How Do You Say I Apologize in Korean?
The standard formal way to say I apologize in Korean is 사과드립니다 (sagwadeurimnida). The phrase has three parts: 사과 (sagwa, "apology"), 드리 (deuri, the humble form of "give") and the formal ending ㅂ니다 (-mnida). Together they mean "I offer you an apology."
Four forms cover most situations.
| Korean | Revised Romanization | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 사과드립니다 | sagwadeurimnida | I apologize | formal (합쇼체), humble |
| 사과드려요 | sagwadeuryeoyo | I apologize | polite (해요체), humble |
| 사과할게요 | sagwahalgeyo | I will apologize | polite promise |
| 사과해 | sagwahae | apologize | casual command |
Revised Romanization (the South Korean government standard of 2000) is a reading aid only. The Hangul is the real spelling. The next section sorts the forms by listener.
What Are the Formal, Polite and Casual Ways to Say I Apologize?
Two forms are humble, one is a promise, and one is a command. Korean speech levels explain the endings: ㅂ니다 is formal, 요 is polite, and a bare ending is casual. The verb 드리다 (deurida, "to give to a respected person") lowers the speaker and raises the listener, so 사과드리다 is the apology you offer upward or to someone you owe respect.
Formal: 사과드립니다 (sagwadeurimnida)
사과드립니다 means "I apologize" and is the right form for written and public statements. Use it in a business email, a customer notice, a news statement or a speech. It sounds serious, so it fits real mistakes and not tiny slips.
Example: 불편을 드려 진심으로 사과드립니다. (bulpyeoneul deuryeo jinsimeuro sagwadeurimnida.) "I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."
Polite: 사과드려요 (sagwadeuryeoyo)
사과드려요 means "I apologize" and keeps the humble 드리다 with the polite ending 요. Use it with a coworker, a client you know, a teacher or a neighbour. It feels warm and spoken, where 사과드립니다 feels written.
Example: 기다리게 해서 사과드려요. (gidarige haeseo sagwadeuryeoyo.) "I apologize for making you wait."
Polite Promise: 사과할게요 (sagwahalgeyo)
사과할게요 means "I will apologize" and states what you will do. The ending -(으)ㄹ게요 expresses a promise made to the listener. Use it when you offer to apologize to a third person.
Example: 제가 먼저 사과할게요. (jega meonjeo sagwahalgeyo.) "I will apologize first."
Casual Command: 사과해 (sagwahae)
사과해 means "apologize" and is an order, not a way to say "I apologize." It fits a parent, a sibling or a close friend telling someone to say sorry. To say I'm sorry to a friend yourself, use 미안해 (mianhae), which the guide to sorry in Korean covers.
Example: 친구한테 사과해. (chinguhante sagwahae.) "Apologize to your friend."
Choosing a Form by Listener
The table gives one clear choice per listener.
| Listener | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Customer, public, email | 사과드립니다 | formal and humble |
| Coworker, client you know | 사과드려요 | polite and humble |
| Offering to apologize to someone else | 사과할게요 | a promise |
| Telling a friend or child to apologize | 사과해 | casual command |
| Everyday slip, any listener | 죄송합니다 | the common apology |
Once the form is chosen, the next step is how it sounds.
How Do You Pronounce 사과드립니다?
사과드립니다 is pronounced [사과드림니다], roughly "sa-gwa-deu-rim-ni-da," with six syllables. Play the slow clip, then the normal clip, and repeat each one aloud.
| Word | Spelled | Spoken | Revised Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 사과 | 사-과 | [사과] | sagwa |
| 드립니다 | 드-립-니-다 | [드림니다] | deurimnida |
What Sound Changes Happen in 사과드립니다?
Three sound details matter. They follow the Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법) of the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원).
- 과 is read gwa, one syllable. The vowel ㅘ glides from "o" to "a," so say "gwa," not "go-a."
- 립니 becomes [림니]. The final ㅂ of 립 sounds like ㅁ before ㄴ. Revised Romanization writes this as mn, which is why the romanization is sagwadeurimnida.
- 사과할게요 becomes [사과할께요]. After the ending ㄹ, the ㄱ of 게 is tense, so you hear "ggeyo."
The page on Korean tensification explains the third change in more depth. With the sounds clear, the next question is how to use the phrase.
When Should You Use 사과드립니다, and When Should You Not?
Use 사과드립니다 in writing and in public, and use 죄송합니다 in daily talk. In emails, news and public notices, the humble 드리다 shows responsibility. In a shop or a street, 죄송합니다 is the common choice, because 사과드립니다 can sound heavy.
Situations Where 사과드립니다 Fits
- A business email. Open or close with 사과드립니다 after a delay, an error or a missed deadline.
- A customer-service notice. Staff use it for late delivery, a wrong order or a system problem.
- A public statement. Companies, schools and officials use it for a real mistake.
Situations to Avoid with 사과드립니다
- A small everyday slip. Bumping into someone calls for 죄송합니다 or 실례했습니다, not a formal apology.
- Talking to a close friend. The tone is too stiff. Use 미안해.
- Using 사과해요 about yourself. Without the humble 드리다, the sentence sounds flat and does not lower you before the listener.
The next section compares it with the everyday apology.
What Is the Difference between 사과드립니다 and 죄송합니다?
사과드립니다 offers a formal apology as an act, and 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) says "I am sorry" as a feeling. Both are formal, and both are humble, but they sit in different places. 죄송합니다 comes from the adjective 죄송하다, "to feel sorry," so it describes your state. 사과드립니다 comes from the verb 사과드리다, "to give an apology," so it names what you are doing.
| Phrase | Literal idea | Where it fits | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 사과드립니다 | I give an apology | emails, notices, statements | formal, takes responsibility |
| 죄송합니다 | I feel sorry | shops, streets, daily work | formal-polite, everyday |
| 미안합니다 | I am sorry | equals and younger people | formal ending, less humble |
| 미안해 | sorry | close friends | casual |
A rule of thumb: if you could print the sentence in a notice, use 사과드립니다. If you would say it while stepping aside for someone, use 죄송합니다. The next section shows both in conversation.
Example Conversations with I Apologize
Read each dialogue, play the clip, and say one role aloud.
Dialogue 1: A delivery delay
- A: 고객님, 배송이 늦어져서 사과드립니다. (gogaengnim, baesongi neujeojyeoseo sagwadeurimnida.) "Dear customer, I apologize that the delivery is late."
- B: 괜찮아요. 언제 도착해요? (gwaenchanayo. eonje dochakaeyo?) "That is okay. When will it arrive?"
- A: 내일 오전에 도착합니다. (naeil ojeone dochakamnida.) "It will arrive tomorrow morning."
고객님, 배송이 늦어져서 사과드립니다. 괜찮아요. 언제 도착해요? 내일 오전에 도착합니다.
Dialogue 2: Two coworkers
- A: 어제 회의에 못 가서 사과드려요. (eoje hoeuie mot gaseo sagwadeuryeoyo.) "I apologize for missing the meeting yesterday."
- B: 아니에요, 괜찮아요. (anieyo, gwaenchanayo.) "No, it is fine."
- A: 다음에는 꼭 갈게요. (daeumeneun kkok galgeyo.) "I will definitely come next time."
어제 회의에 못 가서 사과드려요. 아니에요, 괜찮아요. 다음에는 꼭 갈게요.
Dialogue 3: Two friends
- A: 어제 내가 너무 심했어. 미안해. (eoje naega neomu simhaesseo. mianhae.) "I went too far yesterday. I'm sorry."
- B: 괜찮아. 먼저 사과해 줘서 고마워. (gwaenchana. meonjeo sagwahae jwoseo gomawo.) "It's okay. Thank you for apologizing first."
어제 내가 너무 심했어. 미안해. 괜찮아. 먼저 사과해 줘서 고마워.
Dialogue 3 shows that friends use 미안해 for "I'm sorry" and keep 사과 as the plain verb "to apologize." A cultural idea sits behind the formal forms.
What Should You Know about the Culture behind I Apologize?
In Korea, a formal apology is an act with a posture, a tone and a word. On the news, a company head or a public figure often reads a statement with a deep bow, and the statement uses 사과드립니다 to signal formal responsibility. The written version is called 사과문 (sagwamun, "apology statement").
The word 사과 also means "apple" (사과, sagwa), written the same way in Hangul but from different roots. Context separates them, so 사과를 먹어요 means "I eat an apple" and 사과를 드려요 means "I give an apology." To ask someone to accept your apology, say 사과를 받아 주세요 (sagwareul bada juseyo). With the custom clear, the common mistakes are easy to spot.
What Mistakes Do Learners Make with I Apologize in Korean?
The most common mistake is using 사과해요 where 사과드려요 is needed. Five mistakes appear again and again:
- Using 사과해요 for yourself. Fix: add the humble 드리다 and say 사과드려요.
- Using 사과드립니다 for tiny slips. Fix: say 죄송합니다 for everyday mistakes.
- Telling a friend 사과드립니다. Fix: say 미안해.
- Reading 립니 as "rip-ni." The sound is [림니]. Fix: say deu-rim-ni-da.
- Mixing up apple and apology. Fix: read the verb. 사과드리다 is always the apology.
These slips come from carrying English habits into Korean, where "I apologize" fits every setting. Several related searches ask the same thing in other words, so they are answered next.
Is It the Same as My Apologies, Apology or Apologize?
Not exactly, because Korean uses different words for the noun, the verb and the phrase. Four searches lead to this page, so each gets a short answer.
- My apologies in Korean: 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) for everyday talk, and 사과드립니다 for formal writing.
- Apologies in Korean and apology in Korean: the noun is 사과 (sagwa), as in 사과문 (sagwamun, "apology statement").
- Apologize in Korean: the verb is 사과하다 (sagwahada), and the humble version is 사과드리다 (sagwadeurida).
For related wording, the guides to I'm very sorry in Korean, forgive me in Korean and sorry for bothering you in Korean cover the neighbouring phrases. After the answers, the next pages continue the path.
Related Phrases to Learn Next
Three phrases help you choose the right apology:
- Sorry in Korean: the everyday apology for friends and strangers.
- I'm very sorry in Korean: the stronger form for a serious mistake.
- Forgive me in Korean: the request that comes after an apology.
The complete list sits in the polite Korean phrases collection.
Practice: Say It Aloud
Spend five minutes on this routine.
- Play the slow clip of 사과드립니다 and repeat it three times.
- Say it again with the nasal sound: [드림니다], not "deu-rip-ni-da."
- Say 사과드려요 and 사과드립니다 one after the other, and describe who each one fits.
- Hide the Romanization with the toggle and read the four forms from Hangul only.
- Drill the cluster with the phrase flashcards.
When the humble ending comes out smoothly, you can say I apologize in Korean to a customer, a coworker or a friend.
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers below add details about how to say I apologize in Korean beyond the sections above.
How do you say I apologize in Korean?
The formal phrase is 사과드립니다 (sagwadeurimnida), used in emails, notices and public statements. In polite speech, say 사과드려요 (sagwadeuryeoyo). To promise an apology, say 사과할게요 (sagwahalgeyo). For daily slips, 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) is more common and fits almost every situation, from a shop to a street.
How do you pronounce 사과드립니다?
Say it as sa-gwa-deu-rim-ni-da, written [사과드림니다]. The final ㅂ of 립 sounds like ㅁ before the ㄴ of 니, which is why Revised Romanization writes sagwadeurimnida. Keep 과 as one syllable, "gwa." Play the slow clip first, then repeat at normal speed.
What is the difference between 사과드립니다 and 사과드려요?
Both use the humble verb 드리다, so both lower the speaker. 사과드립니다 ends in the formal ㅂ니다 and suits writing, public notices and customer service. 사과드려요 ends in the polite 요 and sounds more spoken, which fits coworkers, clients you know and teachers.
Is 사과드립니다 formal or casual?
사과드립니다 is formal, in the 합쇼체 style, and humble. The polite version is 사과드려요, and the casual idea of "sorry" to a friend is 미안해 (mianhae). The casual 사과해 is a command that means "apologize," so it is not a casual way to say "I apologize."
Can I use 사과드립니다 with friends, elders and strangers?
It suits elders, customers, coworkers and the public, and it is too stiff for friends. With a stranger in daily life, 죄송합니다 is the usual choice. Use 사과드립니다 when the mistake is real and you want the apology to sound responsible, such as a delay, an error or a missed deadline.
What is the most common mistake with I apologize in Korean?
Learners say 사과해요 for "I apologize." The sentence is understood, but it lacks the humble 드리다, so it does not lower the speaker before the listener. Say 사과드려요 instead. A second slip is using 사과드립니다 for tiny everyday slips, where 죄송합니다 is the natural choice.
