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Unit 3: Goodbye, See you (안녕히 계세요, 안녕히 가세요)

In Unit 1, we learned how to say hello: 안녕하세요 (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo). Now, it's time to learn how to say goodbye.

In Korean, the way you say goodbye depends on whether you are the one leaving or the one staying.

1. When YOU are leaving (and others are staying)

If you are leaving a place and someone else is staying there, you tell them to "stay in peace."

  • 안녕히 계세요 [an-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo] = Goodbye (to the person staying)

Let's break it down: - 안녕히 [an-nyeong-hi] = peacefully - 계세요 [gye-se-yo] = stay / be

So literally, you are saying "Stay peacefully."

2. When YOU are staying (and others are leaving)

If you are staying at a place and someone else is leaving, you tell them to "go in peace."

  • 안녕히 가세요 [an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo] = Goodbye (to the person leaving)

Let's break it down: - 안녕히 [an-nyeong-hi] = peacefully - 가세요 [ga-se-yo] = go

So literally, you are saying "Go peacefully."

What if EVERYONE is leaving?

If you are at a cafe with a friend, and both of you get up to leave at the same time, which one do you use?

Since you are both leaving, you both tell each other to "go peacefully." Both people say: 안녕히 가세요 (an-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo).

Pronunciation Tip

When spoken quickly in everyday conversation, the exact pronunciation of these phrases can sometimes blur together. You might hear something that sounds like "안녕히 가십쇼" or just a mumbled ending, but the key distinction lies in the 계 (gye) vs 가 (ga) syllables. Focus on those!

Summary

  • 안녕히 계세요 (Stay peacefully) = You are leaving. The other person is staying.
  • 안녕히 가세요 (Go peacefully) = You are staying. The other person is leaving.