How Are You in Korean: 7 Ways to Ask (Formal & Casual)

So you're learning Korean and want to know how to ask someone how they're doing? Good news: there are actually several ways to say "how are you" in Korean, and which one you use depends on who you're talking to. Korean has different speech levels based on formality and respect, so you'll need different phrases for your friends versus your boss or someone older. Let's break down all the main ways to ask this question, how to pronounce them, and when to use each one.

The most common way to say "how are you" in Korean

The phrase you'll hear most often is 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo?). This translates literally to "Have you been well?" and works in most everyday situations. It's polite enough for people you don't know super well, but not overly formal.

Here's how to pronounce it: "jal" sounds like "jahl" with a soft "j", "ji" is like "jee", "naess" sounds like "neh-ss", and "eoyo" is like "uh-yo". Put it together and you get "jahl jee-neh-ss-uh-yo."

The word 잘 (jal) means "well" or "good", and you'll see it pop up in lots of Korean greetings and phrases. The verb 지내다 (jinaeda) means "to spend time" or "to get along", so you're basically asking "Have you been spending your time well?"

This phrase works great for acquaintances, coworkers at a similar level, people you meet through friends, or really anyone you want to be polite with but don't need to use super formal language around.

Formal ways to ask "how are you"

When you need to show more respect, like talking to someone significantly older, your boss, or someone in a position of authority, you'll want to use 잘 지내셨어요? (jal jinaesyeosseoyo?). Notice the extra syllable there? That "syeo" part is the honorific marker that shows respect.

The pronunciation is similar to the standard polite version: "jahl jee-neh-shuh-ss-uh-yo." That "sh" sound is the key difference.

For even more formal situations, like meeting your partner's parents for the first time or speaking to elderly people you don't know well, you can use 안녕하십니까? (annyeonghasimnikka?). This is the super formal version of "hello" that also functions as a "how are you" greeting in Korean culture.

Honestly, you won't use this one much in daily life unless you work in customer service or really formal business settings. It sounds like "ahn-nyoung-hah-shim-ni-kka" with that sharp "kka" at the end.

Informal ways to say "how are you"

Here's where it gets fun. When you're talking to close friends or people younger than you, Korean has casual speech levels that sound way more natural and friendly.

The informal version is 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo?). Just drop that "yo" ending from the polite version and you've got it. Pronunciation: "jahl jee-neh-ss-uh."

You can make it even more casual with 잘 지냈니? (jal jinaenni?) or just 잘 지냈? (jal jinaess?). These are what you'd use with your best friend or siblings. They sound like "jahl jee-nen-nee" and "jahl jee-ness."

Another super common informal greeting is 어떻게 지냈어? (eotteoke jinaesseo?), which means "How have you been?" This one's a bit more specific than just "잘 지냈어?" because "어떻게" (eotteoke) means "how" in a more detailed sense. Pronounce it like "uh-ttuh-keh jee-neh-ss-uh."

For friends you see regularly, Koreans often just say 뭐해? (mwohae?), which literally means "What are you doing?" but functions as a casual "what's up?" greeting. It's pronounced "mwoh-heh."

How to reply when someone asks you

When someone asks how you are in Korean, you've got several options for responding. The most straightforward reply is 잘 지냈어요 (jal jinaesseoyo) or 잘 지냈어 (jal jinaesseo), which means "I've been well." Just drop the question mark and state it as fact.

You can also say 네, 잘 지냈어요 (ne, jal jinaesseoyo), where "네" (ne) means "yes." This is like saying "Yes, I've been well."

If things haven't been great, you could say 그냥 그래요 (geunyang geuraeyo), which means "Just so-so" or literally "Just like that." Pronunciation: "gun-yang gu-reh-yo."

For a more enthusiastic response, try 아주 잘 지냈어요 (aju jal jinaesseoyo), meaning "I've been very well." The word 아주 (aju) means "very" or "really."

Here's the thing about Korean greetings though: people don't always expect a super detailed answer like in English. A simple "잘 지냈어요" is totally fine, and then you can ask them back with 너는? (neoneun?) for informal or 당신은요? (dangsineunyo?) for polite, both meaning "and you?"

Understanding Korean speech levels

This is probably the trickiest part of learning how to greet people in Korean. The language has different speech levels that you need to match to the social situation.

The three main levels you'll use are:

Formal polite (존댓말, jondaemal): This uses endings like ~습니다/ㅂ니다 (~seumnida/mnida) and ~세요 (~seyo). Use this with strangers, older people, customers, teachers, and bosses.

Informal polite (존댓말, jondaemal): This uses the ~요 (~yo) ending. Use this with people you're friendly with but still want to show basic respect to, like coworkers or acquaintances.

Casual/informal (반말, banmal): No polite endings at all. Only use this with close friends, younger siblings, or people who've explicitly told you it's okay to speak casually with them.

Using the wrong level can be awkward or even rude. If you use casual speech with someone older or in a higher position, it comes across as disrespectful. But if you use formal speech with close friends, it creates unnecessary distance.

When in doubt, start with informal polite (~요 endings) and let the other person guide you. If they use casual speech with you, you can usually match their level.

Other useful greeting phrases in Korean

Beyond "how are you," there are some other phrases you should know for greeting people.

안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is the standard "hello" that works in most situations. It literally means "Are you at peace?" and you can use it any time of day. Pronunciation: "ahn-nyoung-hah-seh-yo."

The casual version is 안녕 (annyeong), which you'd use with friends. Just "ahn-nyoung."

오랜만이에요 (oraenmanieyo) means "Long time no see" and is perfect when you haven't seen someone in a while. Say it like "oh-ren-mahn-ee-eh-yo." The casual version is 오랜만이야 (oraenmaniya).

요즘 어때요? (yojeum eottaeyo?) means "How are things these days?" This is another way to ask how someone's doing, focusing more on their current situation. Pronunciation: "yo-jum uh-tteh-yo."

By the way, if you've heard the word 잠깐만 (jamkkanman) and wondered what it means, it translates to "wait a moment" or "hold on." You'll hear this all the time in Korean dramas and conversations. It's pronounced "jahm-kkan-mahn."

Where are you vs. how are you in Korean

Quick note because people often confuse these: "Where are you?" in Korean is 어디에 있어요? (eodie isseoyo?) or more casually 어디야? (eodiya?). The word 어디 (eodi) means "where."

This is completely different from asking how someone is doing. If you accidentally ask "어디에 있어요?" when you meant to ask how they are, you'll get a confused look and probably a location as an answer.

Tips for learning and using these phrases

The best way to learn these greetings is to actually use them. Watch Korean videos and pay attention to how people greet each other in different situations. Korean dramas are great for this because you'll see formal workplace conversations, casual friend chats, and everything in between.

Try to notice the speech level being used and who's talking to whom. You'll start picking up on the patterns pretty quickly.

Practice the pronunciation out loud. Korean has some sounds that don't exist in English, so just reading romanization won't cut it. Listen to native speakers say these phrases and repeat after them. There are tons of Korean language videos on YouTube where you can hear proper pronunciation.

Don't stress too much about getting it perfect right away. Koreans are generally pretty understanding when foreigners are learning their language. If you accidentally use the wrong speech level, people will usually just gently correct you or let it slide.

One more thing: in Korea, people don't actually ask "how are you?" as much as English speakers do. It's more common when you haven't seen someone in a while. For daily greetings with people you see regularly, a simple 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) or even just a head nod is totally normal.

Putting it all together

So to recap, here are your main options for asking "how are you" in Korean:

Formal: 잘 지내셨어요? (jal jinaesyeosseoyo?) or 안녕하십니까? (annyeonghasimnikka?)

Standard polite: 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo?)

Casual: 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo?) or 어떻게 지냈어? (eotteoke jinaesseo?)

Very casual: 뭐해? (mwohae?)

Match your phrase to who you're talking to, and you'll sound natural. The key is paying attention to the relationship and context.

Learning a new language takes time, and Korean can be especially tricky with all its formality levels. But once you get the hang of when to use each phrase, it becomes second nature. Plus, Koreans really appreciate when foreigners make the effort to learn and use proper Korean greetings.

If you want to practice these phrases with actual Korean content, Migaku's browser extension lets you look up words and save phrases while watching Korean shows or reading articles. Makes it way easier to learn in context instead of just memorizing lists. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.