안녕하세요, the 'hello' to memorize first
안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is by far the most common greeting in South Korea. It's what you say walking into a shop, greeting a neighbor, starting a business call, or running into someone on the street.
Literally, it's a question: "are you at peace?" (안녕 = peace, calm). But in modern usage, it's simply a polite, neutral 'hello' that works almost everywhere except with very close friends.
If you only learn one way to say hello in Korean, this is it.
- 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyoHello (standard form)(to a stranger, in a shop, at the office)
- 안녕하세요?annyeonghaseyo?Hi, how are you?(the questioning tone makes it warmer)
안녕, among friends and with children
Plain 안녕 (annyeong) is the casual version, to use only with:
• close friends your age or younger, • children, • close family members.
It's the same form for hello AND goodbye. Context makes the difference.
With anyone else (a colleague, a shopkeeper, a neighbor you barely know), use 안녕하세요. Saying 안녕 to a superior or an older person is seen as rude in Korea.
- 안녕!annyeong!Hi!(among friends or peers)
- 안녕, 친구야annyeong, chinguyaHey, friend(very casual)
안녕하십니까, the formal version for announcements and media
Even more polite than 안녕하세요, the form 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka) belongs to the 합쇼체 register, the most solemn level of Korean. You'll hear it:
• in official announcements (government, subway, TV news), • in the military, • in highly hierarchical companies, • in public speeches and presentations.
You don't need to use it daily, but recognize it, you'll hear it every day in Seoul's subway.
- 안녕하십니까annyeonghasimnikkaHello (very formal)(speeches, military, announcements)
여보세요, phone calls only
여보세요 (yeoboseyo) is the Korean 'hello?', strictly reserved for the start of a phone call. Nobody says 여보세요 to a friend on the street.
When you pick up a call from an unknown number, it's also 여보세요 you say. It's neutral in terms of politeness: usable for your boss or your grandmother.
- 여보세요?yeoboseyo?Hello? (phone)(answering or starting a call)
Greetings by time of day
Unlike French ('bonjour' / 'bonsoir') or English ('good morning / afternoon / evening'), Korean mostly uses 안녕하세요 all day long.
That said, a few set phrases exist for morning and bedtime, mostly used in family settings or with close people. They're not universal greetings but ritualized expressions.
- 좋은 아침이에요joeun achimieyoGood morning (polite)(at the office, in the morning)
- 잘 잤어요?jal jasseoyo?Did you sleep well?(in the morning, with family)
- 잘 자요jal jayoGood night (polite)(before sleep)
- 잘 자jal jaGood night (casual)(to a child or close friend)
Common mistakes to avoid
A few classic traps when you're starting out:
1. Don't write 'hello' phonetically, it has no meaning in Korean and feels odd. 2. Don't use 안녕 with someone older than you, even by a few years, it's felt as disrespectful. 3. Don't say 여보세요 face to face: it's strictly for phone calls. 4. Don't forget the bow: in Korea, 안녕하세요 is often paired with a slight head nod. Not a deep bow, just a small sign of respect. 5. Don't expect a 'hello back' between strangers on the street: Koreans don't greet random passersby like in some U.S. regions.