How to Say “I Miss You” in Korean 🇰🇷
How do you say “I miss you” in Korean?
The most common answer is:
보고 싶어요
But if you watch K-dramas or listen to real Korean conversations, you may also hear:
보고 싶어
너무 보고 싶어
보고 싶었어
그리워
계속 생각나
Why are there so many different expressions?
Korean changes depending on who you are talking to, how close you are, and how emotional you want to sound.
In this lesson, you will learn 10 natural ways to say “I miss you” in Korean, from casual expressions between close friends or couples to polite and more emotional versions.
You’ll also learn:
- the difference between 보고 싶어 and 보고 싶어요
- why Koreans usually don’t say “you”
- when 그리워 sounds more natural
- how to say “I missed you”
- how to reply when someone says they miss you
Let’s start with the expression you will hear most often.
Table of Contents
What Does 보고 싶어요 Literally Mean?
🔊 Listen: 보고 싶어요
bogo sipeoyo
I miss you.
Literally, 보고 싶어요 is closer to:
“I want to see you.”
The expression comes from:
보다 = to see
-고 싶다 = to want to do something
So:
보고 싶다
literally means:
“to want to see.”
But when you say it to someone you care about, it naturally means:
“I miss you.”
This is a great example of why translating Korean word-for-word does not always give you the most natural English meaning.
10 Ways to Say “I Miss You” in Korean
1. 보고 싶어
🔊 Listen: 보고 싶어
bogo sipeo
I miss you.
This is the casual version.
Use it with:
- close friends
- your boyfriend or girlfriend
- siblings
- someone you are very close to
Example:
A: 나도 너 보고 싶어.
I miss you too.
B: 진짜?
Really?
Speech level
Casual / 반말
This is probably the version you will hear most often in romantic K-drama scenes.
2. 보고 싶어요
🔊 Listen: 보고 싶어요
bogo sipeoyo
I miss you.
This is the polite version and one of the safest expressions for Korean learners.
Example:
요즘 많이 보고 싶어요.
I miss you a lot these days.
Speech level
Polite / 존댓말
If you are unsure whether to use 보고 싶어 or 보고 싶어요, the -요 version is safer.
Not sure when to use 보고 싶어 and 보고 싶어요?
Learn more in our Korean Speech Levels for Beginners guide.👇
3. 보고 싶습니다
🔊 Listen: 보고 싶습니다
bogo sipseumnida
I miss you / I would like to see you.
This is the formal version.
It is grammatically correct, but it is much less common in intimate everyday conversation.
You may encounter it in:
- formal messages
- speeches
- letters
- respectful communication
Example:
다시 만나 뵙고 싶습니다.
I would like to see you again.
If you’re texting your boyfriend or girlfriend, 보고 싶습니다 will normally sound unnecessarily formal.
Ways to Say “I Really Miss You”
4. 너무 보고 싶어
🔊 Listen: 너무 보고 싶어
neomu bogo sipeo
I miss you so much.
너무 means “too much” or “so much,” depending on the context.
This is a very natural and emotional expression between people who are close.
Example:
너무 보고 싶어. 언제 와?
I miss you so much. When are you coming?
You will hear this expression frequently between couples and family members.
5. 너무 보고 싶어요
🔊 Listen: 너무 보고 싶어요
neomu bogo sipeoyo
I miss you so much.
This is the polite version.
Example:
가족이 너무 보고 싶어요.
I miss my family so much.
Notice something important here.
보고 싶어요 does not always mean romantic love.
You can miss:
가족 — family
친구 — friends
엄마 — mom
고향 — hometown
depending on the sentence.
6. 많이 보고 싶어
🔊 Listen: 많이 보고 싶어
mani bogo sipeo
I miss you a lot.
많이 literally means “a lot.”
Example:
요즘 네가 많이 보고 싶어.
I’ve been missing you a lot lately.
Both 너무 보고 싶어 and 많이 보고 싶어 are natural.
너무 vs 많이
많이 보고 싶어
→ I miss you a lot.
너무 보고 싶어
→ I miss you so much.
너무 often feels slightly more emotional.
How to Say “I Missed You”
English distinguishes between:
I miss you
and:
I missed you
Korean can do this too.
7. 보고 싶었어
🔊 Listen: 보고 싶었어
bogo sipeosseo
I missed you.
This is casual.
You might say it when finally seeing someone after a long time.
Example:
진짜 보고 싶었어!
I really missed you!
Imagine seeing a close friend after several months.
This would sound very natural.
8. 보고 싶었어요
🔊 Listen: 보고 싶었어요
bogo sipeosseoyo
I missed you.
This is the polite version.
Example:
정말 보고 싶었어요.
I really missed you.
The ending -었어요 places the feeling in the past.
Compare:
보고 싶어요
I miss you.
보고 싶었어요
I missed you.
This small difference is very useful in real conversations.
A More Emotional Way to Say “I Miss You”
9. 그리워
🔊 Listen: 그리워
geuriwo
I miss you / I long for you.
그리워 comes from 그립다, which expresses longing for someone or something that is absent.
It can feel more emotional, nostalgic, or poetic than 보고 싶어.
Example:
네가 그리워.
I miss you.
You can also miss a place or time:
고향이 그리워.
I miss my hometown.
그때가 그리워.
I miss those days.
This is one major difference from 보고 싶다.
10. 계속 생각나
🔊 Listen: 계속 생각나
gyesok saenggangna
I keep thinking about you.
This is not a literal translation of “I miss you,” but it can express a very similar feeling naturally.
계속 means:
continuously / keep
생각나다 means something like:
to come to mind
So 계속 생각나 means:
“You keep coming to my mind.”
Example:
요즘 네가 계속 생각나.
I keep thinking about you these days.
This expression can sound especially emotional or romantic depending on the situation.
보고 싶어 vs 보고 싶어요
This is probably the most important distinction for beginners.
보고 싶어
Casual
Use it with someone you’re close to.
Examples:
- close friend
- boyfriend / girlfriend
- sibling
보고 싶어요
Polite
Use it when you want to maintain politeness.
If you are not sure which form is appropriate, use:
보고 싶어요
A useful beginner rule is:
Close relationship → 보고 싶어
Polite relationship → 보고 싶어요
Why Don’t Koreans Usually Say “You”?
English says:
I miss you.
So beginners sometimes try to translate every part:
나는 당신을 보고 싶어요.
This is grammatically understandable, but it often sounds unnatural in normal Korean conversation.
Korean frequently omits subjects and objects when they are obvious from context.
So instead of:
나는 당신을 보고 싶어요.
Koreans usually just say:
보고 싶어요.
The listener already understands who you want to see.
Be Careful With 당신
당신 is often translated as “you” in dictionaries.
But that does not mean you should use 당신 every time English uses “you.”
In everyday Korean, 당신 can sound:
- unnatural
- distant
- confrontational in some situations
- literary or romantic in others
Korean usually uses:
- the person’s name
- a title
- a relationship term
- or simply no pronoun at all
So for beginners:
✅ 보고 싶어요.
is normally more natural than:
❌ 당신을 보고 싶어요.
보고 싶다 vs 그립다
Both can express missing someone, but they have slightly different feelings.
보고 싶다
Literally:
want to see
Usually very natural in everyday conversation.
보고 싶어.
I miss you.
This is the expression beginners should learn first.
그립다
Expresses:
longing / nostalgia / missing
It can feel deeper or more emotional.
네가 그리워.
I miss you / I long for you.
It also works particularly well for places, memories, and past times.
For example:
한국이 그리워.
I miss Korea.
어린 시절이 그리워.
I miss my childhood.
How to Say “I Miss You Too” in Korean
Someone says:
보고 싶어.
I miss you.
How do you reply?
나도 보고 싶어
🔊 Listen: 나도 보고 싶어
nado bogo sipeo
I miss you too.
나도 means:
me too
So this is the natural casual response.
For a polite version:
🔊 Listen: 저도 보고 싶어요
jeodo bogo sipeoyo
I miss you too.
This is an extremely useful pair to practice.
More Natural Expressions You May Hear
Once you understand the main expressions, you’ll start noticing similar phrases.
벌써 보고 싶어
🔊 Listen: 벌써 보고 싶어
beolsseo bogo sipeo
I miss you already.
This can be used shortly after saying goodbye.
진짜 보고 싶어
🔊 Listen: 진짜 보고 싶어
jinjja bogo sipeo
I really miss you.
진짜 is very common in conversational Korean.
빨리 보고 싶어
🔊 Listen: 빨리 보고 싶어
ppalli bogo sipeo
I can’t wait to see you / I want to see you soon.
Literally, it has the sense of wanting to see someone quickly or soon.
Can 보고 싶어요 Mean “I Want to See Something”?
Yes.
This is important because 보고 싶다 does not always mean “I miss you.”
Consider:
영화를 보고 싶어요.
I want to watch a movie.
Here, 보다 means to watch.
Another example:
서울을 보고 싶어요.
Depending on context, this can mean:
I want to see Seoul.
So context determines whether 보고 싶어요 means:
I miss you
or:
I want to see/watch something.
10 “I Miss You” Expressions at a Glance
| Korean | Romanization | Natural English | Level / Feeling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보고 싶어 | bogo sipeo | I miss you | casual |
| 보고 싶어요 | bogo sipeoyo | I miss you | polite |
| 보고 싶습니다 | bogo sipseumnida | I miss you / want to see you | formal |
| 너무 보고 싶어 | neomu bogo sipeo | I miss you so much | casual/emotional |
| 너무 보고 싶어요 | neomu bogo sipeoyo | I miss you so much | polite |
| 많이 보고 싶어 | mani bogo sipeo | I miss you a lot | casual |
| 보고 싶었어 | bogo sipeosseo | I missed you | casual/past |
| 보고 싶었어요 | bogo sipeosseoyo | I missed you | polite/past |
| 그리워 | geuriwo | I miss/long for you | emotional |
| 계속 생각나 | gyesok saenggangna | I keep thinking about you | emotional/natural |
A Natural Korean Conversation
Here’s how these expressions might appear in a real conversation between two people who are close.
A: 뭐 해?
What are you doing?
B: 그냥 집에 있어.
I’m just at home.
A: 나 보고 싶어?
Do you miss me?
B: 응. 너무 보고 싶어.
Yeah. I miss you so much.
A: 나도 보고 싶어.
I miss you too.
Short conversations like this are useful because they show how expressions work together instead of teaching each phrase in isolation.
Mini Quiz: Which Expression Fits?
1. You are texting your boyfriend or girlfriend.
“I miss you.”
Answer: 보고 싶어.
2. You want to say it politely.
Answer: 보고 싶어요.
3. You finally meet someone after a long time.
“I missed you!”
Answer: 보고 싶었어!
4. You deeply miss your hometown.
Answer: 고향이 그리워.
5. Someone says 보고 싶어, and you want to say “Me too.”
Answer: 나도 보고 싶어.
The 4 Expressions Beginners Should Remember First
You do not have to memorize every phrase today.
Start with these four:
보고 싶어
I miss you — casual
보고 싶어요
I miss you — polite
보고 싶었어
I missed you — casual
나도 보고 싶어
I miss you too
Once these feel natural, add the more emotional expressions.
How to Practice “I Miss You” in Korean
Try changing only one part of the sentence.
보고 싶어.
I miss you.
↓
너무 보고 싶어.
I miss you so much.
↓
진짜 보고 싶어.
I really miss you.
↓
보고 싶었어.
I missed you.
↓
나도 보고 싶어.
I miss you too.
This kind of pattern practice helps you build Korean sentences much faster than memorizing ten unrelated phrases.
Final Thoughts: How to Say I Miss You in Korean
Now you know that learning how to say “I miss you” in Korean involves more than memorizing 보고 싶어요.
The most important expressions are:
보고 싶어 — casual
보고 싶어요 — polite
보고 싶었어 — I missed you
너무 보고 싶어 — I miss you so much
그리워 — I long for / miss you
나도 보고 싶어 — I miss you too
For most beginners, 보고 싶어요 is the safest place to start.
As you become more comfortable with Korean speech levels, you’ll know when to switch to the casual 보고 싶어 naturally.
And remember: Korean often leaves out words that English requires.
You usually don’t need to say “I” or “you.”
Sometimes just two words are enough:
보고 싶어. ❤️
The next time you hear this phrase in a K-drama, song, or Korean conversation, you’ll know not only what it means — but also why that particular version was used.
