그 사람이 보고 싶어요
geu sarami bogo sipeoyo
The English phrase "I miss him" is expressed in Korean as 그 사람이 보고 싶어요 (geu sarami bogo sipeoyo).
This phrase is used to express a feeling of sadness because one is not with a person they care about. While English uses the verb "miss" to express this longing, Korean uses the concept of "wanting to see" (보고 싶다) to express the same emotion. You can intensify the feeling of longing by adding the word 정말 (meaning "really" or "truly") before the phrase.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression 보고 싶어요 literally translates to "want to see".
Which one should you use?
Different forms are used depending on the level of formality and the specific nuance: 그를 보고 싶어 translates to "I want to see him," while 그를 너무 보고파 is used to say "I miss him so much."
How does it change in a sentence?
In these phrases, the subject "I" is often omitted because it is understood from the context.
How do you pronounce it?
geu sarami bogo sipeoyo
Did you know?
- The term 그녀 (she/her), which is the female counterpart to the 'him' in this phrase, was actually coined by the writer Kim Dong-in. It was a deliberate attempt to create a feminine pronoun following Western linguistic patterns.
- In Korean, you can transform the verb in 보고 싶어요 into the poetic form 보고파 (bogopa). This shorter version is often found in song lyrics and poetry to evoke a more soulful or nostalgic sense of longing.
- In casual spoken Korean, the pronoun 그 사람 (that person) is much more common than the formal pronoun 그 (he) when referring to a man.
Examples in context
- 오늘은 그를 너무 보고파요.I miss him so much today.
- 정말 그를 보고 싶어요.I really miss him.
- 갑자기 그 사람이 보고 싶어요.gapjagi geu saram-i bogo sipeoyo.I suddenly miss him.
- 매일 그 사람이 보고 싶어요.maeil geu saram-i bogo sipeoyo.I miss him every day.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Jieun are talking about a friend who moved away.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그 사람이 보고 싶어요.geu saram-i bogo sipeoyo.I miss him.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨도 그 사람이 보고 싶군요.Jihoon ssi-do geu saram-i bogo sipgun-yo.You miss him too, Jihoon.
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 정말 보고 싶어요.ne, jeongmal bogo sipeoyo.Yes, I really miss him.
- 지은 Ji-eun연락 한번 해 보세요.yeollak hanbeon hae boseyo.Try giving him a call.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 그, 보고, CC BY-SA 4.0.
