Korean Greetings: How to Say Hello, Thank You, and Goodbye
Updated July 2, 2026
The most common Korean greetings are 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) for a polite hello and 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) for thank you, and Korean uses two different goodbyes depending on who is leaving. Here are the essential greetings with their polite and casual forms.
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | hello (polite)annyeonghaseyo |
| 안녕 | hi or bye (casual)annyeong |
| 감사합니다 | thank you (formal)gamsahamnida |
| 고마워 | thanks (casual)gomawo |
| 안녕히 가세요 | goodbye, to the person leavingannyeonghi gaseyo |
| 안녕히 계세요 | goodbye, said when you are the one leavingannyeonghi gyeseyo |
| 만나서 반갑습니다 | nice to meet youmannaseo bangapseumnida |
| 실례합니다 | excuse mesillyehamnida |
| 죄송합니다 | I am sorry (formal)joesonghamnida |
| 네 | yesne |
| 아니요 | noaniyo |
| 오랜만이에요 | long time no seeoraenmanieyo |
| 안녕히 주무세요 | good night (to an elder)annyeonghi jumuseyo |
Want these to stick? Hear them in real context: LingoBinge surfaces words like these while you watch Korean shows on Netflix, and saves them for spaced review.
Hear them in: Crash Landing on You, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you say hello in Korean?
- The standard polite hello is 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo), which works any time of day and in almost any situation. With close friends you can shorten it to 안녕 (annyeong).
- Why are there two ways to say goodbye in Korean?
- Korean picks the goodbye by who is leaving: you say 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo, go in peace) to the person leaving, and 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo, stay in peace) when you are the one leaving.
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