You already know a few Korean phrases, but the moment you want to greet a friend casually or introduce yourself at a gathering, you freeze because you are not sure which level to use. This session gives you a safe, practical plan: start with the informal greetings you can use with close friends, then build a short self-introduction, and finally add polite questions about nationality, job, and hobbies. You will practise saying each phrase aloud, choosing the right register, and keeping a conversation going when the other person asks something back. Everything here stays grounded in the supplied lesson phrases, so you are not guessing at new grammar.
Prepare a two-track greeting and introduction
Before you speak, decide which track you are on. With a close friend or a same-age peer who has agreed to banmal, you can open with 어 (eo) or 야 (ya) to get attention, then follow with 잘 잤어? (jal jasseo?) in the morning or 뭐 해? (mwo hae?) as a relaxed what's up. When you part at night, 잘 자 (jal ja) is the informal good night. With someone you have just met, an older person, or anyone you are unsure about, stay on the polite track: 안녕하세요, 저는 알렉스예요 (annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun Allekseuyeyo), then 저는 캐나다에서 왔어요 (jeoneun Kaenada-eseo wasseoyo) and 저는 등산을 좋아해요 (jeoneun deungsaneul joahaeyo). Prepare one sentence for origin and one for an interest so you are not searching for words mid-conversation. Notice that adding -yo changes the register: 잘 잤어? becomes 잘 잤어요? and 잘 자 becomes 잘 자요. Keep your chosen track consistent for the whole exchange. If you are not sure whether banmal is allowed, stay polite until the other person invites you to speak casually.
Handle the question that comes back at you
The harder turn in a friendly Korean conversation is not your opening line; it is the moment the other person asks you something personal. You may hear 어느 나라 사람이에요? (eoneu nara saramieyo?), 직업이 뭐예요? (jigeobi mwoyeyo?), or 나이가 어떻게 되세요? (naiga eotteoke doeseyo?). The challenge is to answer without freezing and without accidentally switching to a register that feels too casual or too stiff. A workable approach is to answer in one short sentence, then return a question of your own. For example, after 저는 미국 사람이에요 (jeoneun miguk saramieyo), you can add 저는 한국어를 배워요 (jeoneun hangugeoreul baewoyo) to give the other person something to respond to. If the age question feels too direct, you can answer briefly and then move to 취미가 뭐예요? (chwimiga mwoyeyo?) to keep the exchange comfortable. For elders, listen for 연세가 어떻게 되세요? (yeonsega eotteoke doeseyo?) rather than 나이, and mirror the more respectful form when you ask back. If you are unsure how to answer, a short honest sentence plus a question keeps the conversation alive without forcing you into grammar you have not practised.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
어
Hey / Oh (casual attention getter)
eo
야
Hey! (to a close friend or someone younger)
ya
잘 잤어?
Did you sleep well? / Morning
jal jasseo?
뭐 해?
What are you doing? / What's up?
mwo hae?
안녕하세요, 저는 알렉스예요.
Hello, I'm Alex.
an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, jeo-neun Al-lek-seu-ye-yo
저는 캐나다에서 왔어요.
I'm from Canada.
jeo-neun Kae-na-da-e-seo wa-sseo-yo
저는 등산을 좋아해요.
I like hiking.
jeo-neun deung-san-eul jo-a-hae-yo
저는 한국어를 배워요.
I study Korean.
jeo-neun Han-guk-eo-reul bae-wo-yo
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
어, 잘 잤어?
Hey, did you sleep well?응, 잘 잤어. 너는?
Yeah, I slept well. You?나도. 지금 뭐 해?
Me too. What are you doing now?그냥 집에 있어. 이따 봐!
I'm just at home. See you later!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Morning check-in with a close friend
You run into a close friend at 8 a.m. outside a café. You have agreed to use banmal with each other. Your friend looks tired and is holding a coffee.
Your task: Greet your friend aloud using an informal attention getter and a morning greeting from the lesson. Then ask what they are doing right now. Say everything in Korean, keeping the informal register consistent.
First meeting at a language exchange
You are at a language exchange event. You sit down next to someone you have never met. The person seems to be around your age but you do not know whether banmal is appropriate yet.
Your task: Introduce yourself politely with your name, your origin, and one hobby. Then ask the other person their nationality and their job. Say each sentence aloud clearly, using the polite forms from the lesson.
Evening goodbye and next-day plan
It is 11 p.m. and you are leaving a friend's house after watching a movie. Your friend is younger than you and you use banmal together. You want to say good night and suggest talking again tomorrow.
Your task: Say an informal good night from the lesson. Then ask what your friend is doing tomorrow, using a casual question. Say both sentences aloud without the polite ending.
Common questions
When exactly can I use 야 and 어 with someone I have just met?
Only when the other person is a close friend, a same-age peer who has agreed to banmal, or someone younger you are close to. With strangers, older people, or anyone you are unsure about, use 안녕하세요 instead, because 야 and 어 can sound sharp outside informal relationships.
Is it rude to ask 나이가 어떻게 되세요? in a first conversation?
It can feel direct if it is the very first question. Start with nationality or job, then ask about age once some rapport is there. For elders, use 연세가 어떻게 되세요? instead of 나이, since 연세 is the honorific form.
How do I keep from mixing polite and casual endings in one conversation?
Pick your track before you speak. If you are with a close friend, stay with forms like 잘 잤어? and 뭐 해? If you are with someone new or older, keep -yo on every sentence, such as 잘 잤어요? Check your last sentence before you add a new one.
What can I say if I do not understand a question someone asks me?
You can ask them to repeat it slowly, or answer the part you understood and then ask a simple question back, such as 취미가 뭐예요? This keeps the conversation going while you stay within phrases you have practised.
Sources and further reading
- korean: greet friends casuallyChecked September 2026
- korean: introduce yourself sociallyChecked September 2026
- korean: ask basic personal questionsChecked September 2026
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