Korean word

여보세요

Pronunciation

Romanizationyeoboseyo

Meaning

  • interjectionhello

Example

여보세요? 누구세요?yeo bo se yo nu gu se yo

Hello? Who is it?

Illustration for 여보세요 (hello)

More examples

전화를 받으면 먼저 여보세요 하고 인사한다.cheon hwa reul pa deu myeon meon jeo yeo bo se yo ha go in sa han da

When you answer the phone, you first greet the other person by saying hello.

Core concept

A brief call that gets someone's attention, especially at the start of a phone conversation.

Common phrases

  • 전화를 걸며 여보세요cheon hwa reul keol myeo yeo bo se yo

    hello when making a phone call

  • 전화를 받자마자 여보세요cheon hwa reul pat jja ma ja yeo bo se yo

    hello when answering the phone

Similar words

안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo: A respectful greeting used when meeting people or beginning a conversation.
저기요cheogiyo: A gentle call that gets someone's attention before a question or request.
여보yeobo: A loving call used for a spouse or someone very close.

Definition in Korean

전화를 받을 때 상대의 응답을 유도하거나 통화를 시작하려고 짧게 던지는 감탄사.cheon hwa reul pa deul ttae sang dae ui eung da beul yu do ha geo na tong hwa reul si ja ka ryeo go jjal kke teon ji neun kam tan sa

Word origin

The form is commonly analyzed as 여보 (yeobo, "a familiar call between spouses") plus 세요 (seyo, "a polite ending"), though its historical development is not fully certain.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English hello, this word is mainly used on the phone or to check that someone is listening, not as a general face-to-face greeting.

Other meanings

  • excuse meinterjection

Related words

Word lists with this word