How are you?
Someone is about to ask how you're doing, and 'I am fine thank you' is not going to cut it in Korean.
Save me from small talkThe words — How are you?
Nujoom asks everyone how they're doing. Nobody is doing great. Everyone says they're fine anyway.
MeaningHow are you?
사마 씨, 잘 지내요?
Sama, how are you?
Meaningso-so
사마 씨는 오늘 그냥 그래요. 눈이 하나예요.
Sama is so-so today. He has one eye.
Meaningvery good
누줌 씨는 아주 좋아요! 눈이 세 개예요.
Nujoom is very good! He has three eyes.
Meaningand you? (using the person's name)
저는 괜찮아요. 사마 씨는요?
I'm okay. And you, Sama?
The scene — How are you?
Hilal only visits for a few minutes before he disappears again — Nujoom is determined to fit in an entire friendship's worth of questions before the door closes.
- 힐랄 씨! 잘 지내요?Hilal! How are you?
- 아주 좋아요!Great!
The idea — How are you?
To ask 'and you?' after answering, say the person's name plus 씨는요? — like 누줌 씨는요? (Nujum ssineunyo?) — Korean usually uses the name instead of a bare 'you'.
Next time someone asks 잘 지내요?, you've got a whole exchange ready — answer, then hand the question straight back with their name.
Questions about How are you?
How do you say 'How are you?' in Korean?
You say 잘 지내요? (jal jinaeyo?), which literally asks how someone is doing.
How do you say 'so-so' or 'okay' in Korean?
You say 그냥 그래요 (geunyang geuraeyo) for 'so-so', or 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo) for 'okay'.
How do you say 'very good' in Korean?
You say 아주 좋아요 (aju joayo) to mean 'very good'.
How do you ask 'and you?' back in Korean?
You add the person's name plus 씨는요? — for example 누줌 씨는요? (Nujum ssineunyo?) — since Korean usually uses the name instead of a bare 'you'.
You've seen the idea. Now make it stick.
The journey continues in Zeeza — free to start, made to adapt to how you learn.
- Hear it and choose
- Build the sentence
- Say it after the voice
- …and more, adapted to you