“Good Afternoon” in Korean – How to use this greeting

Today, we will be learning how to say “good afternoon” in Korean. What time of day are you reading this? Is it appropriate to wish you a “good afternoon” at this moment?

As you know, “Good afternoon” is common all around the world. Thus, just like other greetings in Korean, you will want to know how to say this greeting and when to wish it to others.

Even if you may not intend to become a master in the Korean language, learning the most common Korean greetings, phrases, and vocabulary may be lots of fun. And now is the time for us to learn Korean, specifically, how to wish someone a “good afternoon” in Korean – and at which specific time of day you can use it!

Do Koreans greet each other with “good afternoon?”

Before we head on to learning how to say “good afternoon” in Korean, we would like to note that its direct translation is actually not that widely used. It’s a good phrase to learn, but to not sound awkward and be natural instead, as you speak in Korean, you will want to learn the alternate phrases as well.

How to say “afternoon” in Korean

The word for “afternoon” in Korean is 오후 (ohu).

How to say “good afternoon” in Korean

The direct translation of the phrase for “good afternoon” in Korean is 좋은 오후입니다 (joeun ohuimnida).

As you probably know, 좋은 (joeun) comes from the verb 좋다 (jota), which is the Korean word for “good.” As we learned above, the direct translation for “afternoon” in Korean is 오후 (ohu).

In general, 오후 (ohu) can also be used to mean any time on the clock that comes after midday until midnight. It can also be shortened as simply 좋은 오후 (joeun ohu).

안녕하세요! 정말 좋은 오후인 것 같지 않아요? (annyeonghaseyo! jeongmal joeun ohuin geot gatji anayo?)

Hello! It looks like such a good afternoon, doesn’t it?

What else could I say to imply “good afternoon” in Korean?

Here are the more commonly used greetings in place of “good afternoon” in Korean.

“Hello” in Korean

For starters, you can always greet anyone with “hello” in Korean. 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is the standard way for Koreans to greet others any time of day. This also works with any person (friends, family, younger people than you).

We have a separate article on “hello” in Korean to learn its formal, polite form to the casual/informal way of using this greeting.

“Have a good day” in Korean

And if you are greeting someone goodbye, you may want to say 좋은 하루 보내세요 (joeun haru bonaeseyo). This phrase translates as “Have a good day!” which is a very similar phrase that is used in many other languages.

Besides the afternoon, you can also use this greeting in the morning time. However, once the day has passed into the evening, it may not be so appropriate anymore.

맛있는 점심을 주셔서 감사합니다. 좋은 하루 보내세요! (masinneun jeomsimeul jusyeoseo gamsahamnida. joeun haru bonaeseyo!)

Thank you for the lovely lunch. Have a good day!

When do you say “good afternoon” in Korea?

As a rule of thumb, you may use these phrases around the same times on the clock as you would in your own culture. You may start wishing someone a “good afternoon” from around midday onward or even a little earlier, but usually right before you’d start having lunch. And then, typically, from 6 pm onward, it is more appropriate to wish someone “good evening.”

Other related resources

Now that you know the ways to greet someone in the afternoon, we’d like to show you more resources if you’re talking to someone during other times of the day and are useful in everyday life.

“Good morning” in Korean – https://www.90daykorean.com/good-morning-in-korean/

“Good evening” in Korean – https://www.90daykorean.com/good-evening-in-korean/

“Good night” in Korean – https://www.90daykorean.com/goodnight-in-korean/

Wrap Up

This lesson was a quick one, but we’ve learned quite a bit again. Now you know the phrase “good afternoon,” but also that it is not commonly used in a conversation in Korea. And so, in addition, you’ve also learned two alternate phrases you can use to wish someone a “good afternoon!”

Next, would you also like to know more Korean words? Or perhaps you’d like to go on practicing your Korean conversation skills? Have a good afternoon, morning, or evening! ^^