Greetings and politeness in Korean
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Korean words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Korean phrases in this lesson
- μλ νμΈμan-nyong-ha-SEH-yo
- Hello
- μ’μ μμΉ¨JOH-eun AH-chim
- Good morning
- μ’μ μ λ μ΄μμJOH-eun jo-nyo-gi-E-yo
- Good evening
- μλ ν κ°μΈμan-nyong-hee ga-SEH-yo
- Goodbye
- λ λ΄ttoh BWA
- See you
- λΆνν©λλ€bu-TAK-ham-ni-da
- Please
- κ°μ¬ν©λλ€gam-sa-ham-NI-da
- Thank you
- μ²λ§μμchon-man-EH-yo
- You're welcome
- μ£μ‘ν©λλ€jwe-song-ham-NI-da
- Sorry
- μ€λ‘ν©λλ€shil-leh-ham-NI-da
- Excuse me
- λ§λμ λ°κ°μ΅λλ€man-na-so ban-gap-seum-NI-da
- Nice to meet you
The standard polite greeting used at any time of day. Use with strangers, older people, and anyone you want to show respect to. Literally means "Are you at peace?"
Literally "good morning" as a noun phrase, and more of a warm flourish than a fixed greeting: Koreans mostly just say μλ νμΈμ at any hour. Add μ΄μμ to make it a full polite sentence if you want to sound less clipped.
Rarely said: μλ νμΈμ (an-nyong-ha-SEH-yo) works at any hour.
Said to someone who is leaving, meaning "go peacefully." Say μλ ν κ³μΈμ (stay peacefully) to someone who is staying behind. If both of you are leaving, μλ ν κ°μΈμ works.
Literally "see you again", for friends only. μλ ν κ°μΈμ (an-nyeong-hee ga-SE-yo) is the polite goodbye.
Literally "I ask a favor", the polite please. To ask for things, the item plus μ£ΌμΈμ (ju-SEH-yo), please give, is more common.
The everyday thanks, and the safe default with strangers, staff and anyone older. The softer κ³ λ§μμ works between peers, and κ³ λ§μ is for close friends and people younger than you. When in doubt use this one; over-politeness costs nothing in Korean.
The classic "you're welcome," though in everyday speech Koreans often respond to thanks with μλμμ (it's nothing) or simply a smile. μ²λ§μμ is widely taught, but can sound formal or textbook-like in everyday conversation.
The formal apology. λ―Έμν΄μ (mi-AN-hae-yo) is softer, among people you know.
Used to politely get someone's attention or apologize for an interruption. To get past someone in a crowd, μ κΉλ§μ (just a moment, please) is also very common.
Literally "I am glad to meet you".