Mianhaeyo! How to Say “Sorry” in Korean

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How do you say “sorry” in Korean? The two phrases you’ll hear most often are 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) and 미안해요 (mianhaeyo).

Which one you choose matters. Korean has several speech levels, so the right apology depends on your relationship with the other person and the situation. Age and status can influence your choice, but so can familiarity, the setting and whether you’ve agreed to speak casually.

That may sound like a lot to learn. The good news is that you can handle most situations by memorising one formal apology, one everyday polite apology and one casual apology.

I’ll show you all three, along with pronunciation tips, ways to give a reason and phrases you can use when someone apologises to you. If you’re new to the language, my guide to learning Korean will help you put these phrases in context.

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Korean for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

How to Say “I’m Sorry” in Korean: Formal Version

The safest apology for a formal situation is:

죄송합니다
joesonghamnida
“I’m sorry.”

Use 죄송합니다 when you need to show respect, such as when speaking to a customer, a stranger, a teacher or someone senior to you. It is also a good choice when the mistake is serious or the situation itself is formal.

The dictionary form is 죄송하다 (joesonghada). Korean dictionaries classify it as an adjective, although learner grammars often call words like this “descriptive verbs”. To make the formal-polite form, the stem 죄송하- takes the ending -ㅂ니다, giving you 죄송합니다.

You may also hear 죄송해요 (joesonghaeyo). It is polite, but less formal than 죄송합니다. That makes it useful in respectful everyday conversation where the highest formal speech level would feel stiff.

A note on pronunciation: the standard romanisation begins with joe, but many English speakers hear the first syllable as something closer to “jweh”. Romanisation can only take you so far, so learning to read Hangul is the most reliable way to improve your pronunciation.

How to Say “Sorry” in Korean: Informal Version

I love Korean dramas. I watch them all the time, and some of my friends watch them too.

When they found out I was studying Korean, they asked me, “What does biane mean in Korean?” That made me chuckle because I also thought I was hearing “biane” when I first listened to actors apologising.

The word they were hearing was actually 미안해 (mianhae). In connected speech, sounds can be harder for a beginner to separate, but the phrase begins with ㅁ, an “m” sound.

Its dictionary form, 미안하다 (mianhada), is another adjective or descriptive verb meaning “to be sorry”. It is generally less deferential than 죄송하다, and its ending changes with the speech level:

• 미안합니다 (mianhamnida): “I’m sorry” in formal-polite speech
• 미안해요 (mianhaeyo): “I’m sorry” in everyday polite speech
• 미안해 (mianhae): “Sorry” in casual speech
• 미안 (mian): A short, very casual “Sorry”

미안해요 is a useful everyday phrase for people you know when polite speech is appropriate. Use 미안해 or the shorter 미안 only in a close relationship where casual speech is already normal. The bare 미안 can sound especially brief or blunt, so tone and context do a lot of work.

미안합니다 is grammatical, but 죄송합니다 is usually the more natural phrase when you need a formal apology.

Other Ways to Apologise in Korean

Sometimes you need more than a basic “sorry”. You may want to admit that you were wrong, ask for forgiveness or make your apology stronger. These phrases give you a few options:

• 정말 죄송합니다 (jeongmal joesonghamnida): “I’m truly sorry”
• 진짜 미안해요 (jinjja mianhaeyo): “I’m really sorry”
• 실례합니다 (sillyehamnida): “Excuse me”
• 잘못했습니다 (jalmothaetseumnida): “I was wrong” or “I made a mistake”
• 제 잘못이에요 (je jalmosieyo): “It’s my fault”
• 용서해 주세요 (yongseohae juseyo): “Please forgive me”
• 사과하고 싶어요 (sagwahago sipeoyo): “I want to apologise”
• 진심으로 사과드립니다 (jinsimeuro sagwadeurimnida): “I sincerely apologise”

사과 (sagwa) is the noun “apology”. The verb 사과하다 means “to apologise”, while the formal expression 사과드립니다 uses the humble verb 드리다 to show respect to the person receiving the apology.

실례합니다 is useful when “excuse me” fits better than a full apology, such as when you interrupt someone or need to get past them. For a real mistake, 죄송합니다 or 미안해요 is usually clearer.

Speech Levels and Korean Titles

Speech level and honorific vocabulary are related, but they are not the same thing. The ending in 죄송합니다 marks a formal-polite speech level. A title such as 선생님 (seonsaengnim, “teacher”) shows how you address or refer to a person.

When you are unsure, polite speech is the safer starting point. Do not switch to casual speech simply because the other person is younger. Your relationship, the setting and what that person is comfortable with all matter.

The suffix 님 (nim) often attaches to a role or title:

• 대표님 (daepyonim): company representative or director
• 선생님 (seonsaengnim): teacher
• 할아버님 (harabeonim): an honorific form of “grandfather”

씨 (ssi) can follow a person’s full name or given name in some peer-like relationships, but it is not automatically respectful in every context. Using it after a surname alone can sound rude, and it may be too familiar for a superior.

You also do not need to add the listener’s name or title to every apology. If you do address them directly, choose the form that fits your relationship. My guide to Korean honorifics explains the system in more detail.

Adding “I’m Sorry” to a Sentence

Once you know the basic apology, you can add the reason for it. The endings -아서 (-aseo) and -어서 (-eoseo) can connect a cause or reason to what follows.

As a beginner’s rule, use -아서 when the final vowel in the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, and use -어서 after other vowels. Forms can contract when the ending is added. A 하다 word combines with this ending as 해서 (haeseo).

늦어서 죄송합니다.
neujeoseo joesonghamnida
“I’m sorry I’m late.”

잊어버려서 미안해요.
ijeobeoryeoseo mianhaeyo
“I’m sorry I forgot.”

You can also add -지만 (-jiman) to the stem of 죄송하다 or 미안하다 when you need to begin with “I’m sorry, but…”

죄송하지만 갈 수 없습니다.
joesonghajiman gal su eopseumnida
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go.”

미안하지만 지금 바빠요.
mianhajiman jigeum bappayo
“I’m sorry, but I’m busy right now.”

How to Respond to “I’m Sorry” in Korean

What if someone apologises to you? Your reply should match your relationship just as your apology would.

• 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo): “It’s okay” in polite speech
• 괜찮아 (gwaenchana): “It’s okay” in casual speech
• 걱정하지 마세요 (geokjeonghaji maseyo): “Don’t worry” in polite speech
• 걱정하지 마 (geokjeonghaji ma) or 걱정 마 (geokjeong ma): “Don’t worry” in casual speech
• 아니에요, 괜찮아요 (anieyo, gwaenchanayo): “No, it’s okay”
• 문제없어요 (munjeeopseoyo): “No problem”

괜찮아요 is one of the most useful replies to learn. A quick 아니요 (aniyo) may work with the right tone and gesture, but by itself it literally sounds like “no”. 아니에요, 괜찮아요 is clearer for a learner.

It also helps to learn how to say “thank you” in Korean and a few more essential Korean phrases. You’ll often need them in the same everyday conversations.

Practise Saying “Sorry” in Korean

You do not need to memorise every phrase here today. Start with these three:

• 죄송합니다 for a formal or especially respectful apology
• 미안해요 for a polite apology in everyday conversation
• 미안해 for a casual apology to someone close

Say each one aloud, then practise giving a reason with 늦어서 죄송합니다 (“I’m sorry I’m late”) and 잊어버려서 미안해요 (“I’m sorry I forgot”). That gives you a small set of phrases you can actually use, rather than a long list you only recognise.

If you want guided audio practice, read my KoreanClass101 review first, then see the current KoreanClass101 offer.

And if you’re ready for your next Korean lesson, try my guides to Korean particles, Korean slang or learning Korean faster.