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:

You already know some vocabulary and sentence structures… But when you listen to Koreans speak, do you ever feel like something is missing, the meaning behind the words, the cultural nuance that makes the language truly come alive?

That’s completely normal. In Korean, proverbs and idiomatic expressions are essential to understanding how Koreans think and communicate. Without them, you can speak, but your language will feel flat and overly literal.

With 100 Korean Proverbs - Illustrated and Explained, you’ll understand not only what Koreans say, but why they say it, and what each expression reveals about their mindset and culture.

Learn more

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