What does 어서 오세요 (eoseo oseyo) mean?
- 어서 오세요eoseo oseyo
Welcome
Polite: safe with most people
어서 오세요 (eoseo oseyo) means "welcome" in Korean. It is what shop staff call out when a customer walks in, and what hosts say to guests at the door. It is polite and warm.
Where it comes from
어서 means "quickly" or "come on," and 오세요 is a polite way to say "come." So it literally says "please come in, come on in."
How to use 어서 오세요
You will hear it in almost every café, restaurant and convenience store. Customers do not need to say it back. A nod or 안녕하세요 is enough.
Hosts also say it to guests arriving at home. Friends say the casual 어서 와 (come on in).
In big stores and hotels you may hear the more formal 어서 오십시오.
Examples
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Staff greeting a customer at a café
Welcoming grandma at the front door
A host opening an event
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 어서 오십시오 | Welcome | Formal, used by staff in hotels and big stores. |
| 어서 와 | Come on in | Casual, for friends and family. |
| 환영합니다 | Welcome | Formal, for events and signs. |
| 들어오세요 | Please come in | Inviting someone inside. |
Questions learners ask
How do you reply to eoseo oseyo?
You do not have to. In shops people usually just nod or say 안녕하세요.
What is the casual form?
어서 와 (eoseo wa), "come on in," for friends and family.