Greetings and set phrases in Korean

Only to friends, children and people younger than you; it serves for both hello and goodbye.

Also shows you are listening. To a negative question, 네 agrees with the speaker: “yes, I did not”.

Often shortened to 아뇨 in speech.

Only between friends or to someone younger.

Literally “are you at peace?”; it works at any time of day and needs no answer beyond the same words.

Heard in speeches, announcements and from staff greeting customers.

Said by the one who stays: “go in peace”.

Said by the one who leaves: “stay in peace”. Leaving a shop or a restaurant, this is the one you need.

Only at a first meeting; literally “I see you for the first time”.

Less formal: 반가워요.

Ends almost every self-introduction; English has no real equivalent, literally “please treat me well”.

Just as polite as 고맙습니다; this one is heard more in shops and at work.

To a close friend: 고마워.

The safe apology to a stranger, a customer or a boss.

Less formal than 죄송합니다, for people you know; to a friend 미안해.

Also a polite refusal: offered more food, 괜찮아요 means “I am fine, thanks”.

The everyday reply to thanks and to compliments; literally “it is not (so)”.

Correct but a little bookish; most people say 아니에요.

Said before the first bite, to whoever cooked or is paying.

What a waiter or host says as the food arrives.

Literally “I will go and come back”; among family often 다녀올게요.

To parents or older people: 안녕히 주무세요.

주무시다 is the honorific verb for sleeping.

A common goodbye to someone who is working; not used towards a boss.

Said at the end of a working day, a meeting or a class.

Korean asks 잘 지내요? where English asks “how are you?”.

Only on the phone, or to get the attention of someone who has not noticed you.

Literally “receive much luck in the new year”; said at both the solar and the lunar new year.