How to Say "Sorry" in Korean: Mianhae vs Joesonghamnida
Learn how to say sorry in Korean: mianhae for friends, mianhaeyo and joesonghaeyo for polite talk, joesonghamnida for formal apologies, plus excuse me phrases.
By a native Korean teacher · · 2 min read
The most common way to say sorry in Korean is 미안해 (mianhae) with friends, 미안해요 (mianhaeyo) or 죄송해요 (joesonghaeyo) with people you don't know well, and 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) for a formal or serious apology. Which one you choose depends on who you are talking to.
Word at a glance
미안해mianhae
- Literally
- I feel sorry (toward you)
- In natural English
- sorry, my bad
The two words for sorry
Korean has two main apology words. 미안하다 (mianhada) is the everyday one and sounds personal and warm. 죄송하다 (joesonghada) is more respectful and is the word you use with elders, customers and bosses.
Each comes in several speech levels, so the full set looks like this.
- 미안해 (mianhae): casual, for friends, siblings and younger people
- 미안해요 (mianhaeyo): polite but still soft, for acquaintances
- 미안합니다 (mianhamnida): formal, but less humble than joesonghamnida
- 죄송해요 (joesonghaeyo): polite and respectful, very common in daily life
- 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida): the most formal and respectful apology
Saying sorry to friends
With friends, 미안해 is all you need. To make it stronger, add 진짜 (jinjja) or 정말 (jeongmal), "really." Koreans also apologize by owning the mistake directly with 내가 잘못했어, "It was my fault."
늦어서 미안해.
Neujeoseo mianhae.
Sorry I'm late.
진짜 미안해. 내가 잘못했어.
Jinjja mianhae. Naega jalmotaesseo.
I'm really sorry. It was my fault.
Saying sorry politely and formally
With strangers, staff, teachers and coworkers, 죄송해요 is the safest choice. In a store, on the phone or in an announcement you will hear 죄송합니다, often with 정말 or 대단히 (daedanhi, "greatly") in front of it for serious situations.
기다리게 해서 죄송해요.
Gidarige haeseo joesonghaeyo.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
정말 죄송합니다.
Jeongmal joesonghamnida.
I'm truly sorry.
"Excuse me" is a different word
English uses "sorry" for bumping into someone or squeezing past, but Korean usually doesn't. To get past someone on a crowded subway, say 잠시만요 (jamsimanyo), "just a moment." To call a server or get a stranger's attention, say 저기요 (jeogiyo). For interrupting politely, 실례합니다 (sillyehamnida) means "excuse me" in the sense of "pardon the intrusion."
잠시만요, 지나갈게요.
Jamsimanyo, jinagalgeyo.
Excuse me, coming through.
How to accept an apology
The usual reply is 괜찮아 (gwaenchana) or 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo), "It's okay." You can also say 아니에요 (anieyo), literally "it's not," which works like "no worries."
Questions people ask
Which Korean sorry should a beginner use?+
죄송해요 (joesonghaeyo) is safe with almost anyone you don't know well. Use 미안해 only with close friends or people younger than you.
Is mianhamnida wrong?+
It is correct and formal, but to elders and customers 죄송합니다 sounds more humble, so it is the more common choice there.
How do you say sorry in Korean texting?+
Friends often shorten it to 미안 (mian) or add a crying face like ㅠㅠ to soften it.
What does mianhae saranghae mean?+
It means "I'm sorry, I love you," a phrase you hear in K-drama apologies between couples.