KoreanBlueprint
Daily Korean
Today’s Phrase
잘 자요
jal ja·yo
jal jayo
Good night / Sleep well
Cultural Insight
In Korean messaging culture, 잘 자요 or 잘 자 is frequently sent via text at the end of the night. Many Koreans also use the cute phrase 굿밤 (good night, borrowed from English) in casual contexts with close friends.
Phrase Breakdown
잘
jal
well
Adverb meaning ‘well’
자요
jayo
sleep (polite)
자다 (to sleep) → 자요 (polite present)
Literally ‘sleep well’ — a gentle bedtime farewell.
Example Phrases
잘 자요! 좋은 꿈 꿔요!
Jal jayo! Joeun kkum kkweoyo!
Good night! Sweet dreams!
좋은 꿈 꾸다 = to dream good dreams.
오늘 힘들었죠? 잘 자요.
Oneul himdeureodjyo? Jal jayo.
You had a tough day, right? Sleep well.
-았/었죠? is a tag question for past events.
잘 자고 내일 봐요!
Jal jago naeil bwayo!
Sleep well and see you tomorrow!
-고 connects two actions sequentially.
Related Phrases
좋은 밤 되세요
joeun bam doeseyo
Have a good night
A more formal evening farewell.
편히 쉬세요
pyeonhi swiseyo
Rest comfortably
Used to wish someone a restful time.
내일 봐요
naeil bwayo
See you tomorrow
A casual farewell for the next day.
Quick Review
기분이 어때요?
Can you recall what this means?
gibuni eottaeyo?
How are you feeling?