How to Say Hello in Korean: 17 Greetings for Every Situation

The Short Answer

The most common way to say hello in Korean is 안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo). It is polite, universally safe, and works in the vast majority of daily situations, from greeting a coworker to entering a shop or meeting someone for the first time.

Korean is spoken by over 80 million people worldwide, primarily in South Korea and North Korea, with significant diaspora communities in the United States, China, Japan, and Central Asia, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. What makes Korean greetings unique is the language's strict system of speech levels: the same greeting changes form depending on the listener's age, social status, and your relationship to them.

"In Korean, the way you say hello is not merely a social nicety. It is a grammatical obligation. The speech level you choose encodes your entire relationship with the listener in a single utterance."

(Ho-Min Sohn, The Korean Language, Cambridge University Press, 1999)

This guide covers 17 essential Korean greetings organized by category: universal, casual (반말 banmal), formal (존댓말 jondaenmal), business, phone, and situational. Each greeting includes Hangul script, romanization, pronunciation, an example sentence, and cultural context so you know exactly when to use it.

Quick Reference: Korean Greetings at a Glance

Understanding Korean Speech Levels

Before diving into individual greetings, you need to understand the single most important concept in Korean communication: speech levels. Korean has seven grammatically distinct speech levels, but in modern daily life, three matter most.

According to the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원), the polite level (-요 ending) accounts for the majority of everyday speech in South Korea. The formal level is reserved for structured or ceremonial contexts. The casual level is strictly for people you are close to and who are your age or younger.

Universal Greetings

These greetings are safe in almost every context and form the foundation of Korean communication.

안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo)

This is the single most important Korean greeting you will learn. The literal meaning ("Are you at peace?") reflects the traditional Korean value of wishing wellness upon others. The root word 안녕 (annyeong) means "peace" or "well-being."

Pronunciation tip: break it into syllables: "an-nyeong-ha-se-yo." The stress falls lightly and evenly across all syllables, unlike English where one syllable typically dominates. A slight bow of the head while saying it is customary and shows respect.

안녕하십니까 (Annyeonghasimnikka)

This is the formal-level version of 안녕하세요. You will hear it on Korean news broadcasts, at business conferences, during military interactions, and at formal ceremonies. Using it in casual conversation would sound unnaturally stiff, like greeting your friend with "How do you do?" in English.

As Yeon and Brown note in Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar (Routledge, 2011), the -ㅂ니까 ending signals the highest level of deference and is grammatically required in certain institutional contexts.

Casual Greetings (반말 Banmal)

These greetings use the casual speech level and should only be used with close friends, siblings, or people clearly younger than you. Using them with the wrong person is a genuine social mistake.

안녕 (Annyeong)

Just as 안녕하세요 is built from the root 안녕, the casual greeting strips everything away and leaves just the core word. Notably, 안녕 doubles as both "hi" and "bye" in casual speech, and context makes the meaning clear.

뭐해? (Mwohae?)

This is the Korean texting greeting. If you look at any Korean person's KakaoTalk messages, you will see 뭐해? everywhere. It functions exactly like "what's up?" in English: part greeting, part casual question.

야! (Ya!)

A short, sharp attention-getter. You will hear this constantly in Korean dramas and films. It carries a strong casual tone, and using 야 with someone older or unfamiliar would be a significant breach of etiquette. Check out our guide to the best Korean movies to hear it in action.

Formal and Polite Greetings (존댓말 Jondaenmal)

These greetings demonstrate respect and are essential for professional settings, meeting elders, and any situation where you want to show deference. Our Korean learning page has exercises that help you practice these speech levels in context.

반갑습니다 (Bangapseumnida)

The standard formal introduction phrase. In business settings, it is almost always paired with a bow and a two-handed business card exchange. The polite version, 반가워요 (Bangawoyo), works in less formal but still respectful contexts.

만나서 반가워요 (Mannaseo Bangawoyo)

This is the Goldilocks "nice to meet you," polite enough for most social situations without the stiffness of the full formal register. You will use this one far more often than 반갑습니다 in daily life.

잘 지내셨어요? (Jal Jinaesyeosseoyo?)

This greeting is specifically for reconnecting; you would not use it with someone you see every day. The honorific marker -셨- (syeoss) elevates the politeness, showing genuine care about how the other person has been.

실례합니다 (Sillyehamnida)

While not a greeting in the strictest sense, 실례합니다 functions as a formal conversation opener in business and professional contexts. Think of it as the Korean equivalent of leading with "Excuse me" before your actual greeting. It signals respect and deference before you have even said hello.

Situational Greetings

These greetings are tied to specific contexts: reunions, arrivals, mealtimes, and time of day.

오랜만이에요 (Oraenmanieyo)

A versatile reunion greeting. Like most Korean expressions, it shifts across three speech levels: 오래간만입니다 (formal), 오랜만이에요 (polite), and 오랜만이야 (casual). Choose based on your relationship with the listener.

어서오세요 (Eoseo Oseyo)

Walk into any restaurant, shop, or cafe in South Korea and you will hear 어서오세요 within seconds. The King Sejong Institute's educational materials identify it as one of the first situational phrases Korean learners should recognize. You do not need to reply with words. A smile, nod, or brief 안녕하세요 is fine.

좋은 아침이에요 (Joeun Achimieyo)

Traditional Korean does not have direct equivalents of "good morning," "good afternoon," or "good evening" because 안녕하세요 covers all times of day. However, 좋은 아침이에요 has entered modern usage, especially in workplaces with Western influence. Older Koreans may find it slightly unusual.

밥 먹었어요? (Bap Meogeosseoyo?)

This is one of the most culturally distinctive Korean greetings. It traces back to periods of food scarcity in Korean history, when asking if someone had eaten was a genuine expression of concern. Today it functions as a warm, caring greeting, especially among older Koreans and in rural areas. The expected response is simply 네, 먹었어요 (Yes, I ate) regardless of whether you actually have.

Phone Greetings

여보세요 (Yeoboseyo)

The only greeting used on the phone. Unlike 안녕하세요, which is exclusively face-to-face, 여보세요 is exclusively telephonic. The word originally meant "look here," an attention-getting phrase that carried over from early telephone usage in Korea. Using it in person would be like answering a friend's greeting with "Hello, who's speaking?"

How to Respond to Korean Greetings

Knowing how to respond is just as important as knowing how to greet. Here are the most common patterns.

Responses to Standard Greetings

Responses to "How Are You?" Greetings

Responses to Introduction Greetings

Practice With Real Korean Content

Reading about greetings builds knowledge, but hearing them spoken naturally by native speakers is what makes them automatic. Korean dramas (한국 드라마) and films are an outstanding resource: Crash Landing on You for polite/formal contrasts between North and South Korean speech, Reply 1988 for warm casual greetings among neighbors, and Parasite for speech level shifts between social classes.

Wordy lets you watch Korean movies and shows with interactive subtitles, tapping on any greeting to see its meaning, speech level, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases from a list, you absorb them from authentic conversations with natural intonation and body language.

For more Korean content, explore our blog for guides including the best movies to learn Korean. You can also visit our Korean learning page to start practicing today.