Korean for Kids
How to Say "How are you" in Korean
A simple question that shows you care about another person's day.
In Korean (한국어)
어떻게 지내세요? (Eotteoke jinaeseyo?)
Pronounced: uh-DOH-keh jee-nay-SAY-yoh
What “How are you” means and when to use it
The listed Korean expression in this lesson is “어떻게 지내세요? (Eotteoke jinaeseyo?).” Its beginner pronunciation approximation is “uh-DOH-keh jee-nay-SAY-yoh.” A simple question that shows you care about another person's day. The approximation is a reading scaffold, not a replacement for the native writing or for listening to a speaker whose variety you are learning.
Use this after an opening greeting to ask about someone's well-being. Depending on language and setting, the question may function as a brief social greeting or as a genuine invitation to share. Pause for the answer and do not demand personal details. Because responses require additional listed language, this lesson keeps replies in English or uses a separately listed happy phrase only if available; it never manufactures a fluent foreign sentence. Formality and number can also change the question's wording.
Learners never have to disclose real feelings. Emotion cards allow a fictional answer, and culturally different greeting routines should not be judged as uncaring.
Korean pronunciation workshop
Hangul groups letters into syllable blocks, read left to right. Korean consonants include plain, aspirated, and tense sets; English spelling hints cannot show these contrasts precisely. Final consonants are often unreleased, meaning the mouth closes without a strong puff. Vowels such as eo and eu have no exact English match. Rhythm is generally syllable-based, and politeness endings are important. Use the romanization and approximation to begin, but look at the Hangul too rather than treating roman letters as the language itself.
Now apply those sound ideas specifically to “어떻게 지내세요? (Eotteoke jinaeseyo?).” Read the native form first, then use “uh-DOH-keh jee-nay-SAY-yoh” to locate the broad sound sequence and emphasized syllable. Say the entire expression in one comfortable turn. Do not substitute English sounds more strongly merely because a letter looks familiar, and do not erase marks, accents, or characters when copying it.
Point to each Hangul block and give it one steady beat. Keep final consonants short and avoid adding an English vowel after them. Say the complete phrase with its polite ending intact, then alternate between reading Hangul and the parenthesized romanization for three careful repetitions.
Respectful context across Korea
Korean wording changes with age, familiarity, and social relationship. The translations here generally favor polite beginner-friendly forms ending in sounds such as -yo, though people close to one another often use casual speech. A small bow may accompany a greeting or thanks, but its depth depends on context; learners need not exaggerate it. Titles and kinship terms can be socially important. Contemporary Korean communities are diverse, so these patterns guide observation rather than define every interaction.
This lesson teaches one useful listed translation, not the only wording used by all Korean speakers. Age, relationship, region, and situation can change a speaker's choice. A good learner notices those choices, asks respectfully when appropriate, and accepts correction without arguing that a phrase list must outrank a person's own language experience.
Practice activity: scene, speak, reflect
Partner A says the listed hello, pauses, then says the translated how-are-you. Partner B chooses an emotion card and answers in English, such as “I’m feeling calm,” so every translated turn remains listed. Partner A listens and says the listed thank-you if the exchange warrants it. Swap roles and repeat with friend, teacher, and video-call scene cards. Discuss in English how voice and patience show that the question is not merely a race to the next line.
Use three passes. On pass one, read “어떻게 지내세요? (Eotteoke jinaeseyo?)” while a partner checks every word or character. On pass two, look only at the scene card and retrieve the expression from memory. On pass three, use an English scene prompt and deliver the Korean speaking turn at a natural volume. Afterward, explain in English why the phrase fit that scene. This keeps meaning, respectful behavior, and pronunciation together instead of rewarding speed alone.
A successful attempt is understandable and considerate, not accent-free. Mark one detail you kept consistent—perhaps the stress, a long vowel, a tone direction, a final consonant, or the full word order—and choose one detail for another careful repetition. Stop before practice becomes rushed. Short, attentive rounds build a more reliable memory than saying the phrase many times without listening to yourself or your partner.
Practice dialogue
- Scene prompt (English)
- Two classmates meet before an activity begins.
- Korean speaking turn — Learner A
- 안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo)
- Role-play cue (English)
- Learner A asks the target well-being question and waits.
- Korean target speaking turn — Learner A
- 어떻게 지내세요? (Eotteoke jinaeseyo?)
- Role-play reply/action (English) — Learner B
- I’m doing well today.
- Korean speaking turn — Learner B
- 감사합니다 (Gamsahamnida)
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