TeacherJoy

I get this question in every first Korean class. Many English-speaking leaners ask: “How do you say ‘How are you?’ in Korean?” And first time I heard that, I was like… “Well, there’s no ‘How are you? in Korean.”

These days, I usually respond with something like “오늘 어때요?” But honestly? That’s a little lie. There is no real equivalent of “How are you?” in Korean.

Here’s why: Korean greetings are not fixed. They always shift depending on context. Without shared context, there’s no reason to ask.

Think about an elevator full of strangers. Total silence. And as a Korean, I’m completely comfortable with that silence.

So, even if you say “How are you?” in English to a Korean who isn’t used to western culture, don’t expect the usual talk-back like “I’m good, and you?”

Most likely, they’ll just answer “I’m good.” and silence.

Alright, let’s break it down. You need to know this irregular verb: 어떻다 [어떠타]

• In the casual 요-form: 어때요?
• In the formal form: 어떻습니까? [어떧씀니까]

Both mean “How is it?” (In Korean, we usually drop pronouns.) Want to be honorific?

• In the casual form: 어떠세요?
• In the formal form: 어떠십니까? [어떠심니까]

Now, past tense:

• 어땠어요? [어때써요]
  어땠습니까? [어땓씀니까]

• 어떠셨어요? [어떠셔써요]
• 어떠셨습니까? [어떠셛씀니까]

But here’s the thing: if you want to ask “How are you?” in Korean, you need to be specific, like:

• How was your weekend? – 주말 어떠셨어요?
• How was the concert? – 콘서트 어떠셨어요?

Actually, I personally prefer “주말 잘 보내셨어요?” or “주말에 잘 쉬셨어요?,” which literally mean “Did you spend your weekend well?” and “Did you have a good rest on the weekend?”

And there’s a very Korean one: “식사하셨어요?” (Did you eat?)

It’s not really about the food. It’s our way of saying, “You’re doing okay, right?”

One of my business learners once tried using “식사하셨어요?” with a Korean colleague. The colleague, as expected, politely bounced it back like “네, 조이님은요? 식사하셨어요?” (Yes, I did. How about you, Joy? Did you eat?)

But my learner didn’t catch the cultural nuance. So he took it literally and answered: “아니오, 안 했어요.” (No, I haven’t eaten.)

And that’s when chaos broke out. Everyone around immediately worried and even brought him coffee and a sandwich.

This shows how Korean greetings aren’t just about words.

They reflect genuine care and social context. So if you want to say “How are you?” in Korean, don’t just translate it directly.

Think about the relationship, the situation, and the cultural meaning behind the greeting.