How to say “You are beautiful” in Korean
- 예뻐요yeppeoyo
(You're) beautiful
"You are beautiful" in Korean is usually 예뻐요 (yeppeoyo), or 예뻐 (yeppeo) when you speak casually. It comes from 예쁘다 (yeppeuda), "pretty", which Koreans use every day for "beautiful". There is also 아름다워요 (areumdawoyo), which sounds more poetic.
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 예뻐 yeppeo | Casual | To a partner or close friend. The everyday word for pretty or beautiful. |
| 예뻐요 yeppeoyo | Polite | Polite. Fine for complimenting someone you do not know well. |
| 정말 예뻐요 jeongmal yeppeoyo | Polite | "You're really beautiful." 정말 (jeongmal) means "really". |
| 진짜 예쁘다 jinjja yeppeuda | Casual | An exclamation, like "Wow, you're so pretty!" said in the moment. |
| 아름다워요 areumdawoyo | Polite | "Beautiful" in a more poetic way. Used for scenery, voices, a bride, or in songs and letters. |
Examples
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Seeing a partner dressed up for a date
Complimenting a friend's new hairstyle
Complimenting a bride at a wedding
Tips
Korean usually leaves out "you are". 예뻐 alone means "(You're) pretty". Add 너 (neo, "you") only if you need to be clear who you mean.
예쁘다 is used for people, clothes, places and things. 아름답다 is more literary, so 아름다워 to a partner can sound like a line from a romance novel. That can be sweet, but 예뻐 is what people say day to day.
For men, people normally say 잘생겼어 (jalsaenggyeosseo, "handsome") or 멋있어 (meosisseo, "cool") instead of 예뻐.
More on 예뻐 in our Korean phrase guides.
Questions learners ask
What does yeppeo mean?
예뻐 (yeppeo) means "pretty" or "beautiful" in casual Korean. It is often used on its own to mean "You're pretty".
What is the difference between yeppeoyo and areumdawoyo?
예뻐요 is the everyday word for pretty or beautiful. 아름다워요 is more elegant and poetic, and is often used for scenery, music or a person's heart.