To say I miss you in Korean, use 보고 싶어 (bogo sipeo) with a partner, friend or family member, and 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo) with someone you speak to politely. It literally means "I want to see (you)". For longing for places, times or people long gone, Korean uses 그리워요 (geuriwoyo).
- Casual
- 보고 싶어 (bogo sipeo)
- Polite
- 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo)
- Formal
- 보고 싶습니다 (bogo sipseumnida)
- Reply
- 나도 보고 싶어 (nado bogo sipeo)
- Level
- A1
How does bogo sipeo work?
Korean has no single verb for missing someone. Instead it combines 보다 (boda, to see) with -고 싶다 (-go sipda, to want to). So 보고 싶어 is "I want to see", and the person you miss is understood from context. The ending then follows your relationship, as with any Korean sentence.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보고 싶어 | bogo sipeo | Casual (반말) | I miss you |
| 보고 싶어요 | bogo sipeoyo | Polite (해요체) | I miss you |
| 보고 싶습니다 | bogo sipseumnida | Formal (합쇼체) | I miss you (letters, speeches) |
| 보고 싶었어 | bogo sipeosseo | Casual, past | I missed you (when you meet again) |
| 너무 보고 싶어 | neomu bogo sipeo | Casual | I miss you so much |
Because the phrase really means "want to see", it can also be literal. 그 영화 보고 싶어 (geu yeonghwa bogo sipeo) is simply "I want to see that film". With a person as the topic, though, everyone hears it as I miss you.
How do you reply to 보고 싶어?
Add 도 (do, too) to the word for "I", just as with other feelings. When you finally meet up, switch to the past tense to say you missed them.
나도 보고 싶어.
Nado bogo sipeo.
I miss you too.
Casual.
저도 보고 싶어요.
Jeodo bogo sipeoyo.
I miss you too.
Polite; 저 is the humble I.
많이 보고 싶었어.
Mani bogo sipeosseo.
I missed you a lot.
Said on seeing someone again.
엄마가 보고 싶어요.
Eommaga bogo sipeoyo.
I miss my mum.
For a partner, this sits naturally alongside I love you in Korean.
What is the difference between 보고 싶다 and 그립다?
그립다 (geuripda) is a deeper, more wistful longing, often for something you cannot easily get back: your hometown, your school days, a person who has died. It is common in songs, poems and letters. For a friend you will see next week, 보고 싶어 is the natural choice.
고향이 그리워요.
Gohyangi geuriwoyo.
I miss my hometown.
그때가 그리워.
Geuttaega geuriwo.
I miss those days.
When you describe someone else's longing, 그립다 becomes 그리워하다 (geuriwohada). This line from a Contos story describes old poems a young woman finds, written in her late grandmother's hand:
모두 같은 사람을 그리워하는 내용이었다.Modu gateun sarameul geuriwohaneun naeyongieotda.
Missing a food works differently again: use the verb you would do with it. 김치가 먹고 싶어 (gimchiga meokgo sipeo) means "I want to eat kimchi", which is how a homesick Korean says they miss it.
Read Time in a Teacup in Korean at A2 and find out who the poems were for.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce bogo sipeo?
Roughly "bo-go ship-uh". The ㅅ in 싶 sounds close to English sh before the i, and the final syllable is a short, relaxed "uh". 보고 싶어요 adds "yo".
Do you need to say "you" in bogo sipeo?
No. Korean drops pronouns when the meaning is clear, so 보고 싶어 alone means I miss you. Adding 네가 (nega, you) sounds emphatic and is mostly heard in songs and dramas.
Is bogo sipeo romantic?
Not necessarily. Koreans say it to partners, but also to friends, parents and grandparents. The tone, not the words, makes it romantic.
What is the polite way to say I miss you to a teacher?
보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo) is polite. For more respect, especially in writing, use the honorific verb: 보고 싶습니다 (bogo sipseumnida) or 뵙고 싶습니다 (boepgo sipseumnida), I would like to see you.