미안해요
[미안해요]mianhaeyo
I'm sorry (polite)
Polite & casual
"I'm sorry" — polite and gentle
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Meaning & nuance
Like "thank you," Korean "sorry" changes with the listener. 미안해 is casual, for close friends or people younger than you. 미안해요 is polite and gentle. 미안합니다 is formal, and 죄송합니다 is the most formal and humble: for customers, elders, your boss, or a serious mistake.
To get someone's attention or squeeze past in a crowd, Koreans usually say 저기요 (Excuse me) or 잠시만요 (Just a moment) rather than 죄송합니다.
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Examples
늦어서 미안해요.Sorry I'm late.
어제는 내가 말이 좀 심했어. 미안해.I went too far with what I said yesterday. Sorry.
기다리게 해서 죄송합니다.I apologize for keeping you waiting.
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Forms & politeness
- 미안해
- casual: close friends, younger people
- 미안해요
- polite and gentle
- 미안합니다
- formal
- 죄송합니다
- most formal and humble
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Hangul blocks
미ㅁ + ㅣ안ㅇ + ㅏ + ㄴ해ㅎ + ㅐ요ㅇ + ㅛ
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Good to know
In quick speech the ㅎ in 해 softens, so 미안해요 can sound like [미아내요].
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Related words
Dictionary: 표준국어대사전 · 미안하다 ↗ · 표준국어대사전 · 죄송하다 ↗
Meanings are written in our own words. The link opens the Standard Korean Language Dictionary entry.