Most Koreans say good morning with 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo), the hello that works at any hour. 좋은 아침 (joeun achim) is a literal "good morning": friendly, casual, common among friends, colleagues and in group chats. At home the real morning greeting is a question about sleep: 잘 잤어? (jal jasseo?), "did you sleep well?"
- Safe default
- 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo)
- Literal good morning
- 좋은 아침 (joeun achim)
- To family
- 잘 잤어? (jal jasseo?)
- To elders
- 안녕히 주무셨어요? (annyeonghi jumusyeosseoyo?)
- Level
- A1
Do Koreans actually say joeun achim?
Yes, but not as a reflex. 좋은 아침 (joeun achim) means exactly "good morning", and you will hear it from friends, in relaxed offices and at the top of a morning message. With a shopkeeper, a stranger or anyone senior you don't know well, most people simply say 안녕하세요 instead.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | Who you say it to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | Polite | Anyone, at any time of day |
| 좋은 아침이에요 | joeun achimieyo | Polite | A colleague or neighbour you get on with |
| 좋은 아침입니다 | joeun achimimnida | Formal | Opening a morning meeting or a broadcast |
| 좋은 아침 | joeun achim | Casual | Friends, a partner, the group chat |
| 잘 잤어요? | jal jasseoyo? | Polite | A housemate, or a guest who stayed the night |
| 잘 잤어? | jal jasseo? | Casual (반말) | Your partner, friends, siblings, children |
| 안녕히 주무셨어요? | annyeonghi jumusyeosseoyo? | Honorific | Parents, grandparents, an older host |
아침 (achim) means both morning and breakfast, so 아침 먹었어요? (achim meogeosseoyo?) is "have you had breakfast?", another warm way to start the day with someone you know.
How do you greet your family in the morning?
Korean families tend to ask about the night rather than wish a good morning. To parents and grandparents, children are taught the honorific 안녕히 주무셨어요?, built on 주무시다, the respectful verb for sleeping. Between equals and to younger relatives, the plain verb 자다 does the job: 잘 잤어?
엄마, 잘 주무셨어요?
Eomma, jal jumusyeosseoyo?
Mum, did you sleep well?
Honorific but warm; a typical first line of the day to a parent.
응, 잘 잤어. 너는?
Eung, jal jasseo. Neoneun?
Yes, I slept well. You?
The casual reply.
일어났어?
Ireonasseo?
Are you up?
A common first text of the day between couples and close friends.
좋은 하루 보내세요.
Joeun haru bonaeseyo.
Have a good day.
A parting line, not a greeting.
What does a Korean morning greeting look like in a story?
In one Contos A1 story, it is ten past seven and Seoyun is walking her dog in the park. She says a greeting in her head, though not yet out loud to anyone, and notice what she reaches for: not 좋은 아침, but hello plus a comment on the weather.
안녕하세요. 날씨가 좋아요.Annyeonghaseyo. Nalssiga joayo.
날씨가 좋아요 (nalssiga joayo) is the Korean small-talk opener for a fine morning, much like "lovely day, isn't it?". It is also how you would say "it's a beautiful day": see how to say beautiful in Korean for why 아름답다 doesn't fit the weather.
What mistakes do learners make with good morning?
The commonest is treating 좋은 아침 as the polite default. To an older stranger or a senior colleague it can sound breezy; 안녕하세요, or 안녕하십니까 in a very formal workplace, is safer. The second is asking colleagues 안녕히 주무셨어요?: it is meant for elders at home, and at work it sounds oddly personal.
Finally, the sleep verbs only work one way. You can ask an elder whether they 주무셨어요, but you never use 주무시다 about yourself: you 잤어요. The same pair of verbs gives you the bedtime phrases in how to say good night in Korean. For greetings later in the day, how to say hello in Korean covers the rest.
Start the Bench Conspiracy at A1 and meet Seoyun on her early walk, with every word one tap from its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce joeun achim?
Roughly "jo-eun ah-chim". The ㅎ written in 좋은 is silent before a vowel, so there is no h sound, and the ch in 아침 is lighter than in English.
Is joeun achim a translation of the English?
It is often described as a modern loan translation, which may be why older people use it less. It is now everyday Korean and perfectly correct among friends and colleagues.
How do you say good morning to your boss in Korean?
Say 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) with a small bow, or 안녕하십니까 (annyeonghasimnikka) in a formal office. In a relaxed team, 좋은 아침입니다 (joeun achimimnida) is also fine.
How do you reply to joeun achim?
Say it back: 좋은 아침! with friends, or 네, 좋은 아침이에요 (ne, joeun achimieyo) politely. Adding a question about sleep or breakfast keeps the conversation going.