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Korean Greeting Etiquette: What to Say When You Encounter Someone



안녕하세요? In this lesson, I'll show you various ways of Korean greetings and saying bye when you encounter acquaintances. When you meet an acquaintance you know on the street, you can, of course, say "안녕하세요? Hello." or "어떻게 지내요? How are you?" Here, I will show you some more expressions you can use!


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1. Long time no see!


Let's start with "Long time no see," in Korean. There are different levels of politeness of this expression in Korean. I'll show you both the polite one and the casual one for each example.


It's a polite and friendly one. You can still use this to your friends if you want to be polite. You can use it for colleagues or someone older than you.

It's the casual one. You can use it with your friends or someone younger than you.



2. Where are you going?

If you run into an acquaintance on a street, you can ask where he or she is going. It can be used to ask their destination, but most of the time, in this case, it is used simply to show greetings.


어디 means where and 가다 means to go. You have to conjugate this verb in different levels of politeness. Those are all "Where are you going?" in Korean.


It's a more polite version than the second one. You can use this for someone older than you or who has a higher social status than you. E.g. to a teacher, boss

Polite and somewhat friendly version. You can use it for your colleagues, someone of similar age, or when you want to be polite to your friends.

The casual version. It's not polite at all. You can use this for your friends or someone younger than you.



3. Did you eat?

I know. It sounds weird to ask someone you just bumped into and ask "Oh, did you eat?" However, in Korea, it is often used to express their concerns or attention. 밥(meal) is a very important matter in Korea and people want to make sure you eat. Again, it can be a question that seeks information, but in most situations, this is just a way to greet.


  • 밥을 먹다 or 식사하다 means "to eat food(meal)".

  • 드시다 is an honorific version of 먹다.

  • 밥, 식사, and 진지 all mean food or meal. 진지 is the most polite version.


It's the most polite one. If you ask someone very old, you have to use this one. For example, to your grandparents, definitely use this one.

It's not as polite as the first one but still good to use in daily life. You can use it for someone older than you. You can use it for your team boss.

It is not as polite as the second one but still politer than the one below. You can use it for colleagues or someone of a similar age.

It's the casual way to ask. You can use it with your friends or someone younger than you.




4. Let's have a meal together someday!

Continuing imagination, you come across someone you know on the street. You and the acquaintance finished talking and it was time to leave on their way back.


With "goodbye," people also say the expressions like "Let's grab lunch sometime," or "Let's eat together someday."


They might have good intentions, but in Korea, it is often just a polite gesture. Therefore, don't anticipate that they will follow through and reach out to make plans. 😂


  • 다음에 means next time.

  • 한번 means "one time" or "once."


There are numerous equivalent ways to express "Let's dine together sometime!" However, here are a few options you can consider.

It's the informal polite version using 식사하다.

It's the informal polite version using 먹다.

It's the informal casual version. You can say this to your friends or someone younger than you.


In the examples, you can see the word (이)나. 이나 is a marker with various meanings. In this case, 이나 is used to show the casual suggestion. If you want to learn more about it, please click here.



5. Examples

1

수지 came across her friend 매튜 on the street. 수지 and 매튜 are friends.


수지: 매튜, 오랜만이야. Mattew, long time no see!

매튜: 수지야, 안녕? 잘 지냈어? Hey Suji, hi. How have you been?

수지: 잘 지냈어. 너는? I've been good. What about you?

매튜: 나도 잘 지냈어. I've been good too.


Since they are friends, they use casual endings with each other. When you call your friend by name, you may add appropriate calling words to their names. If you want to check out, please click here.



2

멜리사 ran into her friend 철수 on a street.


멜리사: 철수야, 안녕. 어디 가? Hey, Cheol-su. Hi. Where are you going?

철수: 멜리사, 안녕? 집에 가. 너는? Hey, Melissa? I'm going home. What about yourself?

멜리사: 나는 도서관에 가. 다음에 밥 한번 먹자. I'm going to the library. Let's have a meal together next time.

철수: 그래, 좋아. Sure. Sounds good.


멜리사 and 철수 are friends. So, they are using the casual forms.



3

로라 bumped into her senior on campus at about lunchtime.


로라: 선배님, 안녕하세요. Hello.

선배: 로라, 안녕. 밥 먹었어? Hi Laura. Did you eat?

로라: 네, 저는 먹었어요. 선배는 식사하셨어요? Yes, I did. Have you eaten?

선배: 나는 지금 먹으러 가는 중이야. 다음에 밥 한번 같이 먹자. I'm on my way to eat. Let's eat together next time.

로라: 네, 좋아요. 다음에 봬요. Sure, sounds good. See you next time.


In Korea, you don't call someone older than you by one's name! You have to use an appropriate title.


선배 is someone who entered the school before your year which often is translated to senior. You have to call them politely by saying 선배님. If you guys are close enough, you can also call him or her 선배 as well.


You may notice that 로라 is using the polite version of sentences while 선배 uses the casual form. Age and social status are very important matters in Korea!




6. Wrap-up: Korean Greeting Etiquette


When encountering acquaintances, there are really many ways to greet them. The expressions are significantly dependent on the level of politeness and familiarity. Whether it's saying "long time no see," asking where they’re going, or casually inquiring if they’ve eaten, these expressions serve as ways to show friendliness and care in everyday interactions.


Remember, the level of politeness you choose should reflect the social hierarchy or relationship you have with the person. Understanding these nuances will help you communicate more naturally and respectfully in Korean!




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