KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Greetings & basics › 요즘 어떻게 지내세요?
“How have you been lately” in Korean: 요즘 어떻게 지내세요?
요즘 어떻게 지내세요?
yojeum eotteoke jinaeseyo?
Meaning
How have you been lately? (polite)
Usage note
요즘 means “these days” and 지내다 “to spend time / to get along”. It is a polite way to catch up with someone you have not seen for a while, including seniors.
Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.
How to pronounce it
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 요즘 | ||
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
| 즘 | ㅈ+ㅡ+ㅁ | jeum |
| 어떻게 | ||
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | eo |
| 떻 | ㄸ+ㅓ+ㅎ | [떠] tteo |
| 게 | ㄱ+ㅔ | [케] ke |
| 지내세요 | ||
| 지 | ㅈ+ㅣ | ji |
| 내 | ㄴ+ㅐ | nae |
| 세 | ㅅ+ㅔ | se |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Aspiration: ㅎ next to ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ blends with it into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ or ㅊ. 떻게 → [떠케]
Speech style
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
It contains the honorific -(으)시-, which shows respect to the person being talked about or talked to.
Phrases that use the same word
Phrases with “어떻게”
- 공항에 가려면 어떻게 가야 해요?How do I get to the airport
- 결말이 어떻게 될까요?How do you think it will end
Phrases with “요즘”
- 요즘 잠을 잘 못 자요I haven’t been sleeping well lately
- 요즘 너무 바빠서 연락을 못 했어I’ve been so busy lately that I couldn’t get in touch
- 요즘 바빠서 연락을 못 했어I’ve been busy lately, so I couldn’t get in touch. (casual)
- 요즘 너무 바빠요I’ve been so busy lately
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “요즘 어떻게 지내세요?” mean?
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Answer: How have you been lately? (polite)
Question 2 How do you say “How have you been lately? (polite)” in Korean?
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Answer: 요즘 어떻게 지내세요? yojeum eotteoke jinaeseyo?
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
- 덕분에 잘 지내고 있어요I’m doing well, thanks to you
- 오늘 정말 즐거웠어요I had a really good time today
- 신경 써 주셔서 감사합니다Thank you for your thoughtfulness. (formal)
- 부탁드립니다I’d appreciate your help
- 새해 복 많이 받으세요Happy New Year
- 수고하셨습니다Thank you for your hard work
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