Bump into someone on the Seoul subway and one word decides how it lands: 죄송합니다 gets a polite nod; 미안해 gets a stare — you just apologized to a stranger like they’re your little brother.
Korean apologies come in levels, just like greetings. Here’s the complete map of sorry in Korean, from courtroom-formal to K-drama casual.
The Three Forms You Need
| Korean | Romanization | When |
|---|---|---|
| 죄송합니다 | joe-song-ham-ni-da | Formal default. Strangers, elders, work, service situations. Never wrong. |
| 미안해요 | mi-an-hae-yo | Polite but warm. Acquaintances, friendly colleagues. |
| 미안해 | mi-an-hae | Casual. Close friends, younger people, partners. |
Pronunciation note: 죄송합니다 is pronounced [죄송함니다] — jwe-song-ham-ni-da. Same nasalization rule as 감사합니다: the ㅂ turns into [m] before ㄴ. If you’ve read our thank you in Korean guide, you already own this pattern.
죄송합니다 vs 미안합니다
Both are formal. The nuance:
- 죄송합니다 — humble, deferential. Literally rooted in “feeling guilt/awkwardness before someone.” Default toward elders, customers, bosses.
- 미안합니다 — formal but slightly lighter; common between adult equals.
Rule of thumb: if the person could be offended by under-politeness, choose 죄송합니다. Koreans themselves reach for it in ~80% of formal apology moments.
Casual Apologies (K-Drama Frequency: Constant)
미안해. — Sorry. (standard casual) 진짜 미안해. — I’m really sorry. 미안, 미안! — Sorry, sorry! (light, tossed off) 내가 잘못했어. — It was my fault. (the “I actually mean it” upgrade)
That last one matters: for real apologies between friends, Koreans often skip “sorry” and go straight to owning the mistake — 잘못했어 (“I did wrong”) lands harder than 미안해.
Leveling Up: Serious and Situational Apologies
| Korean | Romanization | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 정말 죄송합니다 | jeongmal joesonghamnida | genuinely sorry (formal) |
| 대단히 죄송합니다 | daedanhi joesonghamnida | deeply sorry — service/business |
| 늦어서 죄송합니다 | neujeoseo joesonghamnida | sorry for being late |
| 실례합니다 | sillyehamnida | ”excuse me” — interrupting, passing through |
| 잠시만요 | jamsimanyo | ”just a moment” — squeezing past someone |
Note the pattern in 늦어서 죄송합니다: [reason]-서 + apology = “sorry for ~”. Swap in any verb: 전화 못 해서 미안해 (sorry I couldn’t call).
Subway reality check: for minor bumps, Koreans often say nothing at all or a quick 죄송합니다 — while 실례합니다 is what you say before the intrusion, like moving through a crowd.
Responding to an Apology
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 괜찮아요 / 괜찮아 | it’s okay (polite / casual) |
| 아니에요 | it’s nothing |
| 신경 쓰지 마세요 | don’t worry about it |
| 별거 아니에요 | it’s no big deal |
괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo) is the universal responder — the same word you’ll hear characters say through tears in every K-drama (“I’m fine”). One word, three jobs: it’s okay / I’m okay / no thanks.
The Body Language
A real Korean apology comes with a bow — deeper than the greeting bow. Casual 미안해 gets a hand gesture or a playful clasped-hands pose (손 모으기). Formal 죄송합니다 in a serious situation: head down, sometimes both hands together. The apology is as much posture as words.
Keep Building
You now have the politeness trio: hello, thank you, and sorry — the three phrases that carry 90% of tourist interactions. Next: how are you in Korean, or the full phrases guide.
And to read 죄송합니다 as one glance instead of five slow syllables, Batchim’s reading drills get you there in 15 minutes a day.