Korean Greetings: The First 10 Phrases That Matter
Korean has politeness built into its grammar. The same greeting changes shape depending on who you are talking to — but as a learner you only need two gears: polite (-요) for most situations, and casual (반말) for close friends.
Master these ten phrases in the polite form first. They will carry you through cafes, fan meetings, taxis, and first conversations.
The essential ten
Each phrase below is complete and safe to use with anyone. Note the -요 endings — that final syllable is what keeps you polite.
The two-goodbyes rule
Korean has two goodbyes because it tracks who is moving: 가세요 ("go well") to the person leaving, 계세요 ("stay well") to the person staying. Get this right and Koreans will visibly upgrade their estimate of your Korean.
Tips
- When in doubt, use the -요 form. Over-politeness is charming; under-politeness is not.
- Bowing slightly while greeting is part of the phrase — language and body move together.
- Type each greeting 5 times, then say it to your screen. Silly, but it works.
Practice these by typing them — with an AI tutor listening.
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