How to Say “I Miss You” in Korean – and Mean It

How to Say “I Miss You” in Korean – and Mean It

When I first started learning Korean, I realized quickly that saying “I miss you” is not a one-size-fits-all phrase. It changes with relationship, hierarchy, timing, and tone—and the right choice can turn a simple sentence into a sincere message that lands gracefully.

Why I Stopped Saying Only Bogo Sipeoyo

I learned the phrase 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo) early on, and for a while I used it everywhere. To friends. To a senior colleague. Even to my homestay grandmother. Sometimes it worked. Other times, I noticed a slight pause on the other end of the phone, or a polite laugh that felt… a little off. That is when it clicked for me: in Korean, “I miss you” is more than a direct translation.

One spring afternoon, I texted a mentor, “선생님, 많이 보고 싶어요.” He replied kindly, but later over tea he taught me something I still rely on in 2025: if there is a senior–junior gap, it is safer to express missing indirectly or with honorific verbs. After that, I started saying “선생님, 요즘 자주 생각납니다. 뵙고 싶습니다.” The difference in his smile was immediate. Warmth without awkwardness—and a lesson I have carried ever since.

This post gathers the phrases, timing, and nuances that have worked for me in real conversations.

The Core Ways To Say It

The default polite 보고 싶어요

• Meaning: “I miss you” or literally “I want to see [you].”
• Form: Verb 보다 “to see” + -고 싶어요 “want to.”
• Use with: Friends, partners, peers, acquaintances you speak to in polite speech.

Examples

• 당신 대신 이름이나 호칭을 쓰세요. “민수 씨, 보고 싶어요.” (Minsu-ssi, bogo sipeoyo. Minsu, I miss you.)
• “정말 보고 싶어요.” (Jeongmal bogo sipeoyo. I really miss you.)
• “오늘따라 더 보고 싶어요.” (Oneul-ttara deo bogo sipeoyo. I miss you more than usual today.)

Nuance tip: Adding adverbs calibrates intensity. 정말 is sincere, 너무 is strong in emotion, 많이 is safe and natural.

The formal and respectful 보고 싶습니다 and 뵙고 싶습니다

• 보고 싶습니다 is the formal -습니다 style; it can sound ceremonial.
• 뵙다 is the honorific for “to see/meet” an elder or respected person.

What I say now for seniors, teachers, and clients

• “교수님, 요즘 자주 생각납니다. 뵙고 싶습니다.” (I have been thinking of you. I would like to see you.)
• “부장님, 뵙고 싶었습니다. 시간 되실 때 괜찮으실까요?” (I have been hoping to see you. Would there be a good time?)

Why this works: “I miss you” can feel emotionally forward in hierarchical contexts. “I have been thinking of you” + “I would like to see you” shows warmth with respect.

Casual and intimate 보고 싶어 and 보고 싶다

• 보고 싶어 is casual, intimate, soft.
• 보고 싶다 is plain form; in texts it can feel poetic or deep.

What I say to a partner

• “너 보고 싶어.” (Neo bogo sipeo. I miss you.)
• “자꾸 보고 싶다.” (Jakku bogo sipda. I keep missing you.) A little more diary-like and tender.

Tip: In song lyrics and notes, -다 is common. In conversation, choose -어 for closeness.

The alternative 그리워요 and 그립다

• 그립다 means “to feel longing for.” It is broader than just “seeing someone.”
• Use it for people, places, times, even smells.

Examples

• “할머니가 그리워요.” (Halmeoniga geuriwoyo. I miss my grandmother.)
• “겨울의 첫눈이 그립네요.” (I miss the first snow of winter.)

Compared to 보고 싶다, 그립다 leans poetic, nostalgic, sometimes deeper across time.

Nuance And Timing That Native Speakers Hear

Degrees of intensity that feel natural

• 많이 vs 너무 vs 정말 vs 무척
• 많이 보고 싶어요: safe, neutral intensity.
• 너무 보고 싶어요: strong feelings; romantic or close friends. With seniors it may be too direct.
• 정말 보고 싶어요: sincere and clear, good across contexts when you are close.
• 무척 보고 싶었습니다: formal, literary, beautiful in a letter or card.

My intensity ladder

1. 조금 보고 싶어요 (light)
2. 많이 보고 싶어요 (standard)
3. 정말 보고 싶어요 (heartfelt)
4. 너무 보고 싶어요 (intense)
5. 미치게 보고 싶어요 (dramatic; reserve for lovers or lyrics)

Soft indirect ways when direct feels too much

When I was not sure how the other person might receive my emotion, these saved me:

• “요즘 자주 생각나요.” (I think of you often these days.)
• “얼굴이 아른거려요.” (Your face keeps coming to mind.)
• “목소리가 그리워요.” (I miss your voice.)
• “문득 떠올랐어요. 잘 지내시죠?” (You suddenly came to mind. Have you been well?)

These express missing without pressure—very Korean in feeling.

Past versus ongoing feeling

• 보고 싶어요 = currently missing.
• 보고 싶었어요 = you missed them at some time in the past.

Reconnecting lines

• “그동안 많이 보고 싶었어요.” (I have missed you a lot.)
• “어제부터 계속 보고 싶었어요.” (Since yesterday I have been missing you.)
• Formal: “뵙고 싶었습니다.” (I wished to see you.) Works beautifully in emails.

Names, honorifics, and the 당신 problem

• Avoid 당신 in conversation. It can sound confrontational or too intimate unless used between older married couples or in lyrics.
• Use a name or title:
  • “[이름] 씨” for most adults.
  • “선생님, 교수님, 사장님, 팀장님” etc., with or without the name.
  • “여보, 자기” between spouses/partners, if that is your shared style.

Example: “지민 씨, 정말 보고 싶었어요.” not “당신, 정말 보고 싶었어요.”

Scripts You Can Use Today

For a partner or someone you are dating

• Soft and warm
  • “오늘따라 더 보고 싶어요.” (I miss you especially today.)
  • “자꾸 생각나요. 퇴근 후에 통화할 수 있을까요?” (You keep coming to mind. Could we call after work?)
• Intense but tender
  • “너무 보고 싶어서 잠이 안 와.” (I miss you so much I cannot sleep.)
  • “당신 대신 애칭을 쓰세요” → “자기야, 많이 보고 싶어.” (Honey, I miss you a lot.)
• Boundary-aware in early stages
  • “요즘 함께한 시간이 자꾸 떠올라요. 다음에 또 뵐 수 있으면 좋겠어요.” Polite, balanced, pressure-free.

For family and long distance

• To a parent or elder:
  • “엄마, 많이 보고 싶어요. 건강은 괜찮으세요?” (Mom, I miss you a lot. Are you well?)
  • “아버님, 뵙고 싶습니다. 이번 주말에 찾아뵐게요.” (Sir, I would like to see you. I will visit this weekend.)
• To siblings:
  • “누나, 보고 싶다. 한 번 보자.” (I miss you. Let’s meet soon.)

For friends and peers

• Playful and affectionate:
  • “야, 우리 너무 오래 못 봤다. 보고 싶어 죽겠네?!” (We have not seen each other for too long. I miss you like crazy?!)
• Light and natural:
  • “시간 나면 얼굴 좀 보자. 보고 싶었어.” (When you have time, let’s meet. I have missed you.)

For colleagues, seniors, and teachers

• Respectful and clear:
  • “선생님, 요즘 자주 생각납니다. 뵙고 싶습니다.”
  • “팀장님, 오랜만에 한 번 뵙고 싶습니다. 시간 괜찮으실 때 말씀 부탁드립니다.”
• In a client setting:
  • “최근 일정 확인드리며, 뵐 수 있으면 좋겠습니다.” This frames it as a professional desire to meet, not an emotional burden.

Text, Call, And Card Done Right

KakaoTalk texting style in 2025

• Tone markers
  • ~ softens a sentence: “보고 싶어요~” feels gentle, not childish, when used sparingly.
  • ㅎㅎ or ㅋㅋ adds lightness; avoid in formal chats.
• Timing and length
  • Keep it short in first contact after silence: one or two lines is ideal.
  • Example opener: “문득 생각나서요. 잘 지내시죠? 요즘 많이 뵙고 싶었습니다.”
• Stickers and images
  • Cute stickers are fine with friends, but avoid when messaging seniors. Words carry sincerity best.

Phone or video calls without awkward silence

• Opener: “혹시 지금 괜찮으세요? 잠깐 안부 드리고 싶어서요.” (Is now a good time? I wanted to say hello.)
• Transition: “요즘 자주 생각났어요. 직접 뵙고 싶어요.”
• Close with a plan: “다음 주에 시간이 되신다면, 제가 찾아뵙겠습니다.”

Handwritten card or email that lingers

1. Warm check-in: “안녕하십니까. 평안히 지내시는지요.”
2. Shared memory: “봄에 함께 걸었던 길이 생각납니다.”
3. Emotion: “그때가 그리워, 요즘 더 뵙고 싶었습니다.”
4. Gentle ask: “허락하신다면, 조만간 인사드리고 싶습니다.”

Nostalgia + respect = sincere without pressure.

Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes

The 당신 problem and better choices

• Mistake: “당신이 보고 싶어요.” This can sound like a lyric or even confrontational in spoken Korean.
• Fix:
  • Use names and titles: “현수 씨가 보고 싶어요.”
  • Use relational nouns: “여보, 당신 대신 애칭.” Keep it private and mutual.

Grammar traps that confuse meaning

• -고 싶다 means “want to do [verb].”
• 보고 싶다 usually maps to “I miss you” because 보다 “to see” + desire implies longing.
• But with other verbs:
  • 만나 보고 싶어요 = “I want to try meeting,” not “I miss meeting.”
  • 만나고 싶어요 = “I want to meet you,” which can imply missing someone, but it emphasizes the future action more than the feeling.

Safer emotion-first options

• “그동안 많이 보고 싶었어요.” clearly emotional.
• “자주 생각났어요.” purely feeling-based.

Overuse of 너무 and dramatic phrases

• “너무 보고 싶어요” is common, but if you write it in every message, it can lose impact.
• Reserve drama for intimacy:
  • “미치도록 그리워요” or “숨이 막히게 보고 싶어요” sounds like poetry. Beautiful with a partner, too much elsewhere.
• Balanced alternates:
  • “많이 생각나요.”
  • “빨리 만나고 싶어요.”

Practice Methods That Worked For Me

A five-minute daily drill

1. Minute 1 Warm-up
   • Whisper and then speak clearly: “보고 싶어요… 보고 싶었어요… 정말 보고 싶습니다.”
2. Minute 2 Intensity ladder
   • Say each with natural breath: 조금, 많이, 정말, 너무, 무척.
3. Minute 3 Relationship switch
   • Friend: “민지야, 보고 싶어.”
   • Senior: “부장님, 뵙고 싶습니다.”
   • Partner: “자기야, 너무 보고 싶어.”
4. Minute 4 Indirect set
   • “자꾸 생각나요.” “얼굴이 아른거려요.” “목소리가 그리워요.”
5. Minute 5 Closing line
   • “시간 되실 때 연락 부탁드립니다.” “시간 나면 보자.” “이번 주말에 볼까?”

Consistency beats intensity. Five minutes daily for two weeks changed my instincts.

Collocation checks that sharpen intuition

• NIKL Standard Korean Dictionary for usage notes.
• Naver Dictionary example sentences to see natural collocations like 사람 + 그립다 and 얼굴 + 아른거리다.
• Korean news or essay snippets to feel register differences between -요 and -습니다 styles.

Quick test I use

1. Would I say this to a professor? If not, switch to 뵙다 or an indirect phrase.
2. Would I text this to a close friend? If stiff, relax to casual endings.
3. Would I send this to a partner at midnight? If too formal, soften with warmth.

Feedback loop with real conversations

• I ask Korean friends specific questions:
  • “이 문장 어때요, 자연스러워요?” rather than “Is this correct?”
  • “조금 과해요?” to test intensity.
  • “어른께는 어떻게 말하면 좋을까요?” to refine respect.
• I also record myself and listen for melody and spacing. A micro pause before “정말” adds sincerity: “저는… 정말 보고 싶어요.”

Extra Shades That Make Your Message Feel Native

Time and season add warmth

• “가을이 오니까 더 그리워요.” (Now that autumn has come, I miss you more.)
• “첫눈 오면 같이 보고 싶어요.” (When the first snow falls, I want to see it together.)

Shared memory anchors the feeling

“지난번 카페에서 웃던 모습이 자꾸 떠올라요.” The mention of a precise image makes it real.

Plan plus feeling beats feeling alone

“보고 싶어요. 다음 주 수요일 저녁 어떠세요?” Offer a clear next step to keep it grounded.

Respect always fits

Even with friends, “괜찮아?” vs “괜찮으세요?” is a dial you can turn. In doubt, go a notch more polite and soften with warmth.

Quick Reference You Can Screenshot

Safe core lines

• “많이 보고 싶어요.” Polite and sincere.
• “그동안 많이 보고 싶었어요.” For reconnecting.
• “요즘 자주 생각나요.” Indirect and gentle.

For seniors

• “선생님, 뵙고 싶습니다.” Respectful desire to meet.
• “요즘 자주 생각납니다.” Thoughtful and appropriate.

For close relationships

• “너무 보고 싶어.” Deep but common.
• “자꾸 네 생각만 나.” Tender and intimate.

Avoid

• “당신이 보고 싶어요.” Replace with a name or title.
• Over-the-top drama in formal contexts.

A Closing Note

If you remember only three things from my own mishaps and small wins: 1) Choose the right register first, emotion second. 2) When in doubt, say you have been thinking of them and propose a time to meet. 3) Let your message match the relationship and the moment. Simple words, well-placed, carry the truest weight.

I hope these phrases serve you well the next time your heart tugs at your sleeve. When you do say it, may it land with the care and fullness you intend. 정말 보고 싶었습니다… 이 마음, 전해지기를 바랍니다.