How are you in korean

How To Say “How Are You?” In Korean And How To Answer

If you have been studying Korean you may have noticed that there is no direct translation to ‘How are you?’ in Korean. In English, this is a common expression and is usually used to greet someone or simply to say hello in a polite way.

However, there is no direct translation to ‘How are you?’ in Korean. In fact, unlike in English, Korean people do not ask someone they don’t know ‘How are you?’. Rather, the expression equivalent to ‘How are you?’ in Korean is only used with people you know and haven’t seen in a while. So, how do you say ‘How are you?’ in Korean?

The closest translation to ‘How are you?’ in Korean is ‘잘 지냈어요?’. This is made up of the ‘잘’ which means ‘well’ and the verb ‘지내다’ which means ‘to live/stay in a certain state or condition’. So, ‘잘 지냈어요?’ literally means ‘Have you stayed well?’ / ‘Have you lived well?’. As you can see, it is not a direct translation of ‘How are you?’ in Korean, but this expression is used when you want to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean.

In this post, we will show you how to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean in the polite, formal, and informal ways, and how to answer when someone asks you ‘How are you?’ in Korean.

The Korean words in this post include both Korean and English characters. If you’ve not learned how to read Korean yet, then check out our complete Korean Alphabet Guide.

How Are You? In Korean

As was mentioned above, the most common way to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean is ‘잘 지냈어요?‘ and this means ‘Have you stayed well?’. As this expression is only used with people you know who you have not seen in a while, ‘잘 지냈어요?’ is actually closer to ‘How have you been?’ in English.

This way to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean has a few different forms depending on the politeness level you wish to use.

Informal Way To Say “How Are You?” In Korean

When speaking with people younger than you, and with close friends, you can use the informal way to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean.

잘 지냈어? (jal ji-nae-sseo?)

As you can see, 잘 지냈어? doesn’t end in 요 or any other polite ending, and so this way to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean can only be used when you are speaking informally. For most situations, it is probably best to use the normal, polite way.

Polite Way To Say “How Are You?” In Korean

In most situations, when you want to ask someone you have not seen in a while ‘How are you?’ in Korean, it is best to use the polite way.

잘 지냈어요? (jal ji-nae-sseo-yo?)

As you can see, 잘 지냈어요? is the same as the informal way with 요 added to the end. This 요 makes this expression polite, and so you can use with people younger and older than you, and people you are not very close with.

Next, let’s look at the formal way.

Formal Way To Say “How Are You?” In Korean

When you want to ask ‘How are you?’ to someone who is older, in a higher social position than you, or someone you want to show a lot of respect to, you should use the formal way.

잘 지내셨어요? (jal jin-nae-syeo-sseo-yo?)

This way to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean uses a formal ending and so you can use this in situations when you want to show a high level of respect. For example, imagine you are meeting your girlfriend’s parents after not seeing them for a while. When you meet, you can say ‘잘 지내셨어요?’ to ask ‘How are you?’ in a formal and respectful way.

How To Answer ‘How Are You?’ In Korean

Now that you know how to say ‘How are you?’ in Korean, you are probably wondering how to answer this question. Here are some common ways to answer when somebody asks you ‘잘 지냈어요?’:

More Ways To Ask ‘How Are You?’ In Korean

잘 지냈어요? – How are you? in Korean

How Are You in Korean

In this lesson you will learn how to say ‘how are you?’ in Korean. The way you say this differs somehow from how you would say it in English, as is does not translate literally from Korean to English. Furthermore, there are a few different ways to say it in Korean, depending on a few different factors. But fear not! Because in just a few minutes, everything will make perfect sense. So the most standard way to say ‘how are you?’ in Korean is:

jal jinaess-eo-yo?

In Hangul: 잘 지냈어요?

= How are you? (polite)

Jal (잘) means ‘well’, jinaesseoyo (지냈어요) means something in the words of ‘spent time’, but translated to understandable English, it is read ‘Have you been well?’ The ‘yo’ (요) at the end tells us that’s the polite form, making it suitable to use with:

Unless you feel comfortable with your Korean and don’t want to offend anyone, this is what you should use. With that said, most Koreans won’t expect foreigners to understand this kind of concept but you will most likely fail to make a good impression if you speak to them in ‘lower’ form, like you would to your friends. So what would you use when speaking to friends?

jal jinaess-eo?

In Hangul: 잘 지냈어?

= How are you? (close, informal)

As you can see, the only difference between these two sentences is that ‘yo’ (요) is lacking in the second one. So removing ‘yo’ (요) makes it more intimate and informal and more suitable for use with:

jal isseoseoyo?

In Hangul: 잘 있었어요?

= How are you? (polite)

This expression has the same meaning as the expressions mentioned above. The ‘yo’ (요) at the end, again, makes it polite. So to make it more casual and friendly, you drop it. This literally means ‘how have you been?’.

bap meogeosseoyo?

In Hangul: 밥 먹었어요?

= Did you eat yet? (polite)

This one can be tricky at first if you are not familiar with Korean culture. bap (밥) means rice or food and meogeosseoyou (먹었어요) means ‘ate’ (eat, past tense). So while this does indeed translate to ‘did you eat yet?’ it is more like a greeting than anything else. To be more specific, it is an inquiry about your well-being, so in a sense, they are asking how you are. Some Koreans might want to give you food if you answer ‘no’ so be aware of that. Again, notice the ‘yo’ (요) at the end. You can always remove it when speaking with friends.

So how would I respond when someone asks me how I’m doing?

There are a few ways in which you can respond, depending on the question. To put it simply, you just take what they said, add ‘네’ in front of it and don’t raise the tone at the end. So, in other words:

Ex 1:

A:

잘 지냈어요?

B (response):

네, 잘 지냈어요.

[ne, jal jinaesseoyo.]

= I’m good. (yes I’ve been well)

Ex 2:

A:

잘 지냈어?

B (response):

응, 잘 지냈어.

[eung, jal jinaesseo.]

= I’m good. (yes I’ve been well)

(eung (응) is the casual way of saying ‘yes’ in Korean.)

Ex 3:

A:

밥 먹었어요?

= Did you eat yet?

B (response):

네, 먹었어요.

By: Kimchi Cloud

—Comments are temporarily disabled. We apologize for the inconvenience.—

How are you in Korean

If someone asks «How are you?» in Korean, how do you reply? And how do you ask them in return? Maybe you feel great, or you’re having a really bad day – either way you’ll know how to explain after this free Rocket Korean audio lesson. If you’re traveling to Korea or getting to know people closer to home, these words and phrases are essential for your Korean language survival kit.

By the end of this lesson you’ll know the formal and informal ways to ask people how they are to ensure you make a good first impression. And just in case you need to apologize… you’ll learn how to say sorry in Korean as well!

Feeling confident with these basic Korean words and phrases will make such a positive difference to your experiences with Korean people. Remember, a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet!

Pronunciation of how are you in Korean.

For friends or family:

Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Rocket Record lets you perfect your Korean pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!

Jal jinae shutsuyo?

Have you been well? (formal)

How have you been?

Long time no see. (informal)

For strangers or more senior persons:

Long time no see. (formal)

After this, you’d want to ask how they’ve been, or if they’ve been well.

If someone asks you one of these questions, would you know how to answer? Here’s one possible answer:

I have been well. (polite)

Or, when in casual situations, you can use one of the following informal answers.

Ne. Jal jinaetsuyo.

If someone tells you that he or she is not feeling well you could say the following…

If someone is feeling great you might want to say the following…

A common follow-up question after stating how you are, is, “And you?”

(Geutjogeun) Utduke jinaeseyo?

And you? (informal)

Koreans have a strong family bond and when people meet their close friends or people younger than themselves, they’ll ask how their family is. Remember never to greet older or more senior people in this way!

Here are some example dialogues:

Boomonimeun jal gyeshuh?

Are your parents doing well? (polite)

Ne, jal gyeshimnida.

Yes, they are doing well. (polite)

Boomonimeun gungang hashuh?

Are your parents healthy? (polite)

They are healthy. (polite)

Remember, if you don’t understand something, you should always say so!

Ihaereul mot haetseumnida.

I didn’t understand.

And hopefully the person you’re speaking to will speak slower.

To finish off today’s lesson, I’d like to leave you with THREE important phrases that you absolutely must know in any language. They are:

Excuse me… (to ask for something)

Hmm, I can’t think of a situation in which I’d need to use all three, but I’ll leave it to your imagination!

That’s it for this lesson. I do hope you enjoyed it. Remember that if you want to retain your new Korean knowledge, it requires a little practice. Sure, practice is not always the most fun thing to do, but the rewards are well worth it!

For more on the use of Korean questions check out these lessons.

Anyoung hee gaseyo!

Sujung Lee: Rocket Korean

Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement

Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!

Most Popular Articles

Top 10 Korean hacks

Whether you’ve been studying Korean for years or are considering giving Korean a try, the following 10 hacks and simple tricks can help you to learn Korean fast and effectively.

How Long Does It Take To Learn Korean

Learning a language is a complex process that is different for each individual based on several different factors. Let’s take a look at these different factors and how they impact how fast you learn Korean.

Let’s get you talking in Korean.

Take a free trial and we’ll send you a sample of our lessons, some exclusive discounts and more.

14 Proven Ways How To Say How Are You In Korean

Imagine yourself walking down the streets, and you suddenly see a friend you haven’t seen for a long time. Don’t you want to ask them, «how are you in Korean?» 잘지내셨어요? (jalji naesyesseoyo).

Asking someone, «how are you?» is more than just greetings. It is a way to show your concern to the other person. Yes, it might usually be used when greeting someone, like saying hello (안녕하세요) but, in the question «how are you?» you want to go deeper than just greeting. Some people use this question because it is a polite thing to do, but from a broader perspective, if someone asks you this question, you suddenly feel cared and loved, which most people want to feel nowadays.

In this blog, you will learn different ways to ask «how are you?» in Korean. You will also learn how to respond when someone asked you this question. This is one of the basic words and phrases you should learn when you want to learn Korean. So, sit back, relax and read this entire blog.

Formal VS Informal In The Korean Language

If you are reading the past blogs, you already know that Koreans have politeness levels. These politeness levels depend on the social hierarchy. When talking to other people, you have to consider their age and your relationship with them. The way you talk will depend on the social hierarchy. There are differences in grammar, conjugations, particles, nouns, and expressions regarding formal and informal spoken language.

If you want to learn Korean, this is one of the most important things you should always remember to avoid sounding rude and disrespectful. If it is your first time speaking in Korean, it is easy to commit mistakes. That is why you should start learning these Korean politeness levels.

How To Ask How Are You In Korean?

Who wouldn’t want to be loved and cared for? Of course, most of us want to feel this way, especially from people we value the most, like family, friends and, special someone. Asking How are you in Korean can either be in a formal form or informal form. Just like what is stated above, it depends on the social hierarchy. So, learn how to say How are you in Korean in different ways so that you’ll know which phrase to use.

Formal

You could never go wrong with a formal way of greetings. These politeness levels are confusing at first, especially if you don’t know much about Korean grammar. When it comes to the levels of formality, Koreans usually use formal words and phrases to someone older than them.

잘지내셨어요? (Jal Ji Nae Syeo Sseo Yo) Play

English Translation: «Have you spent your time well?» or «have you lived well»?

This is the most common formal way to say How are you in Korean. The Hangul character 잘 (jal) means well, and 지내셨어요 (jinaesyeosseoyo) means to spend time or live. So, if translated in English, it literally means «Have you spent time well?» or, «have you lived well»?

어떻게 지내셨어요? (Eotteoke Ji Nae Syeo Sseo Yo) Play

English Translation: How have you been?

Another way to say How are you in Korean is 어떻게 지내셨어요? (Eotteoke Ji Nae Syeo Sseo Yo). The Hangul character 어떻게 (Eotteoke) means How and 지내셨어요 (Jinaesyeosseoyo) means to spend time or live. This can simply be translated as How have you been and it is usually used after a greeting.

This phrase is a lot better than the first one because it is not answerable by yes or no. Instead, you’ll have a brief explanation and information about the other person.

안녕히 계셨어요? (Annyoung Hee Gae Shuh Sseo Yo?) Play

English Translation: Have you been well?

You can use 안녕히 계셨어요? (Annyoung Hee Gae Shuh Sseo Yo?) to ask somebody, «Have you been well?» 안녕히 (Annyoung hee) means the same way as 잘 (Jal). You should also know that the phrase 안녕히 (Ahnnyoung hee) is only used in formal speech. The Hangul character 계시다(Gae-Shi-da) means to spend time or to live. So, altogether, this phrase means, «Have you been well?»

뭐하고 지내셨어요? (Mwohago Jinae Shut Sseoyo?) Play

English Translation: What have you been up to?

The last formal way to say How are you in Korean is 뭐하고 지내셨어요? (Mwohago Jinae Shut Sseoyo?). The Hangul character 뭐 (Mwo) means what. This may not use the typical words used to say, How are you? but asking this will make people say something about their current lives.

Informal

Now that you have learned the formal way to say How are you in Korean, let’s move on to the informal form. Remember, you will only use the informal way to talk to someone close to you or someone who is the same age as you. This is really important in learning Korean because Koreans value respect and politeness.

잘 지냈어? (Jal Ji Nae Sseo) Play

English Translation: How are you?

The first way to say how are you in Korean in informal speech is 잘 지냈어? (Jal Jinae Sseo). If we break this sentence, 잘 (jal) means «well,» 지냈어 (jinaesseo) means «to spend time or live» (informal). So, the phrase 잘 지냈어? (Jal Jinae Sseo) means How are you? which you can only say to your close friends.

어떻게 지내? (Eotteoke Ji Nae?) Play

English Translation: How are you?

In this phrase, you will notice the absence of the Hangul character 요(yo), which is only used in a formal conversation. This means like the one in a formal way just with the absence of 요(yo).

잘 있었어? (Jal Isseo Sseo) Play

English Translation: How have you been?

If you want to deepen your conversation and know more about the person, you can say 잘 있었어? (Jal Isseo Sseo). Supposed you are a teacher; you can use this for your students. 잘 (jal) means «well» and 있었어 (isseosseo) means «to be» but in an informal way.

어떻게 지냈어? (Eotteoke Jinae Sseo?) Play

English Translation: How have you been?

어떻게 지냈어? (Eotteoke Jinae Sseo?), is another casual way to ask somebody how they have been. 어떻게 (Eotteoke) means «How» while, 지냈어? (Jinaesseo) means to spend time or live. Just like above but without 요(yo).

잘 있었어? (Jal It Sseot Sseo?) Play

English Translation: Have you been well?

This is a way of saying, How are you in Korean without much response. It is only answerable by yes or no, unlike the earlier one.

뭐하고 지냈어? (Mwohago Jinaet Seo?) Play

English Translation: What have you been up to?

Just like above, this question will make them tell a little bit more about their current lives. The only difference is you’ll only use this for people with lower social hierarchy or your close friends.

오랜만이야 (Oraenmaniya.) Play

English Translation: Long time no see.

If you have a friend you haven’t seen for a very long time and you unexpectedly met them somewhere, you can say 오랜만이야 (Oraenmaniya.). Because this is one of the informal ways to say How are you in Korean, you should only use it for your close friends. If you want to use it with people who are in a higher social hierarchy or for strangers, you can use the formal form which is 오랜만입니다. (Oraenmanimnida.)

Standard

A standard way is a form of speech that is not too formal but not too informal either to sound rude. You can use this to be safe. For example, if you are a foreigner but you have a little bit of experience with Korean culture, you can use the standard way to talk to someone.

잘 지냈어요? (Jal Ji Nae Sseo Yo) Play

English Translation: How are you?

You have learned the meaning of each Hangul character from the explanations above. So if you’ll notice, in this phrase, the character 요(yo) is still there to maintain a little bit of formality.

어떻게 지냈어요? (Eotteoke Ji Nae Sseo Yo) Play

English Translation: How’s it going lately?

You have also learned how to say this in formal and informal speech. From this, you can see the difference that in a formal speech. Koreans modify words and structure to form the standard way to say this phrase.

밥 먹었어요? (Bap Meogeo Sseo Yo) Play

English Translation: Have you eaten?

Another way of asking someone How are you in Korean is 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo). Knowing people that they have eaten already will somehow make you think that they are in good condition. It is also a polite thing to do because if they have answered no, it won’t hurt to invite them for a meal to catch up.

How To Respond?

Learning how to answer How are you in Korean is also important. Most people would want to reciprocate the question, and if you don’t know how to respond, this might make you sound rude.

What’s Next After Learning How To Say «How Are You» In Korean?

Practice. When we were young, we learn through the basics, and practice makes us better. Yes, it’s hard to be as fluent as native speakers at first, but you will soon achieve your goals with practice, repetition, and motivation. First, expose yourself to the Korean language. There are different ways to do that, like labeling your things at home, watching K-dramas, and finding a language partner who will help you practice.

Asking someone «how are you» is an excellent conversation starter, but your conversation may go deeper, especially when you did not see each other for a long time. This is why you should widen your vocabulary about the Korean language. You may start with greetings, basic words and phrases, and more. But, if you are wondering how to do that, check out below.

Want To Learn More Korean Words And Phrases?

Learning the Korean language is more than just learning how to communicate. Upon learning Korean, you will also know about their culture, which is really important when going to Korea. So, to help you start your wonderful language learning journey, try using Ling App.

Gone are the days when you have to bring dictionaries with you when you traveled and spending much money on language classes. Instead, Ling App will provide you with language lessons that use gamification to make learning languages fun. Audio recordings from native speakers are used to learn the right pronunciation for each word. Ling App has various, well-categorized topics. Each lesson has a review method for mastery.

Don’t waste any of your time; start learning Korean with Ling App now!

How Are you In Korean

I saw many foreigners said 잘지냈어요 as ‘how are you?’ in Korean, which sounds very very weird to native Koreans because they really don’t say that. That’s how European languages and English work, not Korean. In this lesson, You will learn how to say ‘How are you’ in 100% Natural Korean.

The Real Meaning of 잘지냈어요

잘지냈어요 is ‘How have you been recently?’ in Korean. It’s really not ‘How are you?’. I’m pretty sure it’s a wrong information from internet. So it sounds very odd if you say it to a stranger or a person you’ve met very recently.

How Are You In Real Korean

Korean students learn 안녕하세요 is hello or hi. That’s correct but it actually means ‘How are you?’. It’s a question : ‘안녕하세요?’

Native Koreans really don’t ask ‘How are you?’. They just keep talking like they never stop a conversation. Of course, they ask ‘잘지냈어요?’ when they meet or contact someone after a couple of weeks.

* Korean grammar doesn’t have ‘be’ for adjectives. Do and Be are same. To learn it more about this, Check the lesson below.

That Is Why

That’s why Korean language doesn’t have a phrase for ‘how are you’ because ‘안녕하세요’ already means ‘How are you?’. And remember, It is not a Korean thing.

How Do You Respond To 안녕하세요?

But now the phrase 안녕하세요 has the only meaning of ‘hi’. So, you don’t answer to 안녕하세요 as a question. Just say ‘안녕하세요’ back.

A: 안녕하세요?
Hello
B: 안녕하세요?
Hello

Awesome Tip

Native Koreans ask ‘how was your day?’ at night or just ask ‘what are you doing now?’ instead. They often answer it how they are instead of what they are actually doing at the moment especially when something bad happened.

A: 뭐해?
What are you doing? / What’s up?
B: 아 개짜증나
I’m pissed off
A: 무슨 일인데?
What’s wrong? / Something happened?
B: 시험 망쳤어
I blew the test

Teacher

Jun Hamm

⠂Made in Korea
⠂Made of 100% Korean
⠂Adjusted as 100% Korean
⠂Ready to active Professor Mode
⠂Love to make people laugh as much as I love to teach

TEAM JUNICORNS

All tutorials was possible thanks to