KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Friends & social media › 잘 지내?
“How have you been” in Korean: 잘 지내? (jal jinae?)
잘 지내?
jal jinae?
Meaning
How have you been?
Usage note
[Casual speech among friends] The standard opener when you reach out after a long time. The polite form is 잘 지내세요?
Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.
Practical guide
When to use it
The standard way to check in on a friend you have not spoken to for a while, and a common opener for a message. A typical reply: 응, 잘 지내. 너는? (“Yes, I’m doing well. And you?”)
Watch out
To people you should address politely, use 잘 지내세요?. When you meet someone again after a long time, the past form 잘 지냈어? (“Have you been well?”) is also very common.
How to pronounce it
It is pronounced just as it is written.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 | ㅈ+ㅏ+ㄹ | jal |
| 지내 | ||
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 내 | ㄴ+ㅐ | nae |
Speech style
There is no verb ending, so the phrase has no politeness level of its own: it is a short fixed expression or a noun phrase.
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “잘 지내?” mean?
Show the answer
Answer: How have you been
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
- 뭐 해?What are you up to? (casual)
- 고마워!Thanks
- 미안해I’m sorry
- 나중에 봐See you later
- 보고 싶어I miss you
- 지금 어디야?Where are you now
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