how to Say I Miss You in Korean(5+ easy ways to say it)

If you long for your Korean-speaking sweetheart, or you can’t wait to see Korean friends or coworkers again, then it’s time to master how to say I miss you in Korean. 

Sure, 보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo) is the standard way of saying “I miss you.” However, one word is not always sufficient to express your feelings to your beautiful loved ones.

Whether there is an ocean separating you, or simply a few roads, here is a handy guide for you to say “I miss you” in Korean to that person and how to use it in real life. 

Alright friends, let’s dig in( to the core).

How to Say I Miss You in Korean

보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo) is the standard way to say “I miss you” in Korean and literally translates as “I want to see you”

Thanks for asking! When it comes to expressing affection or longing for someone in Korean, there are numerous ways to convey the sentiment of “I miss you”.

These alternative phrases offer distinct nuances and meanings, allowing for a more personalized and heartfelt expression.

Here’s how to say I miss you in Korean in formal, casual, and cute ways with translations and pronunciations.

• I Miss You” in Korean(Standard)-보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo)
• I Miss You in Korean informal  – 보고 싶어 (bo-go ship-eo)
• I Miss You in Korean(formal) -보고 싶습니다 (bo-go ship-sum-ni-da)
• i Miss You in Korean(cute)-보고 싶어용/보고파
• I miss you IN KOREAN(poetic)-그리워/그리워요

I’ll explain it in detail below

Standard “I Miss You” in Korean-보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo)

보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo) is the most common expression to say “I miss you” in Korean. It comes from the word 보고싶다 and literally translates as “I want to see you”. you can use this phrase with the people you are close with like a girlfriend or boyfriend, or people who are older than you like parents and grandparents. 

보고싶다 is made of two words  where 보다 which means ‘to see ’ and another is -고 싶다 means “want to do something”

The main difference between ‘I miss you in English’ and ‘I miss you in Korean is that the basic form 보고싶다 can only use when you talking about other persons or living things. 

For non-living things, you can use 그리워/그리워요. 

I will explain this later.

If you miss someone extremely, you can say 너무 보고 싶어 (neomu bogo sipeo) where 너무 (neomu) means “so much. So together 너무 보고 싶어 (neomu bogo sipeo) is translated as “I miss you a lot”. 

“I miss you a lot” is used to express a stronger and more intense longing for someone. It is typically okay to use when the separation or distance between individuals has been significant and the desire to see or be with them is profound.

Example

Grandma, I miss you.

할머니, 보고싶어요.- Halmoni, bogoshipuhyo

I miss you more today

오늘따라 더 보고싶어요-oneulttara do bogosipoyo

I miss you, dad, when are you coming home?

보고 싶어요, 아빠, 집에 언제 오세요?

bogo sip-eoyo, appa, jib-e eonje oseyo?

Grandpa, I miss you, too.

할아버지도 보고싶어요.Harabuhjido bogoshipuhyo.

I miss Jun

:준이 보고싶어요

I Miss You Very Much, Grandpa! 

정말 보고 싶어요, 할아버지!-jeongmal bogo sip-eoyo, hal-abeoji!

Here’s a K-pop song by 성담 SUNGDAM -‘ 보고 싶어요 ‘ that direct use the word 보고 싶어요. just play the song and see Korean use this word in real-life conversations and songs to convey their feelings.

 I Miss You in Korean informal  – The meaning of 보고 싶어 (bo-go ship-eo)

To say I miss you in Korean informally, you would say 보고 싶어 (bo-go ship-eo)  which literally means I want to see you.  You can use this phrase for the people you are very close with or boyfriend or girlfriend. 

If you want to say I missed you, you can add one letter after the word stem 보고 싶 and say 보고 싶었어[bogo siposso].

Example

Babe, i miss you

자기야, 보고싶어- jagiya bogosipo

Do you miss me?

 나 보고 싶어?

Honey, I miss you. Do you miss me?

당신, 보고싶어. 나 보고싶어?

Dangshin, bogoshipuh. Na bogoshipuh?

Ah, of course, I miss you too, Mina! 

아, 물론, 미나 너도 보고 싶어!

 miss you and love you so much. 

보고 싶어, 그리고 사랑해

Let me explain with some examples

I want to see Disneyland.

디즈니랜드를 보고싶어.-dijeuniraendeureul bogosipo

Suzy, Which movie do you want to see today?

수지야, 오늘 무슨 영화 보고 싶어?

sujiya oneul museun yonghwa bogo sipo

I want to see Seoul

서울을 보고싶어-soureul bogosipo

I want to watch Korean dramas, not movies

영화가 아니라 한국 드라마를 보고 싶어

yonghwaga anira hanguk deuramareul bogo sipo

I want to watch a horror movie

나는 공포 영화를 보고싶어요

naneun gongpo yonghwareul bogosipoyo

 I Miss You in Korean(formal way) -보고 싶습니다 (bo-go ship-sum-ni-da)

“보고싶습니다” (bogosipseumnida) is a highly formal way to express “I miss you” in Korean. While it carries the same meaning as “보고싶어요” (bogosipeoyo), it is not commonly used in everyday conversations.

This form is more appropriate for formal situations, such as when addressing elders, parents, or grandparents. It may be encountered in songs, debates, speeches, and other formal contexts.

However, in daily life conversations, Koreans typically do not use this expression.

Please keep in mind that “보고싶습니다” is reserved for specific occasions and should be used with caution, ensuring it aligns with the appropriate level of formality and respect.

 How to say ‘I Miss You in Korean” in a cute way? (Aegyo)

보고 싶어용 (bo-go ship-eo-yong)

There are some adorable and aegyo (cute) ways to say “I miss you” in Korean! One of them is “보고싶어용” (bogoshipuhyong), which adds the cute “용” (yong) at the end of “보고 싶어요” (bogo sipeoyo), creating a playful and endearing sound in daily conversations.

Another cute expression is “보고파” (bogopa), which means “I want to see you.” Koreans sometimes add “당” (dang) after “보고 싶어요” (bogo sipeoyo) to make it even cuter, resulting in “보고 싶당” (bogosipdang).

I’m sorry for not mentioning this earlier, but it’s important to note that these cute expressions like “보고싶어용” (bogoshipuhyong), “보고파” (bogopa), and “보고 싶당” (bogosipdang) are more suited for informal situations.

It’s always respectful to use more formal expressions when speaking to elders or in formal settings.

보고파(bo-go-pa)

보고파 (bogopa) is another cute way of saying “I miss you.” You can either say like as it is or 보고팡 (bo-go-pang) which is adding an “ng” to the end to make it even more aegyo.

보고파 (bogopa) almost sounds like 배고파 (baegopa) which means I’m hungry.

보고파 (bogopa) is the title of Kpop songs byTiny-J (see below).

You can say this once in a while for fun but don’t overuse the word in a conversation because people around you may cringe!

geuriwo/geuriwoyo(그리워/그리워요)-poetic way to say “I miss you” IN KOREAN

geuriwo/geuriwoyo(그리워) is more of a poetic and informal way to say “I miss you in Korean. you can use this phrase only when you are talking about a non-living thing or memory. 그리워 (geuriwo) is informal.  To make it formal Add 요 (yo) at the end which sounds like그리워요.

If you want to use (그리워/그리워요) in a sentence, just use the subject in front of this phrase to be specific about what you’re missing. 

Let’s see some Examples:

Don’t you miss home?’

집 안 그리워요?’

What do you miss the most?

뭐가 제일 그리워요?

“MARK, do you miss America”?

‘마크, 미국 그리워요’?

Don’t you miss your mother?

엄마가 그리워지지 않니?-eommaga geuliwojiji anhni?

I miss sleeping at home.

집에서 자는 게 그리워.-jibeso janeun ge geuriwo

I miss my long hair

긴 머리가 그리워- gin moriga geuriwo

“I miss boiled dumplings”. You don’t have them now?

“물만두 그리워요” 지금은 없나요?

mulmandu geuriwoyo jigeumeun omnayo

I miss Japan so much.

일본이 너무그리워-ilboni nomugeuriwo

I miss my college days.

대학 시절이 그리워요.-Daehak shijuhlee geuriwoyo.

I Miss Him / Her in Korean

 If you want to miss somebody and want to say like “I Miss Him / Her in Korean”, you need to add 이 or 가 and say their name) like 이/가 보고싶어요. 

You can avoid saying the first person pronoun 저는 (I) to sound natural in daily life conversation.

The structure to say 

Name +이/가 + 보고싶어요

Here’s how to use 이 or 가 in a Korean sentence. If the word ends with a consonant (which is batchim), then you can use 이. If the word ends with a vowel, just use 가.

 Example 

My dad. I miss him.

우리 아버지, 보고 싶다.

I miss my older sister. 

언니가 보고 싶어요.-onniga bogo sipoyo

(I) miss my girlfriend

내 여친이 보고싶어요-nae yochini bogosipoyo

i miss you too in Korean

If someone tells you they miss you and you truly feel the same way, you can kindly respond by saying “I really miss you too” in Korean.

There are a couple of ways to express this. One option is to say “나도 정말 보고싶어” (nado jeongmal bogosipeo), where “정말” (jeongmal) means “really” or “truly.”

Another option, especially in more formal situations, is to repeat the phrase and add “요” (yo) at the end, resulting in “나도 정말 보고싶어요” (nado jeongmal bogo sipoyo).

This conveys respect toward the other person. Simply include “나도” (nado), meaning “me too,” before “정말 보고싶어/정말 보고싶어요” (jeongmal bogosipeo/jeongmal bogo sipoyo).

 Example 

Oppa, I missed you

오빠, 보고 싶어요.-oppa bogo sipoyo

Minji, I missed you too

민지야, 나도 보고 싶었어.

minjiya nado bogo siposso

10  alternative Ways to Say “I Miss You” in Korean( 보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo))

Of course, to say I miss you can just use 보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo). But there are several phrases that Korean use in different situations that show their feelings in a unique way.

Here’s a list of alternative Ways to Say “I Miss You” in Korean( 보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo)) that you can use real-life conversation in different situations.

•  I love you IN KOREAN-사랑해요saranghaeyo
• Missing you IN KOREAN-그리워요geuriwoyo
•  I MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY- 미치도록 당신이 보고 싶어요.
• I missed you-보고 싶었어요-bogo sipossoyo
•  I will  miss you-보고 싶을거예요
• I REALLY MISS YOU -니가 너무보고 싶어-niga neomubogo sip-eo
• I’ll come back soon-빨리 돌아올게요
• I MISS YOU BROTHER- 오빠 보고 싶어요-oppa bogo sipoyo
•  DO YOU MISS ME?-제가 보고 싶어요?jega bogo sipoyo
• HOW MUCH DO YOU MISS ME-얼마나 그리워요?naega olmana geuriwoyo
• I MISS MY DAUGHTER-나는 내 딸을 보고 싶어요
• I like you-좋아해요-joh-ahaeyo
•  I need you-니가 필요해-niga piryohae
• let’s meet again.-다시 만나요.dasi mannayo
• I want to see you in dream-꿈에서 보고싶다-kkum-eseo bogosipda
• I SAW YOU IN MY DREAMS-꿈에서 당신을 봤어요kkumeso dangsineul bwassoyo

how to say I don’t miss you IN KOREAN

 if you don’t miss someone or don’t want to see them, you can use these phrases to say I don’t miss you IN KOREAN

Example

Don’t you want to see your boyfriend?

남친 보고싶지 않니?Namchin bogoshipji ahnni?

I don’t want to see him.

보고싶지 않아.-Bogoshipji ahnna.

Conclusion

Great job. You finally know how to say I miss you in Korean.

If you are ever unsure of which one of these phrases, then it is best to stick with what you know and use 보고 싶어요 (bo-go ship-eo-yo) for formal /polite situations, and with the causal situation, just use 보고 싶어 (bo-go ship-eo)

All these words are widely used and accepted in Korea.

Well, it’s time for you to apply it in real life and improve your pronunciation.

So go out and next time you got a chance to say I miss you in Korean, just use any of these as much as you can.

 Koreans will understand you even if you got it wrong. 

Looking for more Korean phrases and when to use them you can check out our other articles on this topic.

Here are some recommended lessons:

• A Complete Guide to say Good Night In Korean
• The Common Ways To Say No In Korean
• Ready To Learn Korean ways to say Thank You In Korean?
• How To Say  Sorry In Korean
• How To Say Goodbye In Korean
• How Korean Celebrate New Year And Wish Happy New Year In Korean
• How to say happy birthday in Korean

Can’t remember all 10 phrases. If you want to practice all these phrases we just learned here, here are some useful resources I found on the web

https://quizlet.com/212928919/korean-love-phrases-flash-cards/

https://quizlet.com/144704665/korean-phrases-flash-cards/