10 Ways to Say Goodbye in Korean
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · Updated · How we write & review
After this page, you can say goodbye in the right form whether you're the one leaving or staying, including 들어가세요 (deureogaseyo).
10-second answer
How do you say goodbye in Korean?
Korean's biggest goodbye rule has nothing to do with formality — it's about who's LEAVING and who's STAYING. 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo) is said TO the person leaving; 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo) is said TO the person staying. Get that split right, and the rest is just picking the right formality level.
Quick check — did that land?
1. You're leaving a friend's house; they're staying. What do they say to you?
안녕히 가세요! Here's the trick: 가세요 is for the person going.
The Full Spectrum
| Phrase | Situation | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕히 가세요 | Said to someone who is leaving (you're staying) | Formal/polite |
| 안녕히 계세요 | Said to someone who is staying (you're leaving) | Formal/polite |
| 안녕 | Casual goodbye either direction | Casual (반말) |
| 또 봐요 | "See you again" — general, friendly | Polite-casual |
| 다음에 봐요 | "See you next time" | Polite-casual |
| 이따 봐요 | "See you later (today)" | Polite-casual |
| 내일 봐요 | "See you tomorrow" | Polite-casual |
| 들어가세요 | Said when someone is heading home — "go on in safely" | Formal/polite |
| 조심히 가세요 | "Go safely" — often added to a goodbye | Polite |
| 잘 가 | Casual "go well" — to someone leaving | Casual (반말) |
See also: 안녕히 가세요 vs 안녕히 계세요
Why the Leaving/Staying Split Exists
Both phrases build on 안녕히 ("peacefully") plus a verb matching the OTHER person's next action: 가다 (to go) for the one leaving, 계시다 (the honorific form of "to stay/be") for the one staying. It's a small but very real grammar trap — English "goodbye" doesn't split this way, so it's easy to default to the wrong one out of habit.
들어가세요: An Extra Layer
들어가세요 ("please go in") is specifically used when someone is heading home at the end of the day — a warm, slightly more personal alternative to plain 안녕히 가세요, implying "get home safe and get some rest." It's especially common between coworkers or friends parting after an evening out.
Farewell Parties and Longer Goodbyes
A goodbye that comes up constantly in Korean office and school life has its own word: 송별회 (songbyeolhoe), a farewell party held when someone leaves a job, moves away, or graduates. It follows the same drinking-and-eating format as a 회식 (company dinner) but centers on toasts and words for the person leaving.
오늘 김 대리님 송별회 있어요.
oneul kim daeri-nim songbyeolhoe isseoyo.
There is a farewell party for Assistant Manager Kim today.
그동안 감사했습니다.
geudong-an gamsahaetseumnida.
Thank you for everything up to now. (said by the person leaving)
Formal goodbye in an email or announcement
For a formal written goodbye such as a farewell email or a graduation message, 안녕히 계세요 sounds too spoken and casual. Use 그동안 감사했습니다 (thank you for this time) or 앞으로도 잘 부탁드립니다 (please look out for me going forward - said even when leaving, to soften the departure).
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Mixing up 가세요 and 계세요
Say 안녕히 가세요 to the person walking away, and 안녕히 계세요 to the person staying put — reversed, it sounds like a mistake even if the intent is clear.
Mistake #2 — Using 안녕 in a formal setting
안녕 is 반말 — reserve it for friends, people younger than you, and children.
The casual 안녕 works for both hello and bye — see 안녕 (annyeong) for when the same word means which.
Mini Quiz
2. What does 들어가세요 imply?
3. Is 안녕 appropriate in a formal business meeting?
Related Knowledge
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Goodbyes covered — now the phrase for the opposite moment, hello and love.
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