What Does "Bogoshipo" Mean? How to Say "I Miss You" in Korean
Bogoshipo (보고 싶어) means "I miss you" in Korean, literally "I want to see you." Learn the polite and casual forms, how to say "I missed you," and how to reply.
By a native Korean teacher · · 2 min read
Bogoshipo (보고 싶어, officially romanized bogo sipeo) is how Koreans say "I miss you." Literally it means "I want to see you." Use it with people you are close to; the polite form is 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo).
Word at a glance
보고 싶어bogo sipeo
- Literally
- (I) want to see (you)
- In natural English
- I miss you
"I want to see you" means "I miss you"
Korean doesn't have a separate verb for "to miss someone." Instead, it combines 보다 (boda, "to see") with -고 싶다 (-go sipda, "to want to"). So 보고 싶다 means "I want to see," and when it is about a person, that becomes "I miss you."
As with most Korean sentences, "I" and "you" are dropped. Context makes it clear who misses whom.
보고 싶어.
Bogo sipeo.
I miss you.
엄마, 보고 싶어요.
Eomma, bogo sipeoyo.
Mom, I miss you.
Casual, polite and formal forms
Change the ending to match the relationship.
- 보고 싶어 (bogo sipeo): casual, for partners, friends and family
- 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo): polite, for someone older or less close
- 보고 싶습니다 (bogo sipseumnida): formal, for letters, speeches and fan messages
- 보고 싶다 (bogo sipda): said to yourself, in a diary, or in songs, like "I miss them"
I missed you, I miss you too
Put the verb in the past tense when you finally meet again, and add 나도 (nado, "me too") to answer.
너무 보고 싶었어!
Neomu bogo sipeosseo!
I missed you so much!
나도 보고 싶어.
Nado bogo sipeo.
I miss you too.
빨리 보고 싶다.
Ppalli bogo sipda.
I can't wait to see you.
It can also mean "I want to watch"
Because 보다 also means "to watch," the same phrase works for movies, shows and concerts. If the object is a thing, not a person, it simply means you want to see or watch it.
그 영화 보고 싶어.
Geu yeonghwa bogo sipeo.
I want to see that movie.
콘서트 보고 싶어요.
Konseoteu bogo sipeoyo.
I want to go see the concert.
How to pronounce bogoshipo
Say it in four syllables: bo-go-shi-peo. The ㅅ before ㅣ sounds like "sh," and the ㅍ in 싶어 moves to the last syllable, so 싶어 sounds like "shi-puh." That is where the popular spelling "bogoshipo" comes from.
Questions people ask
Is bogoshipo romantic?+
It can be, but not only. Koreans say it to partners, friends, family and even pets. The relationship decides how romantic it sounds.
What is the difference between bogoshipo and bogoshipda?+
보고 싶어 is said to someone. 보고 싶다 sounds more like thinking out loud, "I miss them," and is common in songs and diaries.
Can I say bogoshipo to my idol?+
Yes. Fans often write 보고 싶어요 or the formal 보고 싶습니다 in comments and letters to idols.
How do you say I miss you so much?+
Add 너무 (neomu, "so much") or 진짜 (jinjja, "really"): 너무 보고 싶어 (neomu bogo sipeo).