{"id":819,"date":"2025-07-04T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/?p=819"},"modified":"2025-10-12T02:25:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T02:25:06","slug":"how-to-say-sorry-in-korean-10-essential-phrases-and-responses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/korean\/how-to-say-sorry-in-korean-10-essential-phrases-and-responses\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say Sorry in Korean: 10 Essential Phrases and Responses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Knowing how to say “sorry” in Korean isn’t just about vocabulary\u2014it’s about understanding tone, formality, and cultural context. Whether you’ve accidentally bumped someone on the subway or made a serious mistake at work, choosing the right apology matters. Here’s a clear guide to 10 essential ways to apologize in Korean, along with how to respond appropriately when someone apologizes to you.<\/p>\n\n

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1. \uc8c4\uc1a1\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4 (joesonghamnida) \u2014 “I’m sorry”<\/h2>\n

[Formal]<\/strong> Ideal for minor accidents, lateness, or formal interactions.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \uad1c\ucc2e\uc2b5\ub2c8\ub2e4 (gwaenchanseumnida), \uc544\ub2c8\uc5d0\uc694 (anieyo).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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2. \ubbf8\uc548\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4 (mianhamnida) \u2014 “I’m sorry”<\/h2>\n

[Formal, slightly softer]<\/strong> Semi-formal situations like apologizing to a coworker or teacher.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \uad1c\ucc2e\uc2b5\ub2c8\ub2e4, \uc544\ub2c8\uc5d0\uc694.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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3. \ubbf8\uc548\ud574\uc694 (mianhaeyo) \u2014 “Sorry”<\/h2>\n

[Polite]<\/strong> For acquaintances or elders in casual settings.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \uad1c\ucc2e\uc544\uc694 (gwaenchanayo).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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4. \ubbf8\uc548\ud574 (mianhae) \u2014 “Sorry”<\/h2>\n

[Casual]<\/strong> Informal, suitable among friends, siblings, or partners.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \uad1c\ucc2e\uc544 (gwaenchana).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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5. \uc798\ubabb\ud588\uc5b4\uc694 (jalmothaesseoyo) \u2014 “I made a mistake”<\/h2>\n

Use for significant mistakes or misunderstandings.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \uc774\ud574\ud574\uc694 (ihaehaeyo), \ub2e4\uc2dc \uadf8\ub7ec\uc9c0 \ub9c8\uc694 (dasi geureoji mayo).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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6. \uc0ac\uacfc\ub4dc\ub9bd\ub2c8\ub2e4 (sagwadeurimnida) \u2014 “I offer my apology”<\/h2>\n

[Very formal]<\/strong> For official or professional apologies.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \ubc1b\uc544\ub4e4\uc785\ub2c8\ub2e4 (badadeurimnida).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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7. \uc2e4\ub840\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4 (sillyehamnida) \u2014 “Excuse me \/ Pardon me”<\/h2>\n

Used for polite interruptions or getting someone’s attention.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \ub124, \ub9d0\uc500\ud558\uc138\uc694 (ne, malsseumhaseyo), \uad1c\ucc2e\uc2b5\ub2c8\ub2e4.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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8. \uc6a9\uc11c\ud574\uc8fc\uc138\uc694 (yongseohae juseyo) \u2014 “Please forgive me”<\/h2>\n

For serious apologies requiring genuine forgiveness.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \uc6a9\uc11c\ud560\uac8c\uc694 (yongseohalgeyo), \uc0dd\uac01\ud560\uac8c\uc694 (saenggakhalgeyo).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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9. \uc9c4\uc2ec\uc73c\ub85c \uc0ac\uacfc\ub4dc\ub9bd\ub2c8\ub2e4 (jinsimeuro sagwadeurimnida) \u2014 “I sincerely apologize”<\/h2>\n

Important for professional, public, or formal contexts emphasizing genuine remorse.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \ubc1b\uc544\ub4e4\uc77c\uac8c\uc694 (badadeurilgeyo).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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10. \ub0b4 \uc798\ubabb\uc774\uc57c (nae jalmotiya) \u2014 “My bad” \/ “It\u2019s my fault”<\/h2>\n

[Casual]<\/strong> Used among close friends or family to acknowledge responsibility informally.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/strong> \uc54c\uc558\uc5b4 (arasseo), \ub2e4\uc74c\uc5d4 \uc870\uc2ec\ud574 (daeumen josimhae).<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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Bonus: What NOT to Do<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t just say “sorry” and leave it there. Taking responsibility and demonstrating sincerity through body language, like bowing and tone of voice, significantly reinforce your apology.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n

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Wrapping Up<\/h2>\n

Apologizing correctly in Korean involves recognizing social cues, respect levels, and context. With these essential phrases, you’ll navigate most situations smoothly. Remember\u2014how you respond to apologies matters just as much.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Knowing how to say “sorry” in Korean isn’t just about vocabulary\u2014it’s about understanding tone, formality, and cultural context. Whether you’ve accidentally bumped someone on the subway or made a serious mistake at work, choosing the right apology matters. Here’s a clear guide to 10 essential ways to apologize in Korean, along with how to respond […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-korean"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=819"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":821,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819\/revisions\/821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunpo.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}