Dictionary — Entry No. 0710
보고 싶어
bogoshipeo · expression
보고 싶어
bogoshipeo
[boh-goh-shee-PUH]
expressionbeginner
Meaning
Literally ‘I want to see (you),’ this is the primary Korean expression for missing someone. Unlike English ‘I miss you,’ Korean frames longing through the desire to see the person, making the emotion visual and immediate. It is one of the most emotionally loaded phrases in the Korean language.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
BTS’s ‘Spring Day’ (봄날) is built entirely around this feeling, with the opening lines evoking endless missing across seasons. IU incorporates this sentiment throughout her discography, including ‘Through the Night’ (밤편지). Fans regularly send 보고 싶어 to idols on Weverse, making it a cornerstone of idol-fan communication worldwide.
Example Sentences
너무 보고 싶어서 눈물이 나
Neomu bogoshipeoseo nunmuri na
I miss you so much that tears fall (보고 싶어서 = because I miss you, showing cause-and-effect in one phrase)
매일 밤 보고 싶어
Maeil bam bogoshipeo
I miss you every night (the structure idols use most often in late-night fan platform posts)
언니, 보고 싶어요
Eonni, bogoshipeoyo
Unnie, I miss you (the -요 ending makes it respectfully polite — appropriate for an older sister figure)
⚠️ Don’t use bogoshipeo when…
보고 싶어 is informal — use 보고 싶어요 with people you don’t know well or anyone older than you. Also, Koreans say this freely to friends and family, not only romantic partners, so context determines whether the feeling is platonic or romantic.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Reply 1988 — Deok-sun tells her childhood friends 보고 싶어 years after they’ve grown apart, capturing the bittersweet nostalgia the drama is beloved for.
- K-Pop: BTS — Spring Day (봄날)
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.