어떻게 지내세요?

When to use

This is a standard greeting used after initial introductions or when checking in with someone you know, but perhaps haven't seen recently.

How it works

The phrase literally translates to 'How are you spending (your time)?'. This is a highly reusable chunk for asking about someone's well-being.

• 어떻게: An adverb meaning 'how', derived from the adjective 어떻다 (to be how).
• 지내세요: Polite informal form of the verb 지내다 (to spend time, to live). The '-세요' ending adds subject honorification for the listener.

Speech Level

The '-세요' ending indicates the polite informal speech level (해요체) while simultaneously elevating the listener through subject honorification. This shows respect directly to the person you are speaking to.

Sound Changes

The word '어떻게' features an aspiration sound change. The 'ㅎ' batchim in '떻' merges with the following 'ㄱ' consonant in '게', creating the aspirated sound 'ㅋ'. Therefore, it is pronounced [어떠케].

Omitted Subject/Object

The subject '당신은' (you) is omitted, which is standard practice in Korean when the context makes the subject clear. Using the word for 'you' can actually sound unnatural or confrontational.

Notes

A polite and common way to ask someone how they are doing after an initial greeting.