KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Greetings & basics › 잘 자요
How to Say “Sleep well” in Korean: 잘 자요 (jal jayo)
잘 자요
jal jayo
Meaning
Sleep well. / Good night.
Usage note
A soft, friendly good night for family, friends and peers. For elders, use 안녕히 주무세요 instead.
Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.
How to pronounce it
It is pronounced just as it is written.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 | ㅈ+ㅏ+ㄹ | jal |
| 자요 | ||
| 자 | ㅈ+ㅏ | ja |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Speech style
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in this phrase
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 자다 | verb | to sleep | TOPIK level 1 |
Phrases that use the same word
Phrases with “자요”
- 요즘 잠을 잘 못 자요I haven’t been sleeping well lately
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “잘 자요” mean?
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Answer: Sleep well. / Good night
Question 2 How do you say “Sleep well. / Good night” in Korean?
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Answer: 잘 자요 jal jayo
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
- 좋아요Good. / Sounds good
- 여보세요Hello? (on the phone)
- 맞아요That’s right
- 이따 봐요See you later
- 좋은 하루 되세요Have a good day
- 됐어요No, thanks. / I’m good
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