To say good night in Korean, use 안녕히 주무세요 (annyeonghi jumuseyo) to parents, grandparents and anyone older, and 잘 자 (jal ja), "sleep well", to friends, partners and children. 잘 자요 (jal jayo) is the polite middle ground. These are bedtime wishes only: leaving someone in the evening calls for a goodbye instead.
- To elders
- 안녕히 주무세요 (annyeonghi jumuseyo)
- Polite
- 잘 자요 (jal jayo)
- Casual
- 잘 자 (jal ja)
- Sweet dreams
- 좋은 꿈 꿔 (joeun kkum kkwo)
- Level
- A1
Why does Korean have two verbs for sleep?
Korean honours the person doing the sleeping. 자다 (jada) is the ordinary verb; 주무시다 (jumusida) is its honorific, used when the sleeper deserves respect. So the same wish comes out as 잘 자 to your little brother and 안녕히 주무세요 to your grandmother.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | Who you say it to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕히 주무세요 | annyeonghi jumuseyo | Honorific | Parents, grandparents, an older host |
| 푹 주무세요 | puk jumuseyo | Honorific | An elder after a tiring day: sleep deeply |
| 잘 자요 | jal jayo | Polite | Someone close you still speak politely to |
| 잘 자 | jal ja | Casual (반말) | Friends, a partner, younger siblings, children |
| 좋은 꿈 꿔 | joeun kkum kkwo | Casual | Sweet dreams, to a partner or a child |
| 좋은 밤 되세요 | joeun bam doeseyo | Polite | Hotel staff, radio hosts, messages to acquaintances |
잘 (jal) means well, so 잘 자 is literally "sleep well". 푹 (puk) adds "deeply, soundly".
How do you say good night in a text?
Late-night messages in Korean usually end with 잘 자 plus something warm. In chats people often drop the space and type 잘자.
오늘 고마웠어. 잘 자!
Oneul gomawosseo. Jal ja!
Thanks for today. Night!
먼저 잘게. 내일 봐.
Meonjeo jalge. Naeil bwa.
I'm going to sleep now. See you tomorrow.
Literally "I'll sleep first": what you say when you leave the chat before the other person.
좋은 꿈 꿔요.
Joeun kkum kkwoyo.
Sweet dreams.
Polite but affectionate.
푹 쉬세요.
Puk swiseyo.
Get a good rest.
Polite; also kind at the end of a long working day.
When is good night not 잘 자?
Only wish someone a good night's sleep when they are actually going to bed. Leaving a dinner at ten o'clock, you still say 안녕히 계세요 or 안녕히 가세요 (see how to say goodbye in Korean). Arriving in the evening, Korean has no everyday "good evening" either: 안녕하세요 covers it.
The sleep verb turns up in questions too. In this Contos story it is four in the morning; Harin has crept down to the bakery kitchen when a voice behind her asks:
누나, 아직 안 자요?Nuna, ajik an jayo?
안 자요 (an jayo) is 자다 in its polite form, negated with 안. The voice belongs to Dojun, the young delivery man. He calls her 누나 (nuna), "older sister", the friendly word a younger man uses for an older woman, and keeps the polite -요 ending. To an elder he would switch to the honorific: 아직 안 주무세요? (ajik an jumuseyo?).
What mistakes do learners make with good night?
Saying 잘 자 to an older person is the one to avoid: it sounds like talking down. The reverse, 안녕히 주무세요 to a friend your age, is not rude but sounds stiff, or like a joke. And never use 주무시다 about yourself: "I'm off to bed" is 저 먼저 잘게요 (jeo meonjeo jalgeyo), with the plain verb.
For lighter partings that promise another meeting, see how to say see you later in Korean. The morning version of the same verbs is in how to say good morning in Korean.
Read The Dawn Recipe Notebook in Korean at A2 and find out who is in the bakery at four in the morning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce annyeonghi jumuseyo?
Roughly "ahn-nyoung-hee joo-moo-seh-yo", with even stress. The h in 히 is often soft in quick speech.
How do you say sweet dreams in Korean?
Say 좋은 꿈 꿔 (joeun kkum kkwo) casually, or 좋은 꿈 꾸세요 (joeun kkum kkuseyo) politely. Literally it is "dream a good dream".
How do you say good evening in Korean?
There is no everyday equivalent. Use 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) when you arrive. 좋은 저녁 되세요 (joeun jeonyeok doeseyo), "have a good evening", is something staff or presenters say as a parting.
Can you say jal jayo to your boss?
It would be unusual. You rarely wish a boss good night at all; if you do, for example on a work trip, 안녕히 주무세요 is the respectful form.