Unlike Japanese, Korean doesn't change its greeting by time of day — one word covers morning, noon and night. What does change is how polite you're being, and Korean takes politeness seriously.
The one you need: 안녕하세요
안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is the standard polite hello. Use it with anyone you don't know well — shopkeepers, elders, strangers, coworkers. It works all day.
Literally it's closer to "are you at peace?" — 안녕 (annyeong) means peace or well-being.
Casual hello: 안녕
Among close friends and people younger than you, drop it to just 안녕 (annyeong) — "hi." Same word does double duty as a casual "bye." Don't use bare annyeong with elders or in formal settings; it can read as rude.
Very formal: 안녕하십니까
In business, announcements, the military or on TV you'll hear 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka) — a more formal register. You rarely need to say it, but it's good to recognise.
On the phone: 여보세요
Answering the phone, Koreans say 여보세요 (yeoboseyo), not annyeonghaseyo. It's the "hello?" you use when you can't see who you're talking to.
The two goodbyes (this trips everyone up)
Korean has two goodbyes, and which one you use depends on who's leaving:
| Situation | Say | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| You leave, they stay | 안녕히 계세요 | annyeonghi gyeseyo |
| They leave, you stay | 안녕히 가세요 | annyeonghi gaseyo |
Gyeseyo means "stay well"; gaseyo means "go well." Leaving a shop, you say annyeonghi gyeseyo (they're staying); the staff say annyeonghi gaseyo (you're going). With friends, just 안녕 covers both.
Thanks, while you're at it
- 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) — thank you (polite).
- 고마워요 / 고마워 (gomawoyo / gomawo) — thanks (softer / casual).
A slight bow of the head usually goes with a greeting — deeper for more respect.
The fast track: read Hangul
Korean's alphabet, Hangul, was designed to be learned quickly and is phonetic, so you can start reading signs and menus fast even before you understand them. Point a camera translator at Korean and it shows the English and the romanization together, turning every sign into practice. Pair this with how to translate Korean to English for the full toolkit, and see Japanese for travelers for the same idea across the water.