Korean for Changing Plans: Apologizing and Suggesting a New Time
Learn beginner Korean phrases to cancel or move a plan politely: say something came up, apologize, and suggest a new day such as Sunday.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Making a plan is only half the skill; real conversations often need you to change one. In Korean, changing a plan usually means explaining briefly that something came up, apologizing, and then offering a new time. This lesson gives you short, polite beginner patterns for that exact situation. You will practice saying 'Something came up,' asking 'Can we push it to Sunday?,' and responding when someone changes plans with you. The focus is on spoken polite Korean using the -yo ending, which is safe and natural with acquaintances, coworkers, and people you have just met.
By the end, you can…
- say that something came up and I need to change a plan.
- apologize briefly and suggest a new day or time in Korean.
- understand and respond when someone else changes plans.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
일이 생겼어요.
Something came up.
i-ri saeng-gyeot-eo-yo
A common, polite way to say that an unexpected matter appeared. It does not need to name the problem.
미안해요.
I'm sorry.
mi-an-hae-yo
Everyday polite apology. Use it with friends, classmates, and people you know.
죄송해요.
I'm sorry. (more polite)
joe-song-hae-yo
More polite than 미안해요. Good for coworkers, teachers, or someone you do not know well.
일요일로 미룰 수 있어요?
Can we push it to Sunday?
i-ryo-il-lo mi-rul su iss-eo-yo
Use this to ask whether the plan can be moved to Sunday. The particle -로 marks the new time.
다른 날로 바꿔도 돼요?
Can we change it to another day?
da-reun nal-lo ba-kkwo-do dwae-yo
A softer, more open way to ask for a different day without naming one yet.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To suggest a new time, use a time word plus -로 and the verb 미루다 (to postpone) or 바꾸다 (to change). For example, 일요일로 미룰 수 있어요? means 'Can we push it to Sunday?' and 토요일로 바꿔도 돼요? means 'Can we change it to Saturday?' The ending -ㄹ 수 있어요? asks 'can we...?' and -아/어도 돼요? asks 'is it okay if...?' Both are polite with -요.
When to use it
Use 일이 생겼어요 when you need to cancel or move a plan but do not want to give details. Then add a short apology such as 미안해요 or 죄송해요, and offer a new time. For example: 일이 생겼어요. 미안해요. 일요일로 미룰 수 있어요? This order sounds natural: reason, apology, new suggestion. If you are the one receiving the message, you can answer with 네, 괜찮아요 (Yes, that's okay) or 일요일은 어려워요 (Sunday is difficult).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
민수 씨, 미안해요. 일이 생겼어요.
Minsu, I'm sorry. Something came up.min-su ssi, mi-an-hae-yo. i-ri saeng-gyeot-eo-yo아, 그래요? 괜찮아요.
Oh, really? It's okay.a, geu-rae-yo? gwaen-chan-a-yo일요일로 미룰 수 있어요?
Can we push it to Sunday?i-ryo-il-lo mi-rul su iss-eo-yo네, 일요일은 괜찮아요.
Yes, Sunday is okay.ne, i-ryo-il-eun gwaen-chan-a-yoA little context goes a long way
In Korean, a brief apology plus a concrete new suggestion is usually enough. You often do not need to explain the personal reason in detail. Using 죄송해요 instead of 미안해요 can sound more formal or more serious, so choose based on your relationship and the size of the change.
One thing to watch for
Using 에 for the new day, as in 일요일에 미룰 수 있어요?
Try this instead: For the target of a change or postponement, use -로: 일요일로 미룰 수 있어요? The particle 에 marks a time when something happens, not the new chosen time.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'Something came up' politely in Korean?
Show a sample answer
일이 생겼어요.
This is the standard polite expression. You could also say 사정이 생겼어요 in some contexts, but 일이 생겼어요 is the most common beginner phrase.
2Change this to ask about Saturday: 일요일로 미룰 수 있어요?
Show a sample answer
토요일로 미룰 수 있어요?
Replace 일요일 (Sunday) with 토요일 (Saturday) and keep -로 and the polite question ending -요.
3Someone says 일이 생겼어요. 미안해요. What is a natural polite reply?
Show a sample answer
괜찮아요.
괜찮아요 means 'It's okay' and accepts the apology. You could also say 네, 알겠어요 (Okay, I understand) if you need time to think about a new date.
To change a plan in polite Korean, say 일이 생겼어요, apologize with 미안해요 or 죄송해요, and suggest a new time with a day plus -로, as in 일요일로 미룰 수 있어요?
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