How to Say Sorry in Korean: Mianhae vs Joesonghamnida

Quick answer: sorry in Korean, level by level

To say sorry in Korean, use 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) with strangers, shop staff, your boss and anyone older than you. It's the formal apology and the safest default. With peers and people you know, say 미안해요 (mianhaeyo), or 미안해 (mianhae) once you're close enough for casual speech. The right choice depends less on how big the mistake is than on who you're apologizing to.

Korean builds politeness into the verb ending, so every apology comes in several levels. The -ㅂ니다 (-mnida) ending is formal, -요 (-yo) is polite and everyday, and dropping -요 gives you 반말 (banmal), the casual speech close friends use with each other. Our guide to Korean honorifics explains the whole system; for apologies, the table below is all you need.

When in doubt, choose 죄송합니다. An overly formal apology to a friend sounds a little stiff. An overly casual one to a stranger sounds rude, which is by far the worse mistake.

죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida): the formal, serious sorry

죄송 (joesong) is a Sino-Korean word, and its first character, 죄 (joe), means a fault or a sin. The National Institute of Korean Language's Basic Korean Dictionary defines 죄송하다 (joesonghada) as "very sorry as if one committed a wrongdoing." That built-in humility is why it's the apology you direct upward: to a boss, a teacher, a customer or an older stranger.

Use it whenever you need to sound respectful: bumping into someone on the subway, arriving late to a meeting, sending the wrong file, keeping a customer waiting. Shops, airlines and public announcements use it a lot, often as 불편을 드려 죄송합니다 (bulpyeoneul deuryeo joesonghamnida, "We apologize for the inconvenience").

죄송해요 (joesonghaeyo) is the same word with the everyday polite ending. It's still respectful, a little softer, and it's what many Koreans say day to day to someone older or a stranger. In a formal meeting, a work email or a serious apology, stay with 죄송합니다.

To make it stronger, add 정말 (jeongmal, "really") or the more formal 대단히 (daedanhi, "greatly"): 정말 죄송합니다. Companies and public figures making an official apology often use 진심으로 사과드립니다 (jinsimeuro sagwadeurimnida, "I sincerely apologize").

죄송 also works as a cushion before a request, the way English speakers say "Sorry, but...". Starting with 죄송한데요 (joesonghandeyo) or 죄송하지만 (joesonghajiman) before 사진 좀 찍어 주실 수 있어요? (sajin jom jjigeo jusil su isseoyo?, "Could you take a photo for me?") makes the request sound considerate rather than demanding.

미안해요 and 미안해 (mianhaeyo, mianhae): sorry to friends and family

미안 (mian) literally means "not at ease." The Basic Korean Dictionary defines 미안하다 (mianhada) as feeling uncomfortable and ashamed because you did something bad to someone. It's a sincere apology, but it doesn't lower you the way 죄송 does, so it fits people at your level or below.

미안해요 (mianhaeyo) is polite and friendly: use it with coworkers at your level, classmates you don't know well yet, a friend's friend, or a younger person you've just met. 미안해 (mianhae) is 반말, casual speech for close friends, siblings, a partner and children. Between very close friends it shrinks to 미안 (mian), roughly "my bad."

미안합니다 (mianhamnida) is formal in form but not humble. You'll hear it from an older person to a younger stranger, from a teacher to a class, or between equals in a formal setting. Saying it to your boss isn't a disaster, but 죄송합니다 is what they'll expect.

When you apologize to a friend, adding their name or title sounds natural. If you call an older friend 형 (hyeong), 누나 (nuna), 오빠 (oppa) or 언니 (eonni) and you've both agreed to use 반말, you can say 미안해, 언니 (mianhae, eonni, "Sorry, eonni"). If those titles are new to you, see oppa, noona, hyung and unnie explained. If you still use polite speech with each other, say 미안해요 or 죄송해요.

Naming what you did makes it sound sincere: 미안해, 내가 잘못했어 (mianhae, naega jalmotaesseo, "I'm sorry, it was my fault") or 미안, 깜빡했어 (mian, kkamppakaesseo, "Sorry, I forgot"). In texts between friends you'll also see 미안 on its own or the English loanword 쏘리 (ssori). Both are light and playful, too light for anything serious.

Koreans also apologize in moments where English speakers would say thanks. When someone treats you to dinner or goes out of their way for you, you may hear 미안해서 어떡해 (mianhaeseo eotteokae, "I feel bad, you shouldn't have"), and a request to a busy person often opens with 바쁘신데 죄송해요 (bappeusinde joesonghaeyo, "Sorry, I know you're busy"). You'll also hear the two together: 죄송하고 감사합니다 (joesonghago gamsahamnida, "I'm sorry, and thank you"). For the thank-you side, see how to say thank you in Korean.

Excuse me vs sorry: 실례합니다, 저기요 and 잠시만요

In English, "sorry" often does the job of "excuse me." Korean keeps the two apart. 죄송합니다 mainly apologizes for something you've already done; the phrases below ask for permission or attention before you do it.

The Standard Korean Language Dictionary defines 실례하다 (sillyehada) as behaving against etiquette, and notes that it's often used as a greeting to ask for the other person's understanding. That's the job "excuse me" does. 실례합니다 is a little formal, though; in a café or restaurant, 저기요 is the everyday way to get attention.

When knocking on a professor's or manager's door, people often say 실례합니다 as they open it, then greet with 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo, "hello"). For greetings by situation, see Korean greetings; for the rest of the everyday courtesy set, see basic Korean phrases.

Mixing these up isn't rude. But if you've already stepped on someone's foot, 실례합니다 sounds like a warning that came too late. Say 죄송합니다, or quickly, 아, 죄송해요 (a, joesonghaeyo, "Oh, sorry").

Apologizing for being late, a small mistake or a big fault

A real apology usually says what you're sorry for. Put the reason in front with -아서/-어서 (-aseo/-eoseo, "because"): 늦어서 (neujeoseo) means "because I'm late." These are the Korean apology phrases you're most likely to need, by situation.

For a serious apology, especially at work, Koreans tend to follow this order:

1. Apologize first, clearly: 정말 죄송합니다 (jeongmal joesonghamnida, "I'm truly sorry").
2. Name the fault briefly, without excuses: 제가 확인을 안 했습니다 (jega hwagineul an haetseumnida, "I didn't check it").
3. Say how you'll fix it: 오늘 안에 다시 보내 드리겠습니다 (oneul ane dasi bonae deurigetseumnida, "I'll send it again today").
4. Promise it won't happen again: 다시는 이런 일이 없도록 하겠습니다.

A long explanation before the apology can sound like an excuse, so lead with the apology and keep the reason short. 용서해 주세요 (yongseohae juseyo, "Please forgive me") exists, but it's heavy and dramatic; for most work mistakes it would sound out of proportion.

How to reply to an apology in Korean

The usual reply to an apology is 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo, "It's okay"), often with 아니에요 (anieyo, "No, no") in front: 아니에요, 괜찮아요. Keep it short. A long reassurance can make the moment more awkward.

괜찮아요 works on the other side too. If someone who bumped into you asks 괜찮아요? (gwaenchanayo?, "Are you okay?"), answer 네, 괜찮아요 (ne, gwaenchanayo, "Yes, I'm fine").

If an older person or your boss apologizes to you, a slightly fuller reply is kinder: 아니에요, 괜찮습니다 (anieyo, gwaenchanseumnida). Don't answer with 다음부터 조심하세요 (daeumbuteo josimhaseyo, "Be careful next time"). That's what a senior says to a junior, and from anyone else it sounds like a scolding.

Common mistakes learners make with Korean apologies

• Saying 미안해 to strangers, staff or anyone older. It's 반말, so it can sound like you're talking down to them. Use 죄송합니다 or 죄송해요.
• Saying 미안합니다 to your boss or teacher. It's polite in form, but not humble enough for someone clearly senior. 죄송합니다 is the expected word.
• Using sorry for sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that" isn't 미안해요, which means you caused the problem. Say 힘드셨겠어요 (himdeusyeotgesseoyo, "That must have been hard") or 속상하시겠어요 (soksanghasigesseoyo, "You must be upset"). After a death, the standard written condolence is 삼가 고인의 명복을 빕니다 (samga goinui myeongbogeul bimnida), roughly "May they rest in peace."
• Saying 실례합니다 after the fact. It asks permission in advance; once you've bumped into someone, say 죄송합니다.
• Using 죄송합니다 with a close friend. It sounds stiff, or like you're joking.
• Reading the romanization as English. The "joe" in joesonghamnida isn't the name Joe: 죄 is one syllable, and the dictionary also accepts it pronounced like "jweh." 합니다 sounds like ham-ni-da. Our Korean pronunciation guide covers why.

Practice one apology at three levels

Knowing the table is the easy part. Under pressure, you'll reach for whichever version you memorized first, so practice the same apology at every level until switching is automatic. Start with being late:

• 늦어서 죄송합니다 (neujeoseo joesonghamnida): your boss, a teacher, a client
• 늦어서 미안해요 (neujeoseo mianhaeyo): a coworker at your level, a classmate
• 늦어서 미안해 (neujeoseo mianhae): a close friend or sibling

A tutor makes this much faster. Write three apologies you might need, one for a boss, one for a friend and one for a stranger, and bring them to your first lesson. Ask your tutor to play each person and tell you which level they'd expect. Tutors who focus on Korean conversation suit this kind of role-play; what each tutor covers varies, so tell them what you'd like in the site chat before the lesson.

On HaruMeet (Haru), lessons are live 1:1 Zoom calls with a tutor you choose, and most tutors are native Korean speakers living in Korea. As of October 2026, all 19 tutors teaching Korean list English among the languages they speak, and 25-minute lessons cost $7.70 to $20.90 including the student fee (median $11). Your first lesson with each tutor is 50% off, about $5.50 at the median price. See pricing for lesson packs and cancellation rules.

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