벌써 보고 싶어요
beolsseo bogo sipeoyo
The English phrase "I miss you already" is translated into Korean as 벌써 보고 싶어요 (beolsseo bogo sipeoyo).
This phrase is used to tell someone you feel their absence immediately after parting or just before leaving. In Korean, the concept of "missing someone" is expressed literally as "wanting to see" someone, which is why the verb for seeing is used.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 벌써 보고 싶어요 is composed of 벌써 (already), 보고 (seeing/to see) and 싶어요 (want to).
Which one should you use?
While 벌써 보고 싶어요 is the standard polite form, other variations exist depending on the level of formality or the specific nuance of longing you wish to convey.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the formality by changing the verb ending. Dropping the 요 at the end of 벌써 보고 싶어요 results in the informal banmal version, 벌써 보고 싶어. Changing the ending to -습니다 creates the highly formal 벌써 보고 싶습니다.
How do you pronounce it?
beolsseo bogo sipeoyo
Did you know?
- In Korea, the phrase 보고 싶다 is frequently used as a way to say 'i love you' without using the word for love. It is often considered a more natural or less burdensome way to express deep affection.
- Depending on the context, the word 보고 can also mean 'report' or 'information', coming from the Sino-Korean root 報告.
- Using the formal ending -습니다 to say 벌써 보고 싶습니다 can make a declaration of longing sound incredibly respectful or even dramatic.
Examples in context
- 헤어지자마자 벌써 보고 싶어요.heeojijamaja beolsseo bogo sipeoyo.I miss you already, right after we parted.
- 집에 가는데 벌써 보고 싶어요.jib-e ganeunde beolsseo bogo sipeoyo.I'm going home, but I miss you already.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are saying goodbye at a train station.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨, 조심히 가세요.Minjun ssi, josimhi gaseyo.Minjun, please go safely.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 수빈 씨도 잘 지내요.Ne, Subin ssi-do jal jinaeyo.Yes, Subin, you take care too.
- 수빈 Su-bin벌써 보고 싶어요.beolsseo bogo sipeoyo.I miss you already.
- 민준 Min-jun저도 벌써 보고 싶네요.Jeodo beolsseo bogo sipneyo.I miss you already, too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 벌써, 보고, CC BY-SA 4.0.
