When you plan on seeing the person again, you say so. Korean simply tweaks the verb 보다 (to see) or 만나다 (to meet) depending on when.
The element 다음 ("next time") shows up in nearly all of these. Very common.
- 또 봐요tto bwayoSee you later(neutral, polite)
- 또 봐tto bwaSee ya(casual)
- 내일 봐요naeil bwayoSee you tomorrow(polite)
- 다음에 또 만나요daeume tto mannayoUntil next time(polite, warm)
- 나중에 봐요najunge bwayoSee you later (today or after)(polite)
On the phone, it's different
Nobody uses 안녕히 가세요 on the phone. The "who leaves / who stays" rule doesn't really apply when both of you are hanging up.
Natural ways to end a call: 들어가세요 (get home safe), 끊을게요 ("I'll hang up") or simply 네, 감사합니다 ("yes, thank you"). If you'll call later, add 다시 통화해요 ("we'll talk later").
- 끊을게요kkeuneulgeyoI'll hang up(ending a work call)
- 네, 들어가세요ne, deureogaseyoYes, take care(polite closer)
- 다시 통화해요dasi tonghwahaeyoWe'll talk again(expecting another call)
Common mistakes to avoid
Three classic traps for English speakers learning Korean farewells:
1. **Swapping 안녕히 가세요 and 안녕히 계세요.** Anchor the logic: 가다 (to leave) → say to the one going, 계시다 (to stay / honorific "be") → say to the one remaining.
2. **Using 안녕히 가세요 on the phone.** Too formal for that context, prefer 들어가세요 or 끊을게요.
3. **Saying 안녕 to a senior.** Casual is for peers and younger only, never for an elder, a boss or a client.