보고 싶어
To say "miss you" in Korean, you use 보고 싶어.
While English uses 'miss' to express an emotional longing, Korean uses the concept of 'wanting to see' to express the same sentiment.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally composed of the verb "to see" (보다) and the auxiliary verb "to want to" (싶다).
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the suffix '-요' to the end of 보고 싶어 makes the phrase polite and suitable for speaking to someone older or less familiar. The form 보고 싶습니다 is the highly formal version used in professional settings or public speeches.
Did you know?
- When expressing longing for a deceased person, Koreans often prefer 그립다 over 보고 싶어. Using 보고 싶어 can sometimes feel too literal, as if the speaker is expecting a physical reunion that is impossible.
- In Korean texting culture, instead of typing the full phrase, people often just type ㅂㄱㅅㅍ, which are the consonants of 보고 싶어.
- If you are talking to a romantic partner, you might omit the subject entirely and just say 보고 싶어. In Korean, adding 'I' or 'You' can actually make the sentence feel unnaturally heavy or stiff.
Examples in context
- 보고 싶어.I miss you.Tatoeba #5368 by 0ni, translation #1308 by brauliobezerra
- 보고 싶어!I miss you!Tatoeba #13182098 by atitarev, translation #6055899 by sergiomelo
- 할머니, 보고 싶어요.Grandma, I miss you.
- 선생님, 그리워요.Teacher, I miss you dearly.
- 친구야, 보고파.Hey, friend, I miss you.
- 오빠, 보고싶어.Brother, I miss you.
- 너무 보고 싶어.neomu bogo sipeo.I miss you so much.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Jieun are talking on the phone.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은아, 보고 싶어.Jieuna, bogo sipeo.Jieun, I miss you.
- 지은 Ji-eun나도 현우 보고 싶어.nado Hyunwoo bogo sipeo.I miss you too, Hyunwoo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo우리 빨리 만나자.uri ppalli mannaja.Let's meet up soon.
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 곧 만나자!eung, got mannaja!Yes, let's meet soon!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
