In Korean tradition, politeness is an important credential that a person must have and the quality of politeness can be determined by how you greet and part with others. Thus far, we have learned how to say hello in Korean, but today, you will learn how to say goodbye in Korean.
How to Say Goodbye in Korean
Here is how to say goodbye in Korean: 잘가 [jal-ga] or 안녕히 가세요 [an-nyong-hee ga-se-yo] when someone is leaving, but when you are leaving a place, you would say 안녕히 계세요 [an-nyong-hee ge-se-yo].
Please note that 잘가 is the informal way of saying goodbye in Korean.
Therefore you must refrain from using it in a public place or to someone who is older than you to show the proper respect.
Sample Sentences Using Goodbye in Korean
그동안 즐거웠어. 잘가 [geu-dong-an jel-geo-wu-sseo. jal-ga.]
It has been fun. Good bye.
그동안 모든거 감사했어요. 안녕히 계세요. [geo-dong-an mo deun-guh gam-sa-het-sseo-yo. an-nyong-hee ge-se-yo]
Thank you for everything thus far. Good bye.
다음에 또봐요 안녕! [da-um-eh tto-ba-yo. an-nyong!]
See you later. Good bye!
Please note above that 안녕 was used in the context of goodbye.
You may know 안녕 would be the context of hi or hello. However, in this case, it would be implied as goodbye because the sentence before had suggested the departure rather than the greeting.
Goodbye in Korean in the Formal Way
As we have mentioned previously, it is important to address the person in formal way of speaking to show the respect towards the other party.
Often, you will see many phrases have ‘yo’ attached at the end, which usually helps reforming the word into a formal form of the word.
However, in this case, usually when you say 잘가요 [jal-ga-yo], it may not be polite enough in some formal situations in Korea.
Therefore, it may be safer to say 안녕히 계세요 or 안녕히 가세요 to avoid possible confrontation.
Now that you know how to say goodbye in Korean, we will see you next time. 안녕!
