Key Facts
- Hangul: 인사하다 (insahada)
- Meaning: to greet
- Level: A1
- Stem: 인사하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Particles: The person greeted takes 에게/한테 (께 for respect): 선생님께 인사해요.
What Does 인사하다 Mean?
The noun 인사 means a greeting, and 인사하다 is the action of giving one. Unlike many verbs, the person you greet is not an object: the person takes 에게 or 한테, and 께 when you want to show respect, as in 선생님께 인사하다. Because the same noun works in 인사를 하다, you will see both patterns in print. The phrase 안녕하세요 is the greeting itself; 인사하다 is the verb for the act of offering it.
How Do You Pronounce 인사하다?
The dictionary form has 4 syllables and is read as written. Only the endings change sound. The past form 인사했어요 is spoken [인사해써요], with the ㅆ carried into the next syllable. In the future 인사할 거예요 [인사할꺼예요] the ㄱ after -ㄹ turns tense, and in the formal 인사합니다 [인사함니다] the ㅂ before ㄴ turns into ㅁ.
How Do You Use 인사하다 in a Sentence?
아침에 이웃에게 인사해요.
I greet my neighbor in the morning.
에게 marks the neighbour as the person greeted, and 아침에 places the habit in the morning. Notice that no 을 appears.
선생님께 인사했어요.
I greeted my teacher.
께 is the respectful version of 에게, used for a teacher. The sentence is short, but it already shows the correct particle.
만나면 먼저 인사하세요.
When you meet, greet first.
인사하세요 is a polite request. The clause 만나면 gives the condition, so the sentence reads as advice: when you meet someone, greet them first.
How Does Insahada Conjugation Work?
인사하다 is a regular 하다 verb. 하 and the ending 여 merge into 해, giving 인사해요, 인사했어요 and 인사해서. The negative splits around the noun: 인사 안 해요. Because the noun 인사 is separate, you may also see it with 를 as in 인사를 하다, which conjugates the same way.
인사하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 인사해요 | ||
| Polite past | 인사했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 인사할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 인사하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 인사합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 인사했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 인사할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 인사해 | ||
| Casual past | 인사했어 | ||
| Casual future | 인사할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 인사하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 인사하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 인사해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 인사하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 인사하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 인사한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 인사할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 인사 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 인사하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 인사했어요 | [인사해써요] |
| Plan future | 인사할 거예요 | [인사할꺼예요] |
| Guess future | 인사하겠어요 | [인사하게써요] |
| Formal present | 인사합니다 | [인사함니다] |
| Formal past | 인사했습니다 | [인사핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 인사할 것입니다 | [인사할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 인사했어 | [인사해써] |
| Casual future | 인사할 거야 | [인사할꺼야] |
| Want to | 인사하고 싶어요 | [인사하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 인사하지 않아요 | [인사하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 선생님을 인사했어요.
Correct: ✓ 선생님께 인사했어요.
Why: Many learners treat the person as an object because English says greet someone. In Korean the person is a recipient of the greeting, so 에게, 한테 or 께 is needed.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it apart |
|---|---|
| 소개하다 | 소개하다 means to introduce one person to another. 인사하다 is only about greeting, so when you present a friend to your boss you use 소개하다 first and then 인사하다. |
| 감사하다 | 감사하다 expresses thanks. 인사하다 is about the greeting or bow itself, so thanking someone and greeting them are separate acts in Korean. |
Meeting the Neighbors after Moving In
Two new neighbors talk outside their apartments. One has greeted the neighbor next door but has not yet met the person upstairs.
Mina
옆집에 인사했어요?
Yeopjibe insahaesseoyo?
Did you say hello to the people next door?
Alex
네, 어제 인사했어요.
Ne, eoje insahaesseoyo.
Yes, I greeted them yesterday.
Mina
위층 이웃에게도 인사하세요.
Wicheung iusegedo insahaseyo.
Say hello to the upstairs neighbor too.
Alex
네. 만나면 인사해요.
Ne. Mannamyeon insahaeyo.
Yes. I say hello when I see them.
인사했어요 reports a greeting already given. 인사하세요 is a polite suggestion to greet someone, while 인사해요 describes what Alex does on meeting them. 옆집에 uses the household as a destination; 위층 이웃에게 names a person as the recipient. The familiar person pattern remains 에게, 한테 or respectful 께.
Which Greeting Expressions Will You Meet?
먼저 인사하다 means to greet first. 먼저 tells you who takes the initiative, rather than prescribing a particular phrase or bow. The same verb can cover a spoken hello, a nod or a greeting accompanied by a bow, depending on the situation.
고개를 숙여 인사하다 means to greet with the head lowered, or bow in greeting. The phrase describes the movement explicitly. 인사하다 alone does not specify how deeply someone bows, so there is no need to imagine a formal bow every time the verb appears.
눈인사 is a greeting exchanged with the eyes, often a brief look or nod of acknowledgment. 인사를 나누다 literally means to share or exchange greetings. It presents the greeting as mutual: two people acknowledge each other, rather than focusing only on the person who initiates it.
작별 인사 means a farewell greeting. 인사 therefore covers leaving as well as meeting. 감사 인사 means an expression of thanks; the noun before 인사 tells you the purpose. In these phrases, “greeting” is broader than the English idea of saying hello at the start of a meeting.
Where Will You Hear 인사하다?
A parent may tell a child to greet a visitor; a colleague may suggest greeting a new team member. In a drama, missing or refusing a greeting can signal tension. The verb tells you about acknowledgment and social contact, while the actual greeting words tell you what was said.
For example, 안녕하세요 is something you can say directly to a neighbor. 인사해요 describes greeting, or can suggest doing so together in the right context. It is not the greeting word to substitute for 안녕하세요 when you first walk into a room.
A speaker addressing an audience may use 인사드립니다, a deferential way to offer a greeting. Recognize it in speeches and introductions; everyday greetings between neighbors do not require that formal expression. For a learner’s ordinary report, 인사했어요 is enough to say that the greeting happened.
What Makes the Person Markers Tricky?
선생님께 인사했어요 honors the teacher through 께. The teacher receives the greeting; the speaker is still the person greeting. 인사하세요, by contrast, can be a polite request telling the listener to greet someone. The recipient marker and the verb ending do different jobs.
인사를 하다 contains 를 because 인사, “a greeting”, is the noun acted on. The person is still marked separately: the greeting can be an object, but that does not make 선생님을 the right choice for “greet the teacher”. This explains why the noun pattern and the earlier common-mistake correction can both be true.
Keep 인사하다 together when using the compact verb. Write the short negative as 인사 안 해요, with spaces around 안. With the separate noun pattern, 인사를 하다, the particle stays attached to 인사. These spellings help you recognize the same greeting action in different sentence shapes.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | hello | The words spoken in a polite greeting. |
| 인사 | greeting | The noun naming the act or expression. |
| 소개 | introduction | Gives someone’s identity or presents a person. |
| 작별 인사 | farewell | A greeting used when parting. |
The greetings lesson helps you choose the actual phrase for meeting and leaving, alongside the verb describing the action.
Mini Drill: Greet the Right Person
- Complete “I greeted”: 인사____.
- Choose the marker for a respected teacher: 선생님을 or 선생님께?
- Give the polite request form of 인사하다.
- Write its short present negative.
Show drill answers
- 인사했어요.
- 선생님께: the teacher receives the greeting.
- 인사하세요.
- 인사 안 해요.
Quick Self-Test
- Is 인사해요 the usual hello to say when entering a room?
- What does 먼저 add to 먼저 인사하다?
- Can 인사 refer to a farewell?
Show answers
- No. Use an actual greeting such as 안녕하세요.
- It means first: taking the initiative to greet.
- Yes. 작별 인사 is a farewell greeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 인사하다 Take 을/를?
Not for the person. The person takes 에게/한테, or 께 for someone you respect, as in 선생님께 인사해요.
How Do I Say I Greet My Neighbour in the Morning?
Say 아침에 이웃에게 인사해요.
Is There a Noun Form?
Yes. 인사 is the noun, and 인사를 하다 is a second way to say the same thing.
Which Greeting Phrase Should I Learn with It?
Start with 안녕하세요, which is the phrase you actually say.
Which Words Are Related to 인사하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Continue with 소개하다 to introduce people, then 감사하다 and 사과하다 for thanks and apologies. The pattern behind 인사하다 is covered in how 하다 verbs become 해요; to check any other form, open the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.