Korean · Greetings & Essentials
"How are you?" in Korean: 잘 지내세요?
잘 지내세요?jal jinaeseyo?
How are you? in Korean is 잘 지내세요? (jal jinaeseyo?). 잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met.
How are you?: starting the exchange
요즘 잘 지내세요?yojeum jal jinaeseyo?
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How to pronounce 잘 지내세요?
Say it
jal jinaeseyo?
/tɕal tɕinɛsejo/
잘 지내세요? is read jal jinaeseyo?. In 잘 지냈어요?, read the full phrase as jal jinaesseoyo?.
"How are you?" in Korean: quick reference
| Korean | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 지내세요?jal jinaeseyo? | How are you? The inventory form for how are you?. | The inventory form for how are you?. |
| 잘 지냈어요?jal jinaesseoyo? | have you been well? 잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met. | 잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met. |
How to use 잘 지내세요? in real life
- 1How are you?: starting the exchange
요즘 잘 지내세요?
yojeum jal jinaeseyo?
Are you doing well these days?
잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met.
- 2How are you?: adding useful context
오랜만이에요. 잘 지내세요?
oraenmanieyo. jal jinaeseyo?
It has been a while. How are you?
This sentence places 잘 지내세요? in a complete exchange.
- 3How are you?: a different conversation
가족과 함께 잘 지내세요?
gajokgwa hamkke jal jinaeseyo?
Are you doing well with your family?
This sentence places 잘 지내세요? in a complete exchange.
Mistakes English speakers make with 잘 지내세요?
Incorrect: 오랜만이예요. 잘 지내세요?
Correct: 오랜만이에요. 잘 지내세요?
When practicing how are you, the standard copula spelling after a consonant is 이에요, not 이예요. The complete correction is 오랜만이에요. 잘 지내세요?
Incorrect: 요즘 잘 지내세요이에요.
Correct: 요즘 잘 지내세요?
When practicing how are you, a conjugated predicate already finishes this sentence; do not append the noun copula 이에요. Keep the complete form 요즘 잘 지내세요?
Good to know
잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Tutor-led greetings and essentials study exercise: two sentences with 잘 지내세요?
Partner
이 표현을 사용해서 한 문장 말해 볼까요?
i pyohyeoneul sayonghaeseo han munjang malhae bolkkayo?
Shall we say a sentence using this expression?
You
요즘 잘 지내세요?
yojeum jal jinaeseyo?
Are you doing well these days?
Partner
좋아요. 다른 문장으로도 연습해 볼까요?
joayo. dareun munjangeurodo yeonseupae bolkkayo?
Good. Shall we practice with another sentence too?
You
오랜만이에요. 잘 지내세요?
oraenmanieyo. jal jinaeseyo?
It has been a while. How are you?
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"How are you?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "How are you?" in Korean
What does 잘 지내세요? mean?
How are you? in Korean is 잘 지내세요? (jal jinaeseyo?). 잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met.
When should I say 잘 지냈어요??
잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met.
How does 잘 지냈어요? differ from the basic expression?
잘 지냈어요? means “have you been well?”. 잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met.
Can I use 잘 지내세요? in a full sentence?
요즘 잘 지내세요? means “Are you doing well these days?” 잘 지내세요? asks how someone is doing; use 지냈어요 for how they have been since you last met.
Use these words in a conversation
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Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
