안녕하세요, 여러분!
Today, we’re going to tackle a phrase that we all inevitably need at some point – saying “I’m sorry”. Now, don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong! Unless you ate my last piece of 김치…then we need to talk.
In all seriousness, knowing how to apologize in Korean is essential. It shows respect, politeness, and can even save you from some uncomfortable situations. For example, if you accidentally bump into someone on the bustling streets of Seoul, or you’re late to a meeting because you lost track of time while binge-watching your favorite K-drama. It happens to the best of us, right?
So, buckle up, get ready, and let’s dive into the art of saying “I’m sorry” in Korean – and no, simply translating “I ate your 김치” will not be enough. So stay tuned, and let’s get this journey of remorse started!
How to say “I am sorry” in Korean
Just like with saying “Thank you” in Korean, there are different ways to say “I’m sorry”. We all are human and therefore we are bound to make mistakes. This article will introduce all the different ways of saying I’m sorry so that not only you will be equipped with the right words enabling you to apologise for any mistakes you might make, but also, you will be able to understand when someone is apologising to you.
So, how many ways are there to say “I’m sorry” in Korean?
Just like when saying “Thank you” in Korean, there are few ways to say “I am sorry”. (If you are curious about the different ways to say “Thank you” in Korean, click here). Don’t panic yet though, it’s only actually two different words but the ending will change depending on who you are talking to. If you are not yet familiar with the Korean language, you might not know that there are different politeness levels in Korean.
Korean language is about showing respect to other people and therefore if you speak to someone you don’t know or is older than you, you will need to be respectful through the use of the language.
However, if you are speaking with a friend, using the polite form of Korean might feel a bit awkward as well as it can put an invisible wall between you, making it more difficult to become close friends.
The below table summarises these based on the politeness level.
| Base word | 죄송하다 | 미안하다 |
| Polite and formal | 죄송합니다 | 미안합니다 |
| Polite | 죄송해요 | 미안해요 |
| Informal | None | 미안해 |
Breaking down 죄송하다
죄송하다 (choi-song-ha-da) is in its verb stem form, which means “to be sorry”. ‘죄’ is from a Chinese hanja 罪 (허물) meaning ‘mistake’ or ‘fault’ and 송 comes from 悚 (두려워 할) meaning ‘to be afraid’. 하다 is a verb meaning “to do” and so when all combined together it becomes “I am sorry”. Each verb in Korean needs to be conjugated, just like English verbs. We do not say “To be sorry” to someone, we say “I am sorry”. Or we wouldn’t just say “To do” we say “I do”. This is the same in Korean and therefore, the verb “죄송하다” needs to be conjugated.
죄송합니다 – (choi-song-ham-ni-da)
This is the most polite way to apologise to someone in Korean using the word “죄송하다”. You would use it with someone who you have just met, or who is older than you. It is also very formal so you would use it in a professional or formal situations. For example, you have made a mistake at work and you are apologising to your boss or your client for making a mistake.
죄송해요 – (choi-song-hae-yo)
This is another way of politely apologising to someone and as “죄송합니다”, it can be used with someone you have just met, or who is older than you. What’s the difference you ask? Well, there is not a huge difference between the two, but if you are unsure, I would just use “죄송합니다”, as it is ‘more formal’ and therefore would feel more ‘polite’ than “죄송해요”, so you cannot really go wrong there. Personally, I would use “죄송합니다” when apologising to older people or someone I don’t really know. However, if it is someone around my age, but we are not friends yet and haven’t decided to drop the honorifics, “죄송해요” is still polite but on a lower level than “죄송합니다”. Think about it this way, at first when you meet someone, you’d talk formally since you have just met, however, eventually you’d most likely want to become friends. While it is safe and always great to be polite (it can never hurt!), being too formal with someone around your age or someone you’d ideally like to become friends can create this distance and make it harder to get close.
I know this can sound a little bit too daunting but think about it this way. In English, there are also different ways to speaking someone depending on the situation. For example, you would most likely not greet your boss with “Hey, what’s up!”. That wouldn’t sound very professional, would it?
Don’t worry too much though. Over time, you will get used to it. The important thing at this stage is just to familiarise yourself with these for now.
Breaking down 미안하다
미안합니다 – (mi-an-ham-ni-da)
Similar to “죄송합니다”, this is the most polite form of apologising using the word ‘미안하다’. These two can be used interchangeably BUT there is a subtle difference between the two. If you are just starting to learn Korean, you really do not need to worry about which one of these two use. They are both absolutely fine to use, but if you are curious about what the difference is, then keep reading on.
What is the difference between ‘죄송합니다’ and ‘미안합니다’
I want to stress that either of these two is ok to use. Even Koreans themselves would usually not think that there is a difference between these two. For example, I have asked my Korean friend and he just said that to him they are just the same. However, there is a subtle difference to these. ‘죄송합니다’ is more formal than ‘미안합니다‘. Therefore, if you are in a professional setting then I would advise you to use ‘죄송합니다’ rather than ‘미안합니다’. It just sounds more professional. So, to your boss or to a client you’d want to say 죄송합니다’ when apologising.
미안해요 – (mi-an-hae-yo)
Compared to “미안합니다”, “미안해요” is still polite, but not formal. You’d use this in a situation where you are talking to someone around your age when you haven’t dropped honorifics yet, or someone who is older than you but you do have a close relationship with. Someone you don’t have to be formal with.
Difference between “죄송해요” and “미안해요”
Just like with “죄송합니다” and ‘미안합니다”, there is not much difference between these two. You can comfortably use either and you will be fine. However, I would say there is a subtle difference between these two and when I would use them. But this is really if you want to be very picky and go into a lot of detail. First of all, “미안해요” is more commonly used than “죄송해요“, especially in spoken Korean. Let’s look at an example that will help you understand the VERY subtle difference.
Anna was supposed to meet Emma. They are around the same age, but not friends. Anna is running late because of the traffic. She hasn’t made any mistake, it’s not her fault. She is however 10 minutes late. When she arrives, she says “늦어서 미안해요” which means “Sorry I’m late”. It is also perfectly fine to say “늦어서 죄송해요”. There is no difference and both are absolutely correct to use.
Now, let’s say that Emma has actually made a mistake. She has spilled a little bit of juice on Anna’s dress. In this instance, she can also say “죄송해요” or “미안해요”. But “죄송해요” does convey the nuance of being really really sorry, more than “미안해요” does.
I do want to stress again that both of these are fine to use interchangeably, no one will feel offended if you use one or the other. This section of the article is just going a little bit deeper into the use of the Korean language for those of you who are more fluent and are curious about the feeling of both of these words. So, if you are just starting to learn the language, I would advise to just remember the different versions of each of the two words plus which ones are formal/polite/informal. You really cannot go wrong if you do just that.
미안해 – (mi-an-hae)
This is an informal way to say “I’m sorry” in Korean and you would ONLY use it with someone you are friends with and have agreed to speak informally to each other. There is actually one more word you can use which is “미안”. I would translate it to “Sorry”. It’s just a shorter version of “미안해” and is the same as shortening “I am sorry” to just “Sorry”.
Activity 1
Match the situation to the appropriate level of apology.
- You accidentally spilled coffee on a stranger. You say: “______”.
- You’re late to meet your friend at a café. You say: “______”.
- You’re late to a formal business meeting. You say: “______”.
- You accidentally ate your sibling’s snack. You say: “______”.
- You damaged a valuable item at a store. You say: “______”.
Activity 1 Answers
- You accidentally spilled coffee on a stranger. You say: “죄송합니다/미안합니다”.
- You’re late to meet your friend at a café. You say: “미안해”.
- You’re late to a formal business meeting. You say: “죄송합니다/미안합니다”.
- You accidentally ate your sibling’s snack. You say: “미안해”.
- You damaged a valuable item at a store. You say: “죄송합니다/미안합니다”.
Wrap up
Well, 여러분, we’ve arrived at the end of this wild ride through the wonderful world of Korean apologies. We’ve tumbled down the rabbit hole of regret, crawled through the caverns of contrition, and finally emerged, hopefully, as masters of apologising in Korean. I mean, who knew saying “I’m sorry” could be such an adventure, right?
From accidental 김치 thievery to serious business mishaps, we’ve covered when and how to express your regret in Korean. Now, I’m not saying you should go out and start causing mayhem just to practice your newly acquired apology skills…but if it happens, you’re prepared!
Remember our practice exercises, and be sure to use them in your daily life. But don’t go pushing people around on the subway just to apologize, okay? We’re learning languages, not wrestling!
Remember, saying “I’m sorry” might not be the funniest thing in the world, but knowing how to do it right can save you from a world of K-drama level heartache. Until next time, keep practicing, keep laughing, and remember – it’s okay to make mistakes! That’s what “I’m sorry” is for.
잘했어요, 여러분! You’ve done great, and I can’t wait to see you in the next episode of our Korean language adventure.