How to Say "hello / goodbye" in Korean: 안녕하세요 / 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghaseyo / annyeonghi gaseyo)

안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is the universal Korean greeting. Goodbye has two forms depending on who's leaving.

Category: Vocabulary

Meaning & Usage

안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is the universal Korean greeting. Goodbye has two forms depending on who's leaving. Learning everyday vocabulary is the fastest way to start speaking Korean naturally. Rather than memorizing word lists, learn words in context with example sentences you can actually use.

Related Words

• **안녕** (annyeong) — hi / bye (casual) • **안녕히 가세요** (annyeonghi gaseyo) — goodbye (to person leaving) • **안녕히 계세요** (annyeonghi gyeseyo) — goodbye (to person staying) • **처음 뵙겠습니다** (cheoeum boepgesseumnida) — nice to meet you (formal)

Cultural Context

Korean has TWO goodbyes: 가세요 (go well) for the person leaving, 계세요 (stay well) for the person staying. If both are leaving, use 가세요 to each other.

Common Mistake

❌ Mixing up 가세요 and 계세요 ✅ 가세요 = person leaves, 계세요 = person stays 가 = go, 계 = stay. Say 가세요 to the one GOING, 계세요 to the one STAYING.

Examples

안녕하세요, 만나서 반갑습니다! — annyeonghaseyo, mannaseo bangapseumnida! — Hello, nice to meet you!

안녕히 가세요! (to someone leaving) — annyeonghi gaseyo! — Goodbye! (go in peace)

안녕히 계세요! (to someone staying) — annyeonghi gyeseyo! — Goodbye! (stay in peace)

Common Mistakes

Incorrect: Mixing up 가세요 and 계세요 → Correct: 가세요 = person leaves, 계세요 = person stays. 가 = go, 계 = stay. Say 가세요 to the one GOING, 계세요 to the one STAYING.

Quiz

How do you say "hello / goodbye" in Korean?

"hello / goodbye" in Korean is "안녕하세요 / 안녕히 가세요" (annyeonghaseyo / annyeonghi gaseyo).

Related Posts