정말 보고 싶어
jeongmal bogo sipeo
The English phrase "I really miss you" is expressed in Korean as 정말 보고 싶어 (jeongmal bogo sipeo).
This phrase is used to tell someone that you feel sadness because they are not with you. In Korean, the subject "I" and the object "you" are often omitted when the context makes it clear who is missing whom. You can use the word 정말 to mean "really" to emphasize the feeling, or add 너무 to intensify the expression to "so much."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 보고 싶어 literally means "want to see."
Which one should you use?
You can also use 매우 그리워해 (informal) or 매우 그리워합니다 (formal) to express that you "yearn for" or "long for" someone. Using 매우 specifically means "very."
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the politeness of the phrase by changing the ending. Adding the suffix "-요" to create 정말 보고 싶어요 makes it a polite form suitable for someone you are not on intimate terms with. For highly formal situations like professional settings or public speeches, use 정말 보고 싶습니다.
How do you pronounce it?
jeongmal bogo sipeo
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, stating 보고 싶어 can be an indirect way to express love or affection without using the word 'love', which is historically less common in daily speech.
- The word 정말 is composed of the characters for 'correct' and 'word', essentially meaning 'true words'. It is used to emphasize that your feeling of missing someone is genuine.
- Because 보고 싶어 uses the verb 'to see', it can also be used for inanimate objects or celebrities you wish to see in person, not just people you feel emotional longing for.
Examples in context
- 정말 보고 싶어.jeongmal bogo sipeo.I really miss you.
- 나 너 정말 보고 싶어.na neo jeongmal bogo sipeo.I really miss you, truly.
Example conversation
A video call between a long-distance couple.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민지야, 정말 보고 싶어.Minji-ya, jeongmal bogo sipeo.Minji, I really miss you.
- 민지 Min-ji나도 지훈이 정말 보고 싶어.Nado Jihoon-i jeongmal bogo sipeo.I really miss you too, Jihoon.
- 지훈 Ji-hun우리 빨리 만나자.Uri ppalli mannaja.Let's meet soon.
- 민지 Min-ji응, 꼭 그러자.Eung, kkok geureoja.Yes, let's definitely do that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 보고, 정말, CC BY-SA 4.0.
