When to use it
Use 안녕하세요 with anyone you are not close to, at any time of day. Korean has no separate "good morning" or "good evening" in daily speech: this one greeting covers them all. 안녕 is for friends and children.
What people say back
안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo): Hello (back)
Letter by letter: 안녕하세요
Korean is written in syllable blocks. Here is what each block of 안녕하세요 is made of.
| Block | Letters | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| 안 | ㅇ + ㅏ + ㄴ | ㅇ silent, ㅏ a, ㄴ n (at the end) |
| 녕 | ㄴ + ㅕ + ㅇ | ㄴ n, ㅕ yeo, ㅇ ng (at the end) |
| 하 | ㅎ + ㅏ | ㅎ h, ㅏ a |
| 세 | ㅅ + ㅔ | ㅅ s, ㅔ e |
| 요 | ㅇ + ㅛ | ㅇ silent, ㅛ yo |
New to the letters? Tap through the Hangul chart to hear each one.
How to type it
On a standard Korean keyboard (2-set), press these keys in order:
DㅇKㅏSㄴSㄴUㅕDㅇGㅎKㅏTㅅPㅔDㅇYㅛ
Practice with the online Korean keyboard, or learn the layout in the typing test.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "Hello" in Korean?
The everyday polite way is 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo). With close friends, say 안녕.
How do you pronounce 안녕하세요?
It sounds like "annyeonghaseyo". Press the speaker button on this page to hear it.
Romanization: Revised Romanization of Korean, with sound changes. Audio: a recorded native-sounding Korean voice.
Last checked: 2026-10-20