Korean word

죄송합니다

Pronunciation

Romanizationchoesonghamnida

Meaning

  • adjectivesorry

Example

죄송합니다, 늦었습니다.choe song ham ni da neu seot sseum ni da

I'm sorry, I'm late.

Illustration for 죄송합니다 (sorry)

More examples

불편을 드려 죄송합니다.pul pyeo neul teu ryeo choe song ham ni da

I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

Core concept

A formal apology that shows the speaker accepts responsibility for causing trouble or making a mistake.

Common phrases

  • 정말 죄송합니다cheong mal choe song ham ni da

    very sorry

  • 늦어서 죄송합니다neu seo seo choe song ham ni da

    sorry for being late

  • 불편을 드려 죄송합니다pul pyeo neul teu ryeo choe song ham ni da

    sorry for the inconvenience

Similar words

미안해요mianhaeyo: A warm and polite apology for everyday conversations with familiar people.
미안합니다mianhamnida: A respectful apology suited to formal situations and careful speech.
죄송해요choesonghaeyo: A soft, modest apology used in polite everyday conversation.
미안해mianhae: A casual apology used with close friends or family members.

Definition in Korean

누군가에게 폐를 끼치거나 잘못을 범했음을 정중하게 인정하고 사과할 때 쓰는 격식 있는 표현이다.nu gun ga e ge pye reul kki chi geo na chal mo seul peom hae sseu meul cheong jung ha ge in jeong ha go sa gwa hal ttae sseu neun kyeok ssik in neun pyo hyeo ni da

Word origin

It comes from the Sino-Korean base 죄송 (joesong, "guilt and remorse"), followed by 합니다 (hamnida, "formal polite ending"), giving the established formal polite expression.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, it can politely get a stranger's attention before a request, so its use is broader than apologizing for a mistake.

Other meanings

  • excuse meadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word