How to Say Good Night in Korean
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · How we write & review
After this page, you can say good night at the right politeness level, from 잘 자 (jal ja) to 안녕히 주무세요.
10-second answer
How do you say good night in Korean?
잘 자요 (jal jayo) means "good night" — literally "sleep well." 잘 (well) + 자다 (jada, to sleep). The casual version, 잘 자 (jal ja), is one of the most common closing texts between close friends and couples at the end of the day.
Quick check — did that land?
1. How do you say good night to your grandmother respectfully?
잘 자 means good night to someone close.
The Politeness Levels
| Form | Level | Use with |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕히 주무세요 | Formal/honorific | Elders, grandparents, very respectful contexts |
| 잘 자요 | Polite | The everyday default |
| 잘 자 | Casual | Close friends, partners |
안녕히 주무세요 uses 주무시다, the honorific/irregular verb specifically for "to sleep" when talking about someone you respect — similar in spirit to 계시다 (honorific "to be") and 드시다 (honorific "to eat") — see the full set on the honorific verbs page.
안녕히 주무세요 follows the same 안녕히 pattern as the goodbyes on 안녕히 가세요 vs 계세요.
See also: What Does 있다/없다 Mean?
Quick Examples
잘 자, 좋은 꿈 꿔.
jal ja, joeun kkum kkwo.
Good night, sweet dreams.
좋은 꿈 꾸다 — literally "dream a good dream."
할머니, 안녕히 주무세요.
halmeoni, annyeonghi jumuseyo.
Good night, Grandmother.
Honorific form for an elder.
내일 봐, 잘 자!
naeil bwa, jal ja!
See you tomorrow, good night!
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Using 잘 자 with an elder
It's casual — for grandparents or clearly senior people, 안녕히 주무세요 is the expected, respectful form.
Mistake #2 — Forgetting it means 'sleep well,' not literally 'good' + 'night'
Unlike English, this isn't built from a "night" word at all — it's a wish for good sleep, structurally similar to 잘 먹겠습니다 ("[I] will eat well") on the meal-phrase page.
Mini Quiz
2. What does 잘 자 literally mean?
3. What does 좋은 꿈 꿔 add to a good-night message?
Related Knowledge
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