Lesson Objectives
- Learn all 15 greetings and farewell words and phrases
- Understand the difference between formal and informal speech levels
- Know which greeting to use depending on who you're speaking to
- Read two short dialogues using today's phrases in real context
- Write the 5 highest-frequency phrases from memory
Where you are right now
Two full weeks of Hangul work is done. You can read any Korean word — sounding it out correctly and applying pronunciation rules. Starting today, vocabulary begins. Every lesson from here adds 15 words to your active deck. By Month 2 you'll have over 200. For now: 안녕하세요.
Korean has levels of politeness built into the language
Before learning greetings, you need to know that Korean has a formal speech level and an informal one. The same meaning — "hello", "thank you", "goodbye" — has different forms depending on the relationship. This lesson teaches both, so you know when to use which.
Formal polite — used with strangers, elders, customers, first meetings. Endings like -습니다 / -니다.
Informal polite — everyday use with most people you know. Endings like -아요 / -어요.
Casual — close friends, younger people you know well. No polite ending at all.
In this lesson, formal and informal polite are both taught. Casual forms appear later in the course.
오늘의 단어 — Today's vocabulary
Each card shows the Korean. Click to reveal the romanization, English meaning, usage note, and an example in context.
👆 Tap any card to expand
Words in your active deck
Your first vocabulary lesson is complete. 15 words down, 1,185 to go. The pace picks up from here — but so does the payoff.
Same meaning — different speech level
Here are the key pairs from today's lesson. Knowing both forms means you can switch naturally depending on who you're speaking to.
| Meaning | Formal polite (-습니다) | Informal polite (-아/어요) |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요 | 안녕 (casual only) |
| Thank you | 감사합니다 | 고마워요 |
| I'm sorry | 죄송합니다 | 미안해요 |
| Goodbye (you're leaving) | 안녕히 계세요 | 안녕 / 잘 있어요 |
| Goodbye (they're leaving) | 안녕히 가세요 | 안녕 / 잘 가요 |
| How are you? | 잘 지내세요? | 잘 지내요? |
See the words in real exchange
Two short dialogues. Read each line aloud — pay attention to which speech level is being used and why.
Dialogue 1 — Meeting someone for the first time (formal)
Dialogue 2 — Small bump in a café (everyday polite)
Write the 5 most essential phrases
These five appear in virtually every Korean conversation. Write each one in your notebook — syllable by syllable — until it feels natural.
인사 — Greetings as Social Glue
In Korean culture, 인사 (greetings and bowing) carry far more social weight than in many Western contexts. Walking past a neighbour without greeting them would be noticeably rude. Entering a shop triggers 어서 오세요 (welcome) from the staff; leaving triggers 감사합니다 or 안녕히 가세요. The exchange is expected and rhythmic — it marks every social threshold.
The bow that accompanies these phrases matters too. A slight head nod is fine for casual greetings between peers. A deeper bow (around 30–45 degrees) signals genuine respect or apology. You'll never go wrong bowing — Koreans generally find it charming when foreign learners attempt the full bow. It shows cultural awareness, which is valued.
📚 Lesson 11 Homework
Before Lesson 12…
Write all 15 words from today's lesson in your notebook — Korean only, no romanization. Say each one aloud as you write it. Check spelling against the lesson. Repeat any you got wrong.
Create 15 flashcards — Korean on the front, English + usage note on the back. This is the start of your vocabulary deck in earnest. Keep these separate from your Hangul drill cards.
Practice the two goodbye distinction until it's instinctive. When you leave a room: 안녕히 계세요. When someone else leaves: 안녕히 가세요. Run through the logic five times in your head — who moves, who stays.
Say all 15 phrases aloud — with correct pronunciation — in one continuous run. Time yourself. If any phrase makes you pause, that's the one to drill tonight.
Lesson 12 preview: Next lesson is Self-Introduction vocabulary — 이름 (name), 나이 (age), 나라 (country), 직업 (job) and more. Think about how you'd introduce yourself in Korean. 저는 ___입니다 — "I am ___".