Hello, Thank You, Sorry: Essential Greetings

One word for hello, any time of day

In many languages, you say different things in the morning, afternoon and evening. Korean is simpler. 안녕하세요 works all day, from early morning to late at night. It is polite, so you can say it to a shop clerk, a teacher, a neighbor or someone you just met.

The word 안녕 means peace or being well. So 안녕하세요 is close to asking, “Are you at peace?” But nobody thinks about that meaning. People just use it as “hello”. You don’t need to answer the question. Simply say 안녕하세요 back.

When you greet someone in Korea, a small bow of the head is natural. With older people or in formal places, the bow is a little deeper. With friends your age, a smile and a small nod are enough.

Two ways to say goodbye

Goodbye in Korean depends on who is leaving. This surprises many learners, but the logic is easy.

안녕히 가세요 means “Go in peace.” You say it to a person who is leaving. You are staying.

안녕히 계세요 means “Stay in peace.” You say it to a person who is staying. You are the one leaving.

For example, when you leave a café, you say 안녕히 계세요 to the staff, because they stay in the café. The staff say 안녕히 가세요 to you, because you are going. If both people leave at the same time, for example on a street, both say 안녕히 가세요.

Thank you and sorry

Korean has two common levels of politeness for these words. The -ㅂ니다 form is more formal. The -요 form is polite but softer and friendlier.

감사합니다 and 고맙습니다 both mean “thank you”. They are equally polite. 감사합니다 is used a little more in public places and business. 고마워요 is a softer, friendly version.

For apologies, 죄송합니다 is the deepest and most formal. Use it with customers, teachers, older people or when you made a real mistake. 미안합니다 and 미안해요 are lighter. They are good with people around your age or for small mistakes.

Please note the pronunciation. The letter ㅂ before ㄴ sounds like ㅁ. So 감사합니다 sounds like [감사함니다], and 죄송합니다 sounds like [죄송함니다].

Yes, no and other short answers

네 means “yes”. You will also hear 예, which is a little more formal. 아니요 means “no”. In fast speech it may sound like 아뇨.

Koreans also use 네 to show they are listening, a bit like “I see” or “uh-huh”. So when someone says 네 many times while you talk, they are not always agreeing. They are just following you.

괜찮아요 is a very useful word. It can mean “It’s okay”, “I’m fine” or even “No, thank you” when someone offers you something. The meaning comes from the situation. When someone says 죄송합니다 to you, 괜찮아요 is the best answer.

A note about 안녕

You may hear friends say just 안녕 (“hi” or “bye”). This is casual speech, called 반말. Use it only with close friends of the same age, younger children, or people who told you it is okay. Saying 안녕 to a stranger, a shop clerk or an older person can sound rude. In this course, we use polite speech first, because it is safe in almost every situation.