How to Say "I'm sorry" in Korean | Korean Expression

Quick Answer: "I'm sorry" in Korean is "미안해요." (mianhaeyo.). Level: A1.

Want to express "I'm sorry" in Korean? Say "미안해요.". This beginner-friendly sentence uses polite Korean speech. Read on for a full breakdown.

Category: 감정

What does "I'm sorry" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "미안해요." translates to "I'm sorry." in English. When you say "미안해요.", you are not just translating — you are adopting a Korean mindset. The sentence carries the warmth of a fairy-tale world.

Pronunciation guide: mianhaeyo.

Korean Sentence Structure Breakdown

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). In "미안해요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 미안해요 (mianhaeyo)

Notice how Korean particles (은/는, 을/를, 에서) do the work that word order does in English. Once you master particles, word order becomes flexible.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

What makes this expression sound natural is the word order. While English front-loads the verb, Korean saves it for the end — creating a sense of anticipation that feels storytelling-like.

Cultural Insight

한국어에는 '정(情)'이라는 번역 불가능한 단어가 있어요. 오랜 시간 함께하며 쌓이는 깊은 유대감을 뜻합니다.

Examples

미안해요. — mianhaeyo. — I'm sorry.

미안해요? — mianhaeyo? — I'm sorry?

오늘도 미안해요. — oneuldo mianhaeyo. — Today too, i'm sorry.

Quiz

How do you say "I'm sorry" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "미안해요.". mianhaeyo.