Day 1 – Greetings
Hello! Welcome to our Korean language learning journey! Today we’ll learn some basic Korean greetings that will help you start conversations with confidence.
1. 안녕하세요 (안-녕-하-세-요) [annyeonghaseyo]
- Meaning: “안녕하세요” means “Hello” in Korean.
- Usage: This is a formal greeting that can be used any time of day.
- Note: This is the most common greeting you’ll hear in Korea in everyday situations.
2. 안녕 (안-녕) [annyeong]
- Meaning: “안녕” is an informal “Hi” in Korean.
- Usage: Use this with friends or people your age.
- Note: Don’t use this with elders or in professional settings as it might seem disrespectful.
3. 만나서 반갑습니다 (만-나-서 반-갑-습-니-다) [mannaseo bangapseumnida]
- Meaning: “만나서 반갑습니다” means “Nice to meet you” in Korean.
- Usage: Use this when meeting someone for the first time.
- Note: This is a formal expression that shows respect and politeness.
4. 잘 지냈어요? (잘 지-냈-어-요?) [jal jinaesseoyo?]
- Meaning: “잘 지냈어요?” means “How have you been?” in Korean.
- Usage: Use this when you meet someone after not seeing them for some time.
- Note: This shows that you care about the other person’s wellbeing and is a good way to start catching up.
Let’s Practice!
What greeting would you use in these situations?
- When you arrive at work and see your boss: ___________ (Answer: 안녕하세요)
- When you meet a friend at a café after a long time: ___________ (Answer: 안녕! 잘 지냈어?)
- When meeting a new business partner: ___________ (Answer: 안녕하세요. 만나서 반갑습니다)
Conversation Practice
A: 안녕하세요! (annyeonghaseyo!)
B: 안녕하세요! 만나서 반갑습니다. (annyeonghaseyo! mannaseo bangapseumnida.)
A: 네, 만나서 반갑습니다. (ne, mannaseo bangapseumnida.)A: Hello!
B: Hello! Nice to meet you.
A: Yes, nice to meet you too.Greetings: Learning Tips
- Practice pronunciation with audio: Find Korean audio resources to hear how native speakers pronounce these greetings. YouTube channels like “Talk To Me In Korean” offer great pronunciation guides.
- Mirror practice: Practice greetings in front of a mirror to see your mouth shape, which helps produce the correct sounds.
- Daily consistency: Use these greetings daily, even if you’re just practicing alone. Say “안녕하세요” when you wake up and “안녕히 계세요” before bed.
- Context awareness: Pay attention to when Koreans use formal vs. informal greetings in K-dramas or Korean videos to develop natural context awareness.
- Pronunciation focus: Korean is a syllable-timed language, so try to give equal emphasis to each syllable in words like “안-녕-하-세-요” rather than stressing certain syllables as in English.
Tomorrow, we’ll learn how to introduce yourself in Korean. Practice today’s greetings as much as you can!
Let me know if you’d like the next post in this series. Happy Korean learning! 화이팅 (Fighting/Good luck)!
