Korean for Granting Forgiveness and Rebuilding Trust at Intermediate Level
Learn to say 'I forgive you' and 'Let's move past this' in Korean, distinguish forgiving from accepting an apology, and use formal patterns to rebuild trust.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In Korean, granting forgiveness is not the same as accepting an apology. Accepting an apology often sounds like 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo, 'It's okay') or a simple acknowledgment. Granting forgiveness is more deliberate and often more formal: it names the offense, releases the person, and proposes a way forward. This lesson teaches intermediate patterns for saying 'I forgive you' and 'Let's move past this,' plus phrases for rebuilding trust. You will practice honorific and polite endings, the verb 용서하다 (yongseohada, 'to forgive'), and the phrase 넘어가다 (neomeogada, 'to move past'). Register matters: use polite or formal speech with superiors, elders, or in serious relationships, and reserve casual forms for close friends.
By the end, you can…
- grant forgiveness using 용서하다 in polite and formal Korean.
- propose moving past an issue with 넘어가다 and related patterns.
- distinguish forgiving someone from merely accepting an apology.
- use trust-rebuilding phrases such as 다시 믿어 보다 and 신뢰를 쌓다.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
용서할게요.
I forgive you. (polite)
yong-seo-hal-ge-yo
Standard polite forgiveness to someone close or of similar status; the -ㄹ게요 ending expresses the speaker's decision, which fits granting forgiveness.
용서해 드리겠습니다.
I will forgive you. (formal, with honorific)
yong-seo-hae deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da
Use with a superior, elder, or in a very serious formal context; 드리다 adds honorific politeness, and -겠습니다 is the formal polite ending.
이번 일은 넘어갈게요.
I will let this matter pass. (polite)
i-beon i-reun neo-meo-gal-ge-yo
Literally 'I will let this matter pass'; common when choosing not to dwell on an offense.
다시 믿어 볼게요.
I will try to trust you again. (polite)
da-si mi-deo bol-ge-yo
Uses 보다 as 'try'; signals conditional, effortful trust rather than instant full trust.
신뢰를 쌓아 가요.
Let's build trust gradually. (polite)
sin-roe-reul ssa-a ga-yo
쌓아 가다 means 'build up over time'; good for a calm, forward-looking commitment.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core forgiveness verb is 용서하다 (yongseohada). In polite speech it becomes 용서해요 (yongseohaeyo), and in formal honorific speech 용서해 드리겠습니다 (yongseohae deurigetseumnida). To name what is forgiven, use the object particle: 이번 일을 용서해요 (ibeon ireul yongseohaeyo, 'I forgive this matter'). To move past something, use 넘어가다 (neomeogada): 이번 일은 넘어갈게요 (ibeon ireun neomeogalgeyo, 'I will let this matter pass'). The particle 은/는 marks the topic being set aside, while 을/를 marks the direct object. For rebuilding trust, use 다시 믿어 볼게요 (dasi mideo bolgeyo) or 신뢰를 쌓아 가요 (sinroereul ssaa gayo).
When to use it
Use polite -요 forms with acquaintances, colleagues, and people of similar or slightly higher status. Use formal honorific forms such as 용서해 드리겠습니다 with elders, superiors, or in writing. Use casual 용서해 (yongseohae) only with close friends or younger people. Accepting an apology is lighter: 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo) or 알겠어요 (algesseoyo) can acknowledge an apology without granting forgiveness. Granting forgiveness is more deliberate and often includes a condition or a plan, as in 다시 믿어 볼게요. In serious relationships, Koreans may avoid a blunt 'I forgive you' and instead say 이번 일은 넘어갈게요, which sounds less confrontational.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
지난번 일 때문에 많이 속상했어요.
I was very upset because of what happened last time.ji-nan-beon il ttae-mun-e ma-ni sok-sang-hae-sseo-yo정말 미안해요. 제가 잘못했어요.
I'm really sorry. I was wrong.jeong-mal mi-an-hae-yo. je-ga jal-mot-hae-sseo-yo알겠어요. 이번 일은 용서해 드리겠습니다.
I understand. I will forgive you for this matter.al-ge-sseo-yo. i-beon i-reun yong-seo-hae deu-ri-get-seum-ni-da고마워요. 다시 믿어 주실 수 있게 노력할게요.
Thank you. I will work so that you can trust me again.go-ma-wo-yo. da-si mi-deo ju-sil su it-ge no-ryeok-hal-ge-yoA little context goes a long way
Korean forgiveness often sounds more relational and less absolute than English 'I forgive you.' Using 넘어가다 ('let it pass') can be gentler than a direct 용서하다, especially when you want to avoid reopening a conflict. Honorific 드리다 signals respect and can make forgiveness feel formal rather than cold. With close friends, a casual 용서해 is fine, but with elders or superiors, use the honorific form.
One thing to watch for
Using 괜찮아요 as a full translation of 'I forgive you.'
Try this instead: 괜찮아요 usually means 'It's okay' and often only accepts an apology. To grant forgiveness, use 용서해요 or, more formally, 용서해 드리겠습니다. For example, 이번 일은 용서해요 (ibeon ireun yongseohaeyo) clearly grants forgiveness, while 괜찮아요 may sound like you are minimizing the issue.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you formally forgive a superior who apologized?
Show a sample answer
용서해 드리겠습니다.
This uses the honorific 드리다 with the formal polite ending -겠습니다, appropriate for a superior. A valid alternative in less formal speech is 용서해 드릴게요, but it is less formal.
2Which phrase means 'Let's move past this matter' rather than 'I forgive you'?
Show a sample answer
이번 일은 넘어갈게요.
넘어가다 means 'to pass over or move past,' so this focuses on not dwelling on the issue. 용서해요 would be a direct forgiveness statement, which is a different nuance.
3What is wrong with saying 괜찮아요 to mean 'I forgive you'?
Show a sample answer
괜찮아요 usually means 'It's okay' and may only accept the apology, not grant forgiveness.
It can sound like you are dismissing the issue. For clear forgiveness, use 용서해요 or 용서해 드리겠습니다. Context can make 괜찮아요 work, but it is not a precise equivalent.
Use 용서해요 for polite forgiveness, 용서해 드리겠습니다 for formal honorific forgiveness, and 이번 일은 넘어갈게요 to move past an issue. Rebuild trust with 다시 믿어 볼게요 or 신뢰를 쌓아 가요, and remember that 괜찮아요 accepts an apology rather than granting forgiveness.
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