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“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.
Practical guide
When to use it
A polite catch-up question for someone you haven’t seen in a while, such as a teacher, a former coworker or an older relative. The -시- in 지내세요 shows respect.
Watch out
With friends say 요즘 어떻게 지내?. Don’t add -시- when answering about yourself: it’s 잘 지내요, not 지내세요.
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?
Show the answer
Answer: How have you been lately? (polite)
Question 2 How do you say “How have you been lately? (polite)” in Korean?
Show the answer
Answer: 요즘 어떻게 지내세요? yojeum eotteoke jinaeseyo?
Reinforce what you learn with typing drills and quizzes.
Practice nowMore 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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