KoreanBlueprint
Daily Korean
Today’s Phrase
어떻게 지내세요?
eot·teo·ke ji·nae·se·yo
eotteoke jinaeseyo?
How are you doing?
Learning Tip
잘 지내세요? (Are you doing well?) is more commonly used than 어떻게 지내세요? in everyday settings. The latter is slightly more open-ended and often used when genuinely asking about someone’s situation. Both are polite and appropriate.
Phrase Breakdown
어떻게
eotteoke
how
Interrogative adverb meaning ‘in what way’
지내세요?
jinaeseyo
are you getting along?
지내다 (to get by/live) + -세요 (honorific polite)
Asks how the other person has been doing in their life recently.
Example Phrases
요즘 어떻게 지내세요?
Yojeum eotteoke jinaeseyo?
How have you been lately?
요즘 means ‘these days’ or ‘lately’.
잘 지내세요? 오래간만이에요!
Jal jinaeseyo? Oraegammanieyo!
Are you doing well? Long time no see!
오래간만이에요 means ‘it’s been a long time’.
그동안 어떻게 지냈어요?
Geudongan eotteoke jinaesseoyo?
How have you been all this while?
그동안 means ‘in the meantime/during that time’.
Related Phrases
잘 지냈어요
jal jinaesseoyo
I’ve been doing well
A positive response to how you’ve been.
그저 그래요
geujeo geuraeyo
So-so
A neutral answer meaning ‘just okay’.
오래간만이에요
oraegammanieyo
Long time no see
Used when meeting someone after a long gap.
Quick Review
오래 기다리셨어요
Can you recall what this means?
orae gidarisyeosseoyo
Sorry for making you wait