Korean Greetings & Introductions Vocabulary인사와 소개

Hello / Hi (polite)

안녕하세요! 오늘 날씨가 좋아요.Hello! The weather is nice today.

💡 Memory tip: "Annyeong" means peace/well-being. You're asking "Are you at peace?"

Pronunciation: The ㅎ in 하 is light and breathy. 안녕 is pronounced just as written — [안녕].

Goodbye (to someone leaving)

안녕히 가세요! 내일 봐요.Goodbye! See you tomorrow.

💡 Memory tip: "Go in peace" -- use this when the OTHER person is leaving.

Pronunciation: 히 is pronounced softly. 가세요 = "please go."

Goodbye (to someone staying)

저 먼저 갈게요. 안녕히 계세요!I'll go first. Goodbye (stay well)!

💡 Memory tip: "Stay in peace" -- use this when YOU are leaving and the other stays.

Pronunciation: 계 is pronounced [게] in casual speech, but [계] in careful speech.

Thank you (formal)

선물 감사합니다.Thank you for the gift.

💡 Memory tip: "Gamsa" means gratitude. This is the most formal and safe way to say thanks.

Pronunciation: Nasalization: ㅂ before ㄴ becomes [ㅁ], so 합니다 is pronounced [함니다].

I'm sorry (formal)

늦어서 죄송합니다.I'm sorry for being late.

💡 Memory tip: Use for genuine apologies. For lighter "excuse me" situations, use 실례합니다.

Pronunciation: Same nasalization: 합니다 → [함니다].

Yes

네, 맞아요.Yes, that's right.

💡 Memory tip: Short and simple! Also used as "uh-huh" to show you're listening.

Pronunciation: In casual speech the vowel often raises, so 네 sounds closer to [니] (ni). Both are accepted.

No (polite)

아니요, 괜찮아요.No, it's okay.

💡 Memory tip: Starts with "a-ni" -- think "a-NEE-yo." The casual form is just 아니.

I / me (humble/polite)

저는 학생이에요.I am a student.

💡 Memory tip: The polite "I." Use 나 (na) only with close friends or younger people.

name

이름이 뭐예요?What is your name?

💡 Memory tip: Your 이름 is your "ear-room" -- the word that fills the room when someone calls you!

country

어느 나라에서 왔어요?Which country are you from?

student

저는 한국어 학생이에요.I am a Korean language student.

Pronunciation: After the ㄱ batchim of 학, the ㅅ of 생 tenses to [ㅆ], so 학생 sounds like [학쌩].

teacher (honorific)

선생님, 질문이 있어요.Teacher, I have a question.

💡 Memory tip: -님 is an honorific suffix. 선생 means "one born before" (i.e., with more experience).

Pronunciation: Pronounced as written — [선생님]. Keep the ㅇ batchim in 생 as a clear nasal [ŋ] sound.