How to Say “Sorry” in Korean: 미안해요 (mianhaeyo)

미안해요

mianhaeyo

Situation: Greetings & basicsLevel: Starter (just learning Hangul)

Meaning

Sorry.

A relaxed, everyday “sorry.” For someone senior to you, use the more polite 죄송합니다.

Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.

Syllables: 4 · Words: 1

It is pronounced just as it is written.

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
미	ㅁ+ㅣ	mi
안	ㅇ+ㅏ+ㄴ	an
해	ㅎ+ㅐ	hae
요	ㅇ+ㅛ	yo

A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.

Style: Polite (해요체)Sentence type: Statement or set phrase

Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “미안해요” mean?

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Answer: Sorry

Question 2 How do you say “Sorry” in Korean?

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Answer: 미안해요 mianhaeyo

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