Teacher Notes: Three Levels of Korean Greetings
Korean greetings change depending on your relationship with the listener. The goal is not to memorize every sentence, but to choose the right level for the situation.
Polite everyday speech
Model lines: 안녕하세요. / 만나서 반가워요.
Use with: people you meet for the first time, acquaintances, shop staff, and general social settings.
Tone: friendly but respectful.
Formal business speech
Model lines: 처음 뵙겠습니다. / 반갑습니다.
Use with: clients, managers, interviews, and formal meetings.
Tone: respectful, careful, professional.
Casual speech with friends
Model lines: 오랜만이다. / 잘 지냈어?
Use with: close friends, younger people, or people who have agreed to speak casually.
Tone: warm, close, relaxed.
안녕하세요 / 처음 뵙겠습니다 / 잘 지냈어?
Cultural Note: 밥 먹었어?
In casual Korean, "밥 먹었어?" literally means "Have you eaten?" But between friends, it often works like a warm way to say "How are you?"
Use with: close friends or people you speak casually with.
Feeling: caring, friendly, familiar.
Natural reply: 응, 먹었어. 너는?
밥은 먹었어?
Saying Goodbye in Korean
Korean has different goodbye expressions depending on who is leaving and who is staying.
When you leave and the other person stays
Polite: 안녕히 계세요.
Formal: 안녕히 계십시오.
When the other person leaves
Polite: 안녕히 가세요.
Formal: 안녕히 가십시오.
Warmer daily expressions
Polite: 조심히 가세요.
Casual: 조심히 가! / 나중에 카톡해!