How to say goodbye in Korean
This short article is here to help you understand how Koreans say “goodbye” in everyday situations.
In general
Saying “goodbye” in Korean isn’t difficult, but it does require you to ask yourself the following question: “Is the person I’m talking to staying here or leaving this place?”
Depending on the answer, you’ll either wish them to leave peacefully or stay peacefully.
Let’s take a situation where you’re in a shop in Korea and want to say goodbye to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper is staying in the store after you leave, so you should say:
안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo) - literally, “stay in peace.”
As for them, since you’re the one leaving, they will say:
안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo) - literally, “go in peace.”
With friends
With friends, there are many ways to say “goodbye” depending on the context.
Note that you’ll use casual speech with friends who are younger or the same age as you, and polite speech with older friends, following Korean language level rules.
Here are some of the most common expressions:
|
English |
Casual |
Polite |
|---|---|---|
|
Leave well |
잘 가 [jal ga] |
잘 가요 [jal gayo] |
|
See you again |
또 봐 [tto bwa] |
또 봐요 [tto bwayo] |
|
Get home safely |
조심히 가 [joshimhi ga] |
조심히 가요 [joshimhi gayo] |
See you next time |
다음에 봐 [daeume bwa] |
다음에 봐요 [daeume bwayo] |
See you later |
나중에 봐 [najunge bwa] |
나중에 봐요 [najunge bwayo] |
See you tomorrow |
내일 봐 [naeil bwa] |
내일 봐요 [naeil bwayo] |
Let’s meet tomorrow |
내일 만나 [naeil manna] |
내일 만나요 [naeil mannayo] |
Let’s meet again soon |
곧 다시 만나 [got dashi manna] |
곧 다시 만나요 [got dashi mannayo] |
Bye |
안녕 [annyeong] |
Traveling to South Korea can be an unforgettable experience. But when you don’t speak Korean, everything gets more complicated: ordering in a restaurant or café becomes stressful, you can’t understand signs or directions, asking for help in case of trouble is nearly impossible, and most importantly, you miss out on the very essence of a successful trip to Korea: connecting with the locals.
Since English - Korean machine translators can’t always be trusted (the two languages work in completely different ways), it’s essential to prepare yourself in advance to fully enjoy your trip to South Korea!
Learn more