Greetings

The basic greeting is 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo). It works at any time of day and is polite enough for strangers, shop staff and older people. It literally asks whether you are at peace, but it is used simply as "hello." Saying it with a slight bow of the head makes it sound even more courteous.

With close friends or people younger than you, just say 안녕 (annyeong). It works for both "hi" and "bye." Because it is casual speech (banmal), using it with strangers, older people or anyone senior to you can sound rude, so stick to 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) unless you are already close.

Both mean goodbye, but they depend on who is leaving. Say 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo, "go in peace") to someone who is leaving, and 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo, "stay in peace") to someone who is staying. When you walk out of a shop, you say gyeseyo to the staff, and they say gaseyo to you. If both of you leave, use gaseyo.

Say 처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheoeum boepgetseumnida, "I'm seeing you for the first time"), then add 반갑습니다 (bangapseumnida, "nice to meet you"). Both are formal and fit business meetings or meeting older people. In a more relaxed setting, 반가워요 (bangawoyo) is a friendly, polite alternative.

잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo) means "Have you been well?" and is used with someone you haven't seen for a while. A natural reply is 네, 잘 지냈어요 (ne, jal jinaesseoyo, "Yes, I've been well"), followed by the same question back. It isn't used with people you see every day.

Say 오랜만이에요 (oraenmanieyo), "It's been a long time." With friends, use the casual 오랜만이야 (oraenmaniya), and in formal settings use 오랜만입니다 (oraenmanimnida). It is usually followed right away by 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo), "Have you been well?" Both are warm, natural ways to reconnect.

좋은 아침 (joeun achim, "good morning") exists, but it is a casual phrase influenced by English and used mostly among friends or family. Koreans generally use 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) at any time of day. In the morning, family members often ask 잘 잤어요? (jal jasseoyo), "Did you sleep well?"

Yes. 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo) and its honorific form 식사하셨어요? (siksahasyeosseoyo) are often used to show care rather than to ask about your meal. A light reply like 네, 먹었어요 (ne, meogeosseoyo, "Yes, I have") is enough, and it isn't necessarily an invitation to eat together. You'll hear it a lot around lunchtime.

To friends or family, say 잘 자 (jal ja) or the slightly softer 잘 자요 (jal jayo). To older people, use the honorific 안녕히 주무세요 (annyeonghi jumuseyo), which is the proper polite form. It's a nice phrase to use with a host family or an older guesthouse owner at night.

Yes. When leaving, say 다녀오겠습니다 (danyeoogetseumnida, "I'll go and come back"), and when you return, say 다녀왔습니다 (danyeowatseumnida, "I'm back"). Family members reply with phrases like 잘 다녀와 (jal danyeowa, "have a good day"). If you stay with a host family, using these will leave a great impression.

수고하세요 (sugohaseyo) roughly means "keep up the good work" and is said when leaving someone who is working, like a shop clerk or taxi driver. Some people feel it sounds a bit odd when said to a superior or an elder, so with older people 감사합니다, 안녕히 계세요 (gamsahamnida, annyeonghi gyeseyo) is the safer choice.

Say 또 만나요 (tto mannayo), "Let's meet again." Among friends, the casual 또 봐 (tto bwa) or 나중에 봐 (najunge bwa, "see you later") is common. If you know when you'll meet next, add the day, as in 내일 봐요 (naeil bwayo, "see you tomorrow").

어서 오세요 (eoseo oseyo) means "Welcome, come in," and staff say it to every customer. You don't have to answer, but a simple 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) or a small nod is a friendly response. You may also hear the more formal version, 어서 오십시오 (eoseo osipsio).

A light bow of the head or upper body is the everyday norm. Handshakes are common in business, and when shaking hands with someone senior, people often support their right forearm with the left hand or bow slightly at the same time to show respect. Among friends, a wave is enough.

안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka) is a more formal version of 안녕하세요. You'll hear it from TV news anchors, in the military, at official ceremonies and in formal workplace settings such as presentations. As a traveler you can always use 안녕하세요, but it helps to recognize that the two mean the same thing.

잘 가 (jal ga) and 잘 있어 (jal isseo) are the casual versions of 안녕히 가세요 and 안녕히 계세요. Say 잘 가 to a friend who is leaving and 잘 있어 to a friend who is staying behind. Use them only with people you're close to, and switch to the polite forms with strangers or older people.

Simply say 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) back. Unlike English, you don't need to answer as if it were a real question, such as "I'm fine, and you?" With someone you know, you can add 네 (ne, "yes") in front, as in 네, 안녕하세요, which sounds warm and natural.

Common phrases are 먼저 들어가 보겠습니다 (meonjeo deureoga bogetseumnida, "I'll be heading out first") and 수고하셨습니다 (sugohasyeotseumnida, "thank you for your hard work"). You can also say 오늘 수고 많으셨어요 (oneul sugo maneusyeosseoyo) to the people you worked with. Exact wording varies by workplace culture.

Texts and messenger chats usually begin with a greeting and your name, such as 안녕하세요, ○○입니다 (annyeonghaseyo, ○○imnida, "Hello, this is ○○"). Friends may just write 안녕~ or the person's name. When contacting someone for the first time, it's polite to introduce yourself before getting to the point. On the phone, people answer with 여보세요 (yeoboseyo).

Yes, but Koreans are careful about using names alone. With colleagues or acquaintances, add 씨 (ssi), as in ○○ 씨, 안녕하세요. With teachers or seniors, use their title, as in 선생님, 안녕하세요 (seonsaengnim, annyeonghaseyo). Calling someone by their bare first name or surname can sound rude unless you are close.