Korean for Receiving an Apology: 괜찮아요, 걱정 마세요 and Beyond
Learn elementary Korean phrases to forgive someone, accept an apology, and move on, using 괜찮아요, 걱정 마세요, and 사과 받아들일게요 in polite and casual speech.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
When someone apologizes to you in Korean, your reply matters. This lesson teaches the receiver's side: how to say "It's okay," "Don't worry," and "I appreciate your apology," then move on. You will practice polite -요 style and casual 반말, learn when each phrase fits, and avoid the common mistake of answering an apology with your own apology. All examples use Hangul with Revised Romanization.
By the end, you can…
- accept an apology in polite Korean with 괜찮아요 and 걱정 마세요.
- say I appreciate an apology and signal that the matter is closed.
- choose between polite and casual forgiveness phrases in a short conversation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
괜찮아요.
It's okay. / I'm okay.
gwaenchanayo
Standard polite reply after an apology. Use with strangers, coworkers, or anyone older.
걱정 마세요.
Don't worry.
geokjeong maseyo
Polite reassurance. It tells the apologizer that the issue is not serious.
사과 잘 받았어요.
I appreciate your apology. / I received your apology well.
sagwa jal badasseoyo
Polite and slightly formal. Good when you want to acknowledge the apology clearly.
이제 괜찮아.
It's okay now. / We're good now.
ije gwaenchana
Casual 반말 with close friends or people younger than you. Signals the matter is closed.
다음부터 조심해 주세요.
Please be careful next time.
daeumbuteo josimhae juseyo
Polite forgiveness with a gentle request. Use when you accept the apology but want change.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core forgiving pattern is 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo), literally "it is okay." You can soften it with 걱정 마세요 (geokjeong maseyo), "don't worry." To acknowledge the apology itself, say 사과 잘 받았어요 (sagwa jal badasseoyo). To close the topic, add 이제 (ije), "now": 이제 괜찮아요 (ije gwaenchanayo), "it's okay now." In casual speech with close friends, drop -요: 괜찮아 (gwaenchana), 걱정 마 (geokjeong ma).
When to use it
Use 괜찮아요 and 걱정 마세요 when the problem is small or already resolved. Use 사과 잘 받았어요 when you want to explicitly accept an apology, for example after a coworker apologizes for a mistake. Use 다음부터 조심해 주세요 (daeumbuteo josimhae juseyo) when you forgive but want the behavior to change. If you are still upset, do not force 괜찮아요; you can say 조금 더 생각해 볼게요 (jogeum deo saenggakae bolgeyo), "I'll think about it a little more."
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
늦어서 미안해요.
Sorry I'm late.neujeoseo mianhaeyo괜찮아요. 걱정 마세요.
It's okay. Don't worry.gwaenchanayo. geokjeong maseyo정말 미안해요. 다음부터 조심할게요.
I'm really sorry. I'll be careful next time.jeongmal mianhaeyo. daeumbuteo josimhalgeyo사과 잘 받았어요. 이제 괜찮아요.
I appreciate your apology. It's okay now.sagwa jal badasseoyo. ije gwaenchanayoA little context goes a long way
Korean politeness depends on age, workplace rank, and closeness. With strangers or superiors, keep -요 endings and use 걱정 마세요, not 걱정 마. Among close friends, 괜찮아 and 걱정 마 are natural. Accepting an apology too quickly with a casual form can sound dismissive in a formal setting, so match the other person's level.
One thing to watch for
Replying to an apology with your own apology, such as 미안해요 (mianhaeyo), because English speakers sometimes mirror "sorry."
Try this instead: When you are the receiver, forgive instead: 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo) or 사과 잘 받았어요 (sagwa jal badasseoyo). Say 미안해요 only when you are the one who did something wrong.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1A coworker says 늦어서 미안해요. Give a polite two-part reply that forgives and reassures.
Show a sample answer
괜찮아요. 걱정 마세요.
Both phrases are polite -요 style and fit a workplace apology. 괜찮아요 alone is also correct, but adding 걱정 마세요 gives extra reassurance.
2Your close friend says 미안해. Reply casually and signal the issue is closed.
Show a sample answer
이제 괜찮아.
이제 괜찮아 uses casual 반말 and means "it's okay now." 괜찮아 alone is also acceptable with a close friend.
3You want to explicitly acknowledge an apology in polite Korean. What can you say?
Show a sample answer
사과 잘 받았어요.
This literally means "I received your apology well" and clearly accepts it. 괜찮아요 is also valid, but it does not explicitly mention the apology.
As the receiver, forgive with 괜찮아요 or 걱정 마세요, acknowledge with 사과 잘 받았어요, and close the topic with 이제 괜찮아요. Match politeness to the relationship.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Korean into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr