Korean Greetings Beyond 안녕하세요: What People Actually Say
Annyeonghaseyo is just the start. Learn the greetings Koreans actually use with friends, coworkers, and shop staff — with pronunciation tips.
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
If you have studied Korean for more than a day, you know 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo). But listen to real conversations in Seoul and you will hear something different.
What friends actually say
- 안녕 (annyeong) — casual “hi” and “bye” between friends
- 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo?) — “have you been well?”, the real “how are you”
- 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?) — literally “did you eat?”, functionally “how are you”
At work
- 수고하셨습니다 (sugohasyeotseumnida) — “you worked hard”, said when leaving the office
- 들어가세요 (deureogaseyo) — a warm “get home safe”
More greetings and self-introduction patterns are coming in the full beginner series — start from the Vocabulary hub.