Saehae bok mani badeuseyo! That's how to say 'Happy New Year' in Korean; it's the standard greeting. Every student of Korean knows this language has degrees of formality, so you wouldn't use this greeting with just anyone. This article explores all the right ways you can wish all the people around you 'Happy New Year' in Korean, along with other words and phrases related to Seollal.
| 🎆Greeting in Korean | 🎇Romanised greeting | 🔊What it sounds like | 🙋♀️What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 새해복많이 받으세요! | Saehae bok mani badeuseyo! | Please receive a lot of blessings (luck) in the New Year. | |
| 새해복많이받으십시오. | Saehae bok mani badeusipsio. | Please receive a lot of blessings (luck) in the New Year. (with formal ending) | |
| 새해복많이받. | saehae bok mani bada. | I hope you receive a lot of blessings in the New Year. | |
| 김씨도 새해 복 많이 받아요. | Kim-si-do saehae bok mani badae-yo. | I also wish you good luck for the New Year. | |
| 행복한 새해 되세요. | haengbokan saehae doeseyo! | Have a good New Year! | |
| 새해에는 모든 일 잘 이루어지길 바래요. | Saehaeneneun modeun il jal eolli-eojikil barae-yo. | I wish your all (everything) goes well in the New Year. | |
| 새해에는 항상 좋은 일만 있길 바래요. | Saehaeneneun hangeun joheun ilman itgil barae-yo. | I wish only good things happen to you in the new year. | |
| 새해소망다이루세요. | Saehae somang da iruseyo. | May all your New Year wishes come true. | |
| 건강하고행복한새해되세요. | Geonganghago haengbokan saehae doeseyo. | Wishing You a Healthy and Happy New Year | |
| 건강하세요! | Geongang haseyo! | Please stay healthy! | |
| 즐거운 명절 보내세요. | Jeulgeoun myeongjeol bonaeseyo. | Have a joyful Holiday! |
How to Say Happy New Year in Korean
새해복많이 받으세요!
Saehae bok mani badeuseyo!
As stated in this article's introduction, that is the standard Korean New Year greeting. It translates to "Please receive a lot of blessings (luck) in the New Year". It is suitably polite for just about everyone, from your co-workers to shopkeepers. But not for your bosses or for any elders.
To extend Seollal greetings to them, you must use formal speech:
새해복많이받으십시오
Saehae bok mani badeusipsio
It means the same thing, with 십시오 (sipsio) adding a degree of formality to the phrase. You can also make your greeting less formal. This phrase is best used among friends your age or slightly younger.
새해복많이받
saehae bok mani bada
Knowing how to say Happy New Year in Korean is just the first step in our exploration of Korean New Year celebrations. Read on to discover more handy phrases to spice up your holiday dialogue.
How to Respond When Someone Gives You Korean New Year Greetings
Responding to a greeting is always tricky, no matter what language you speak. In English, you might get away with a cheery 'And you!' if the person is a shopkeeper or otherwise a stranger. But then, our culture doesn't have all the formality that Korean society does. So how should you return Korean New Year greetings?
김씨도 새해 복 많이 받아요.
Kim-si-do saehae bok mani badae-yo.
That means "Mr Kim, I also wish you good luck for the New Year." Naturally, you won't return greetings only to men named Kim, nor can you call everybody Mr Kim. You must substitute 김씨도 - Kim-si-do with the person's proper surname. Here's what that might look like:
- 준씨도
- 박씨도
- 미스 소도요
- 미스 리도요
- Jun-si-do
- Park-si-do
- Mi-seu So-do-yo
- Miseu Li-do-yo
- Mr Jun
- Mr Park
- Miss So
- Miss Li
In all cases, it's best to return the greeting you were given. Doing so ensures that you use the proper degree of formality, and that your greeting has as much meaning and weight as theirs.
It means 'too'.
That return greeting translates to "[Name] too, wish you good luck for the New Year."
Korean New Year Saying in the Digital Realm
Naturally, you can text Saehae bok mani badeuseyo to anyone on your contact list.
After all, heaping blessings on someone for the new year is never a bad thing.
Still, if you're texting, there's a good chance you already speak casually to that person. So, it's no stretch to imagine you might text 'Have a good New Year' instead of the 'many blessings' greeting.
This is what that looks and sounds like.
행복한 새해 되세요
haengbokan saehae doeseyo!
Granted, it's not much of a shortcut. In fact, it is only one character shorter than the standard greeting. However, 'haengbokan saehae doeseyo!' reflects Korea's evolving cultural norms; the young Koreans' desire to lessen the burden of formality they live under.
You might feel tempted to toss out a casual 'Have a good New Year!' as you leave a convenience store. In fact, that's a rather common phrase in English-speaking cultures. However, doing so would be a cultural faux pas in Korea. Despite changing views on formality, that norm is firmly established. Ignoring it would be as bad as refusing to eat traditional New Year foods during Seollal!
Alternate Korean New Year Greetings
As a Korean language learner - or as a person interested in Korean culture, you might quickly get bored saying the same 'Happy New Year in Korean' phrase over and over.
Even switching between the formal, standard, and informal phrases will feel trite after a while. Besides, it's not like Korean people walk around saying the same things to each other over and over.
Take the texting example above, for instance: 'haengbokan saehae doeseyo!'. Though not recommended for anyone who might be your age or older, you can say it to children and friends you know well.
I Wish (Your) Everything Goes Well in the New Year
As every language learner knows, there's textbook language, and the more natural speech flow the native speakers use. So far, we've covered textbook greetings that work well in formal situations. These two phrases give you a more natural way to extend your greetings:
새해에는 모든 일 잘 이루어지길 바래요.
Saehaeneneun modeun il jal eolli-eojikil barae-yo.
You may mix things up a bit with this similar phrase, which translates to "I wish only good things happen to you in the new year.":
새해에는 항상 좋은 일만 있길 바래요
Saehaeneneunhangeun joheun ilman itgilbarae-yo
May All Your New Year Wishes Come True
새해소망다이루세요
Saehae somang da iruseyo
Wishing for someone's dreams to come true is perfectly acceptable in Korean culture. The only caveat is that this phrase should only be used in informal settings. Or, you may jokingly say it if/ when your parents express the wish for you to find a job.
Wishing someone prosperity is standard in Korean culture. Using this phrase as a response is a nice comeback!
Wishing You a Healthy and Happy New Year
건강하고행복한새해되세요
Geonganghago haengbokan saehae doeseyo.
One can never go wrong with wishing health and happiness on someone. Still, this greeting is best reserved for people you are a bit more familiar with, such as work colleagues and relatives not in your immediate circle.
건강하세요
Geongang haseyo
This phrase, meaning 'Please stay healthy!', is a bit more casual than the longer sentence. It's something you might use to greet your colleagues as you head out to enjoy your holiday. It's a great farewell to deliver during flu season, too!
Have a Joyful Holiday
즐거운 명절 보내세요
Jeulgeoun myeongjeol bonaeseyo.
This is what you say to your neighbours as you encounter them on the stairs, particularly if you're certain you won't see them again until after the holiday. Of course, if you and your neighbours enjoy a slightly warmer relationship, choose one of the more personal phrases instead.
If someone greets you using one of these alternate phrases, say [their name] + 도 (do) + the same greeting.
Seollal Phrases Related to New Year Celebrations
In Korea (and elsewhere in the world), people do far more than issue New Year wishes to one another.
In fact, Korea is as famous for its traditional games played during New Year's as it is for its family reunions to mark the occasion.
However, just like in every modern society, people often live far away from their hometowns.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, people start to anticipate making the trek back home.
There, they'll enjoy all the delicious foods that never quite taste the same anywhere else. They'll bask in the warm embrace of their loved ones, and get caught up on the family's doings.
For all this, Koreans have a host of phrases they exchange.
Have a Good Trip to Your Hometown
Granted, not every Korean travels to their hometown for Lunar New Year celebrations. And, for that matter, not everyone gets along with their family. So, this greeting should only be given when you know for sure that both of those conditions are met. When they are, say "Have a good trip to your hometown" like this:
고향에 잘 다녀오세요.
Go-hyang-e jal da-nyeo-o-se-yo.
Once home, some families dwell on what the Korean zodiac animals promise in the way of fortunes for the upcoming Year of the Horse. But what if you're not sure they're headed home?
In more generic terms, you might say "Travel safely!". That covers you if someone is travelling but not to their hometown. In Korean, that sentence is:
안전하게 다녀오세요
Anjeonhage danyeo-oseyo.
Eat Lots of Delicious Food
One can eat tasty food no matter where they are or who they're with. That's particularly relevant at Lunar New Year, as food is such a large part of the celebrations. This phrase is a safe alternative if you're not sure whether a trip home is in the offing. To cast this wish, say:
맛있는 음식 많이 드세요.
Mas-it-neun eum-sik ma-ni deu-se-yo.
It would be quite uncommon in our culture to tell someone to gorge themselves during the holidays - or at any other time.
This phrase harkens back to the bad old days across Asia, when food was hard to come by and not a lot of it was delicious. Wishing someone the good fortune of having plenty to eat (and that food being tasty) demonstrates your knowledge of Korean history and culture.
Spend Happy Time With Your Family
Despite the admission above that not every Korean person fits well in their family, those ties are a huge part of Korean New Year celebrations. You might be aware that, to the person you're greeting, this could be a sensitive issue. So, you might encourage this cultural norm by saying, "Spend a happy time with your family.":
가족과 행복한 시간 보내세요
Ga-jok-gwa haeng-bok-han si-gan bo-nae-se-yo.
More Seollal Words and Phrases to Know
As significant a holiday New Year is in the Korean calendar, it must have many rituals, aspects, and activities associated with it. In this chart, we summarise the most important words to describe them.
| 📖Word | 📝Romanised word | 🔊What it sounds like | 🙋♂️What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 설날 | Seol-nal Seollal | Lunar New Year | |
| 명절 | Myeong-jeol | Traditional holiday | |
| 제사 | Je-sa | Ancestral rites | |
| 차례 | Cha-rye | Traditional memorial service for Lunar New Year | |
| 세배 | Se-bae | New Year’s bow to elders | |
| 덕담 | Deok-dam | Words of blessing / well-wishing | |
| 선물 | Seon-mul | Gift | |
| 세뱃돈 | Se-baet-don | New Year’s money elders give to kids |
Summarise with AI:
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