How do you write hi in korean

When traveling to a foreign country, it's often helpful to learn common greetings and phrases to ease into interactions with the locals. In Korea, saying "hello" is a great way to show respect for and an interest in the local culture.

Greeting people in their own language is a sure way to get a smile and break the ice. Don't worry as Koreans will typically switch to English for some practice and to continue the conversation, but it's an essential and respectful skill to learn before your next trip to South Korea.

Spellings for the English transliteration from Hangul, the Korean alphabet, differ. Instead, focus on learning the correct pronunciation for each greeting. From the casual anyong haseyo to the formal anyong hashimnikka, these greetings will introduce you to South Korea in the politest way possible.

The Customs of Basic Greetings in Korea

As with saying "hello" in many other Asian languages, you show respect and acknowledge a person's age or status by using different greetings. This system of showing respect by using titles is known as honorifics, and Koreans have a very complex hierarchy of honorifics.

Greetings take into account how well you know someone; showing proper respect for age and status are essential aspects of "face" in Korean culture.

Unlike in the Malay and Indonesian languages, basic greetings in Korea are not based on the time of day (e.g., "good afternoon"), so you can use the same greeting no matter the time. Additionally, asking how someone is doing, a typical follow-up question in the West is a part of the initial greeting in Korean.

Fortunately, there are some simple, default ways to say hello that won't be misconstrued as rude.

The Three Greetings of Traditional Korean Culture

The basic greeting in Korean is anyong haseyo, which is pronounced "ahn-yo ha-say-yoh." While not the most formal of greetings, anyong haseyo is widespread and still polite enough for most circumstances when interacting with people who you know, regardless of age. The rough translation of anyong, the initiator for saying hello in Korean, is "I hope you are well" or "please be well."

To show even more respect to someone older or of higher status, use anyong hashimnikka as a formal greeting. Pronounced "ahn-yo hash-im-nee-kah," this greeting is reserved for guests of honor and is used occasionally with older family members one has not seen in a very long time.

Finally, a nice, casual anyong is usually offered among friends and people of the same age who know each other. As the most informal greeting in Korean, anyong could be compared to saying "hey" or "what's up" in English. You should avoid using anyong by itself when greeting strangers or people of higher status such as teachers and officials.

How to Say 'Good Morning'

Although some variation of anyong is the principal way to greet Korean strangers, there are a few other ways that Koreans exchange greetings, including saying "good morning."

While the basic greetings work regardless of the time of day, alternatively joun achim (pronounced "joh-oon ah-chim") can be used with close friends in the mornings. In Korea, saying "good morning" is not very common, so most people simply default to saying anyong or anyong haseyo.

How to Answer the Phone

Since knowing how to say hello in Korea greatly depends on showing proper respect, a special greeting is used when answering the phone if the age or standing of someone is unknown: yoboseyo. Pronounced "yeow-boh-say-oh," yoboseyo is polite enough to be used as a greeting when answering the phone; however, it is never used when saying hello to someone in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I greet people in Korea?

  Anyong haseyo (pronounced "ahn-yo ha-say-yoh") is the most basic way to greet someone in Korea. To show respect to someone older or of higher status, say anyong hashimnikka (pronounced "ahn-yo hash-im-nee-kah") by way of a formal greeting.

• Is annyeong hello or goodbye?

  Annyeong is an informal goodbye, but it is often said between friends. The more standard way to say "bye" is annyeonghi gaseyo (if the other person is leaving) or annyeonghi gyeseyo (if you are the one who's leaving).

• How do you introduce yourself in Korean?

  After greeting someone with a anyong haseyo, it is customary to bow politely and ask "how are you?" (jal ji naet seo yo). To introduce yourself, say je ireumeun [your name] imnida.

  What does Anyo mean in Korean?

  아니오 (anio) This is the old style of saying “no,” often used in traditional Korean dramas.

  What is the Korean word for hello?

  #1 안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo) - “Hello” in Korean (formal) “Hello” in Korean literally means “to do peace/well-being”. It's used as both a question and an answer almost as though asking “Are you doing well?” and replying 네, 안녕하세요 (ne, annyeong haseyo, “yes, I'm doing well”).

  How do you write hello in K?

  “Hello” (polite): 안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo) “Hi” / “Hello” (casual): 안녕 (annyeong) “Good day” / “Hello” (formal): 녕하십니까 (annyeong hasimnikka) “Hello” when answering the phone: 여보세요 (yeoboseyo)