I'm going to share some basic Korean words from time to time. These will be helpful if you are going to Korea and you want to try to communicate with Koreans.
Today's word is Hello.
Hello: 안녕하세요
Pronunciation: Ahn-young-ha-say-yo
Sample Conversation:
You: 안녕하세요
Korean: 안녕하세요
_____________________________
The literal meaning isn't hello, but this is how Koreans greet each other. 안녕하세요 literally means 'are you at peace?' You will respond using the same phrase.
안녕= peace
하세요=comes from the verb 하다 (ha da) meaning to do
안녕하세요 is the formal version of the word. Honorifics are used in Korea so knowing someone's age is very important. If you are speaking to someone older you would use the formal version. It is also a sign of respect if you bow to your elders when saying hello.
If you are speaking to someone the same age or younger you can use the informal language. You can also use informal language around your friends. I would suggest using the formal version unless you are 100% sure that the person is younger. For example, you are an adult speaking to a kid. (A lot of Koreans look younger than their real age!)
The informal version is 안녕. It is pronounced as Ahn-young.
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