How are you in Korean: 잘 지내요?
잘 지내요? (jal jinaeyo) is how you say how are you in Korean. See every form from casual to formal, hear it, build it letter by letter and trace each block stroke by stroke.
What is the Korean word for how are you?
How are you in Korean is 잘 지내요? (jal jinaeyo), literally "Are you living well?" To someone older or someone you have not seen for a long time, ask 잘 지내셨어요?, and between friends say 잘 지내?
How are you in Korean 잘 지내요?: sound, letters and strokes
잘 지내요? How are you in KoreanKorean phrase
잘 지내요? is read jal jinaeyo; 3 forms from casual to formal.
Casual, polite and formal how are you in Korean
Respectful: an older person or someone you have not seen for a long time.
Polite: acquaintances, coworkers, friends of friends.
Casual: close friends.
잘 지내요? asks how someone has been, usually a person you have not seen for a while. It literally means 'Are you living well?'. For someone you see every day, Koreans skip it and just say 안녕하세요.
Which one to use
With elders add the honorific: 잘 지내셨어요? With friends, 잘 지내? is enough. The usual answer is 네, 잘 지내요 (Yes, I'm doing well).
How to pronounce 잘 지내요?
잘 지내요?Say jal – ji – nae – yo with a rising tone on 요 to make it a question. 잘 ends in a light "l" that runs into 지: "jal-ji-neh-yo".
Sound rule
Read it as jal ji-nae-yo (jal jinaeyo). The ㄹ of 잘 is a light l, and the rising tone at the end makes it a question.
잘 지내요? letter by letter
How to write 잘 지내요? stroke by stroke
Write 잘 지내요? one block at a time: 잘, 지, 내, 요. Inside every block go from the first consonant to the vowel and then the final consonant, following the numbered strokes.
Trace jal 잘 with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
Trace ji 지 with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
Trace nae 내 with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
Trace yo 요 with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
When to say 잘 지내요?
잘 지내요? in example sentences
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 요즘 잘 지내요? | How are you these days? |
| 네, 잘 지내요. 고마워요. | Yes, I am doing well. Thanks. |
| 오랜만이야! 잘 지냈어? | Long time no see! How have you been? |
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 선생님, 안녕하세요? / 그래, 너도 잘 지내지? | A: Hello, teacher. / B: Hello. You are doing well too, right? |
| 아버님, 더운 날씨에 건강히 잘 지내고 계신지요. | Father, I hope you are keeping well in this hot weather. |
잘 지내요? in a short conversation
| Who | Korean | English |
|---|---|---|
| A | 오랜만이에요. 잘 지내셨어요? | Long time no see. How have you been? |
| B | 네, 잘 지냈어요. 잘 지내셨어요? | Yes, I have been well. How about you? |
More ways to say how are you in Korean
잘 지내요? compared with other check-ins
| Korean | Meaning | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 지내요? | how are you? | Polite everyday question. |
| 잘 지냈어요? | how have you been? | After some time apart. |
| 어떻게 지내세요? | how are you doing? | A slightly more formal question. |
| 괜찮아요? | are you okay? | When someone looks tired or hurt. |
A common mistake with 잘 지내요?
Learners translate 'How are you?' as 어떻게 있어요?, which is not Korean. Use 잘 지내요? or simply 안녕하세요.
How to practice
Learn the question and the answer as one pair: 잘 지내요? / 네, 잘 지내요.
잘 지내요? writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 3 · Phrases
Korean phrase tracing worksheet: 잘 지내요? (how are you)
One A4 page for 잘 지내요?: trace its 4 blocks (18 strokes), write other ways to say it, read three sentences and find 잘.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 101 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? See all korean phrases
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say 잘 지내요? out loud, trace each block from dark to faint, then write it on the line.
Use of the worksheet:
© KoreanSheets.com · Free to print and share at home and in class. No commercial use — don’t sell it, add it to paid products or post it on other websites. The QR code on the sheet opens this page to listen and trace on screen.
What to learn next
How are you in Korean — FAQ
What is the Korean word for how are you?
잘 지내요? (jal jinaeyo) asks how someone has been; with an elder say 잘 지내셨어요?
How do you answer 잘 지내요?
네, 잘 지내요 means 'Yes, I'm doing well'. You can add 덕분에 (thanks to you) to sound warmer.
How do you say hello, how are you in Korean?
안녕하세요, 잘 지내요? Many Koreans treat 안녕하세요 itself as "how are you", so the second question is optional.
How do you say I am fine in Korean?
잘 지내요 (I am doing well) or 괜찮아요 (I am okay).
How do you say and you in Korean?
Repeat the question with a name or title, as in 선생님은요? Koreans avoid using "you" (당신) in everyday talk.
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