How to Type Korean on a Computer or Phone: A Beginner’s Guide

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Want to search for a restaurant in Korean, message a café, or send your teacher an assignment? Learning to type Korean makes these everyday tasks easier. You can start with the computer or phone you already own. This guide covers keyboard setup on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android. You will also learn how Korean letters join together, fix common typing problems, and practise messages you can use in Korea. 1. Understand How a Korean Keyboard Works 한글 (hangeul)—“the Korean alphabet” groups letters into syllable blocks. For example, 한 contains three letters: ㅎ, ㅏ, and ㄴ. You enter the letters in order, and the keyboard builds the block. Start with 두벌식 (dubeolsik)—“the two-set Korean keyboard layout.” Its basic consonants sit on the left and its vowels on the right. This gives you a useful starting point for practising on both computers and phones. A standard two-set keyboard uses letter positions, rather than English spellings of Korean sounds. Typing “han” will not automatica...

How to Say Goodbye in Korean: Polite and Casual Expressions

Saying goodbye in Korean starts with a simple question: Who is leaving? Use 안녕히 가세요 when the other person leaves, and 안녕히 계세요 when you leave and they stay. Both are polite ways to say “Goodbye.”

This difference comes up whenever you leave a café, finish a class, or say goodbye to someone visiting your workplace. Once you understand it, you can choose your greeting with much more confidence.

In this guide, you will learn polite goodbyes, casual expressions for friends, and useful alternatives such as “Get home safely.” Romanization is a pronunciation aid, so try reading the Hangul alongside it. You do not need perfect pronunciation to start using these phrases.



1. The Two Polite Goodbyes: Who Is Leaving?

안녕히 가세요: say it to someone who is leaving

안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo) means “Goodbye” when the person you are speaking to is leaving. Depending on the situation, it can also carry the feeling of “Have a safe trip.”

Shop assistant: 안녕히 가세요.
“Goodbye.”

Think of 가세요 as the part connected with going. You might say this to a departing customer, a visitor leaving your office, or someone heading home after meeting you.

안녕히 계세요: say it to someone who is staying

안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo) also means “Goodbye,” but you use it when you leave and the other person remains. The 계세요 part comes from a respectful verb for being or staying somewhere.

Customer: 감사합니다. 안녕히 계세요.
“Thank you. Goodbye.”

The customer leaves while the staff member stays at work. That makes 안녕히 계세요 the right choice. Focus on what the other person is doing, rather than simply remembering that you are walking away.

Both expressions are suitable for strangers, teachers, customers, and people you have just met at work. They are polite speech, with respectful wording. Do not try to turn them into casual goodbyes by removing the final 요.

What if both people leave? You can say 안녕히 가세요 to each other when you head off separately. Each person is speaking to someone who is leaving.

2. What to Say When Leaving a Café, Restaurant, or Shop

Leaving a business gives you an easy way to practise. You usually leave while the employee stays, so 안녕히 계세요 fits naturally.

Customer: 감사합니다. 안녕히 계세요.
“Thank you. Goodbye.”

Employee: 안녕히 가세요.
“Goodbye.”

감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) means “Thank you.” You can use it on its own at checkout, or add a goodbye. There is no need to deliver a long farewell every time you buy a coffee.

At a restaurant, another useful phrase is 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meogeotseumnida)— “Thank you for the meal.” Say it after eating, including when you leave. It expresses appreciation rather than replacing every kind of goodbye.

Customer: 잘 먹었습니다. 안녕히 계세요.
“Thank you for the meal. Goodbye.”

The same goodbye rule works after shopping. Even if the assistant walks towards the door to see you out, they are normally staying at the shop. Think about who is ending their visit, not who takes a few steps.

Customer: 감사합니다. 안녕히 계세요.
“Thank you. Goodbye.”

Assistant: 네, 안녕히 가세요.
“Goodbye.”

3. Get Home Safely and See You Again

After dinner with colleagues or a meeting with classmates, everyone may leave together and then go home separately. In this situation, 잘 들어가세요 (jal deureogaseyo)— “Get home safely”—is a useful polite expression.

Colleague A: 오늘 즐거웠어요. 잘 들어가세요.
“I had a good time today. Get home safely.”

Colleague B: 네, 잘 들어가세요.
“You too. Get home safely.”

Although 들어가다 can mean “to enter,” it refers to going home in this context. Save this expression for someone heading home. It is less suitable when you are merely ending a conversation before their next activity.

내일 봐요 (naeil bwayo) means “See you tomorrow.” It works well with classmates or colleagues you already know when you expect to meet the next day.

Colleague: 내일 봐요.
“See you tomorrow.”

If the next meeting is less specific, use 다음에 봐요 (daeume bwayo)— “See you next time” or “See you again.” For example, you might say this to someone from a regular class.

Classmate: 다음에 봐요.
“See you next time.”

These 봐요 expressions are polite but fairly relaxed. In a formal business setting, especially with a client or senior person, 또 뵙겠습니다 (tto boepgetseumnida) can be more appropriate. It is a respectful, formal “See you again,” often naturally translated as “I look forward to seeing you again.”

Employee: 감사합니다. 또 뵙겠습니다.
“Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again.”

4. Casual Goodbyes for Close Friends

With close friends who already use casual speech with you, 안녕 (annyeong) means “Hi” or “Bye.” The situation tells you which meaning is intended.

Friend A: 나 먼저 갈게. 안녕!
“I’m heading out first. Bye!”

Friend B: 안녕!
“Bye!”

Another common choice is 잘 가 (jal ga)— “Bye” or “Take care.” Say it to the friend who is leaving.

Friend A: 나 집에 갈게.
“I’m going home.”

Friend B: 응, 잘 가!
“Okay, take care!”

내일 봐 (naeil bwa) means “See you tomorrow” in casual speech. It is the friend-to-friend version of 내일 봐요.

Close school friend: 내일 봐!
“See you tomorrow!”

Casual speech is called 반말 (banmal). Use it when your relationship supports it, such as with close friends who have agreed to speak casually. Someone being younger than you does not automatically make casual speech the right choice.

You may also hear 잘 가요 (jal gayo)— a gentle, polite “Goodbye” to someone leaving. It can work between familiar people using polite speech. For strangers, 안녕히 가세요 is a reliable beginner choice.

5. Common Mistakes and Pronunciation Tips

The most common mistake is choosing 안녕히 가세요 because you are leaving. Instead, check the person you are speaking to: are they leaving or staying?

  • You leave; the employee stays: 안녕히 계세요.
  • The visitor leaves; you stay: 안녕히 가세요.
  • You both head home: 안녕히 가세요 or 잘 들어가세요.

Another mix-up is using 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo)—“Hello”— as a goodbye. Use it when greeting someone or starting an interaction, rather than as your usual farewell.

Practise the longer expressions in two chunks: 안녕히 / 가세요 and 안녕히 / 계세요. Then join the chunks without rushing.

In annyeong, the final sound is like the “ng” in “sing”; do not add a separate hard “g.” The letters eo represent the single Korean vowel 어, not two separate vowels. Listening to the phrase and copying it will help more than treating every Roman letter as an English sound.

Start slowly and focus on choosing the right expression. Your next café visit is a good chance to practise one short, polite goodbye.

Quick Practice

  1. You leave a café while the employee stays. Which expression should you use?
    • A. 안녕히 가세요
    • B. 안녕히 계세요
  2. After dinner, you and a colleague who uses polite speech with you head home separately. How do you say “Get home safely”?
  3. You will see a close friend tomorrow. You already use casual speech together. How do you say “See you tomorrow”?

Answers

  1. B. 안녕히 계세요. You are leaving, and the employee is staying.
  2. 잘 들어가세요. This is a polite farewell to someone heading home.
  3. 내일 봐. The casual version fits a close friend who already uses casual speech with you.

Try Your First Korean Goodbye

Remember the two essentials: 안녕히 가세요 for someone leaving, and 안녕히 계세요 for someone staying. With close friends, try 안녕 or 잘 가. When someone is heading home, 잘 들어가세요 is a useful polite choice.

Now imagine walking out of a café. Say this aloud: “감사합니다. 안녕히 계세요.” You have a real phrase ready for your next conversation.

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