How To Say “How Are You” In Korean – A Common Greeting

Curious how to say "How are you?" in Korean? This is one of the most common ways to start a conversation, and knowing it can help you sound more natural when chatting with Korean speakers.

The way you ask this question isn’t an exact translation of its English counterpart, but you’ll notice that with many phrases as you learn Korean. Don’t worry; we’ll explain the nuances so you can understand how to speak appropriately using these Korean phrases in a conversation.

We also have a FREE PDF guide on the various ways to say "How are you" in Korean, you can take on the go:

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If you can't read Korean yet, go here to get your free guide. Let’s jump right in!

Quick Summary

• ✅“How are you?” in Korean doesn’t have one direct translation, but phrases like 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo?) and 어떻게 지냈어요? (eotteoke jinaesseoyo?) are commonly used.
• ✅Different speech levels (formal, standard, and informal) are used depending on the relationship and context.
• ✅밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo?) or “Have you eaten?” is a culturally caring way to ask how someone is doing in Korea.

Contents

• 1 How to say "How are you" in Korean
• 2 Different Ways to Say "How Are You?" in Korean
  • 2.1 "How Are You?" in Korean (Formal)
  • 2.2 "How Are You?" in Korean (Standard)
  • 2.3 "How Are You" in Korean (Informal)
• 3 "Well" in Korean
• 4 "Have You Eaten?" in Korean
• 5 What to Learn Next
• 6 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• 7 Wrap Up

How to say "How are you" in Korean

There are several ways to say "How are you?" in Korean, and they're not necessarily direct translations of the English version. These include the following:

• 잘 지내셨어요? (jal jinaesyeosseoyo)
• 어떻게 지내셨어요? (eotteoke jinaesyeosseoyo)
• 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo)
• 잘 있었어요? (jal isseosseoyo)
• 어떻게 지냈어요? (eotteoke jinaesseoyo)
• 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo)
• 잘 있었어? (jal isseosseo)
• 어떻게 지냈어? (eotteoke jinaesseo)

We'll discuss each one below. 

Different Ways to Say "How Are You?" in Korean

Before we head on to that, you can watch this video that shows how to say "How are you" in Korean:

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"How Are You?" in Korean (Formal)

The formal phrases below are the different ways to ask “How are you?" when you speak to people higher in the social rank than you or people you’ve just met. 

Use the formal speech when speaking to:

✔️ Teachers or professors ✔️ Bosses or superiors ✔️ Elders ✔️ Strangers in formal situations

1. 잘 지내셨어요? (jal jinaesyeosseoyo)

Meaning: Have you been well?

Literal Translation: Have you spent your time well?

When to Use: Common polite question to check on someone's well-being, often after greeting them.

Example Response:

네, 잘 지냈어요. (ne, jal jinaesseoyo) Yes, I’ve been well.

🎧 Listen here: 잘 지내셨어요? (jal jinaesyeosseoyo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 잘 (jal) — well
• 지내셨어요 (jinaesyeosseoyo) — to spend time/live (formal past tense)

2. 어떻게 지내셨어요? (eotteoke jinaesyeosseoyo)

Meaning: How have you been?

Literal Translation: How did you spend your time?

When to Use: Polite way to ask someone how things have been going for them. Usually used after greetings.

Example Response: You can respond with a short explanation like:

일이 바빴어요 (iri bappasseoyo) I’ve been busy with work.

🎧 Listen here: 어떻게 지내셨어요? (eotteoke jinaesyeosseoyo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 어떻게 = eotteoke | how
• 지내셨어요 (jinaesyeosseoyo) — to spend time/live (formal past tense)

"How Are You?" in Korean (Standard)

This is the most versatile form of saying "How are you?" in Korean. Use it with:

✔️ People of the same age or rank that you aren't close to ✔️ Acquaintances ✔️ Situations where you're unsure which formality to use

1. 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo)

Meaning: Have you been well?

Literal Translation: Have you spent your time well?

When to Use: Use with acquaintances, classmates, colleagues, or people you’ve met before but aren't very close with.

Example Response:

네, 잘 지냈어요. (ne, jal jinaesseoyo) Yes, I’ve been well.

🎧 Listen here: 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 잘 (jal) — well
• 지냈어요 (jinaesseoyo) — to spend time/live (standard past tense)

2. 잘 있었어요? (jal isseosseoyo)

Meaning: Have you been well?

Literal Translation: Have you been (well)?

When to Use: Slightly more focused on asking if someone has been doing alright or present, like inquiring about their general state. Common with acquaintances.

🎧 Listen here: 잘 있었어요? (jal isseosseoyo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 잘 (jal) — well
• 있었어요 (isseosseoyo) — to be (standard past tense)

3. 어떻게 지냈어요? (eotteoke jinaesseoyo)

Meaning: How have you been?

When to Use: Friendly way to ask how things have been going with someone you know reasonably well.

🎧 Listen here: 어떻게 지냈어요? (eotteoke jinaesseoyo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 어떻게 (eotteoke) — how
• 지냈어요 (jinaesseoyo) — to spend time/live (standard past tense)

You may start to notice that some of these words are the same or similar. That's why it pays to learn the most common Korean words first; they'll keep appearing over and over. This is what you should start with. 

Get How to Say "How Are You?" in Korean Free PDF

"How Are You" in Korean (Informal)

The informal version of "how are you" in Korean is used with people who are lower in social rank than you. 

Use these casual phrases with:

✔️ Close friends ✔️ Younger people ✔️ Family members ✔️ Significant others

If unsure whether informal speech is okay, ask if you can use 반말 (banmal) — informal Korean.

1. 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo)

Meaning: Have you been well?

When to Use: For close friends or younger people you’re comfortable with.

🎧 Listen here: 잘 지냈어? (jal jinaesseo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 잘 (jal) — well
• 지냈어 (jinaesseo) — to spend time/live (informal past tense)

2. 잘 있었어? (jal isseosseo)

Meaning: Have you been well?

When to Use: Similar to 잘 지냈어, with a focus on someone's general state.

🎧 Listen here: 잘 있었어? (jal isseosseo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 잘 (jal) — well
• 있었어 (isseosseo) — to be (informal past tense)

3. 어떻게 지냈어? (eotteoke jinaesseo)

Meaning: How have you been?

When to Use: To casually ask a friend how they’ve been doing.

🎧 Listen here: 어떻게 지냈어? (eotteoke jinaesseo)

Vocabulary Breakdown:

• 어떻게 (eotteoke) — how
• 지냈어 (jinaesseo) — to spend time/live (informal past tense)

Get How to Say "How Are You?" in Korean Free PDF

"Well" in Korean

You can say "well" in Korean as 잘 (jal). Listen to how its correct Korean pronunciation.

잘 (jal)

"Have You Eaten?" in Korean

Another way of asking someone how they are is by asking if they have eaten already. 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo?) means "Have you eaten?" in Korean. Koreans will often greet each other by asking if the other person has eaten. It doesn't necessarily mean that you’re asking if they’ve literally eaten food.

It’s more often used to show that you’re interested in the well-being of the other person. Therefore, you can use this phrase to ask, "How are you?" in Korean.

Listen here: 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo)

• 밥  = bap | rice or food/meal
• 먹었어요  = meogeosseoyo | to eat (standard past tense)

Since this is in standard form, you can use it with people who are on the same level or lower than you in the social hierarchy.

Here are some examples of how you might use this in conversation:

A: 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo) B: 네, 먹었어요. (ne, meogeosseoyo)

OR

A: 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo) B: 아니요, 아직 안 먹었어요. (aniyo, ajik an meogeosseoyo)

You wouldn’t use these phrases with someone you met for the first time—it would sound a bit strange! Make sure to use them with people you’ve already met, such as friends, classmates, or coworkers.

What to Learn Next

Now that you know how to say “How are you?” in Korean, here are other useful lessons to help you continue learning:

• Korean Greetings - Essential Phrases for Any Situation - Learn common Korean greetings beyond "How are you?" so you can sound natural in daily conversations.
• How to Say Thank You in Korean - Master different ways to say "thank you" in Korean, from casual to formal, for any situation.
• Korean Sentence Structure - Understand the basics of Korean sentence structure so you can start building your own sentences with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the common questions asked about "How are you?" in Korean.

1. What is the most common way to ask “How are you?” in Korean?

The most common way to ask “How are you?” in Korean is 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo?). This is the most versatile, polite form used in everyday conversation.

2. How do you say “How have you been?” in Korean?

You can say “How have you been?” in Korean with the following phrases:

• 어떻게 지냈어요? (eotteoke jinaesseoyo?) — polite
• 어떻게 지냈어? (eotteoke jinaesseo?) — casual

These forms emphasize checking on someone's recent state. 

3. Is “Have you eaten?” in Korean the same as “How are you?”

Yes, 밥 먹었어요? (bap meogeosseoyo?) which literally means "Have you eaten?" can also mean “How are you?” in the Korean culture.

This phrase is commonly used to ask about someone's well-being or to show care.

4. How do Koreans respond to “How are you?” casually?

Koreans typically respond to "How are you?" questions with:

• 네, 잘 지냈어요. (Ne, jal jinaesseoyo.) — "Yes, I've been well."
• 그냥 그래요. (Geunyang geuraeyo.) — "So-so."
• 요즘 바빠요. (Yojeum bappayo.) — "I’ve been busy lately."

These are common responses you'll find in everyday conversation.

5. When should I say “잘 있었어요?” vs. “잘 지냈어요?”

Here's when you should use “잘 있었어요?” vs. “잘 지냈어요?”:

• 잘 지냈어요? (jal jinaesseoyo?) asks, “Have you been well?”—frequently used.
• 잘 있었어요? (jal isseosseoyo?) also means, “Have you been okay?” but feels a bit more focused on the person's general state.

Wrap Up

Now that you know the different ways to say “How are you” in Korean, it’s a great time to get out there and get some practice! And pick up some other Korean phrases while you're at it! With these phrases, you can also practice and create your own sentences. Make sure to check out the article on Korean sentence structure to learn its basics!

Next, how about learning how to say "Thank you" in Korean?

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