Meaning
The act of calling off a scheduled meeting or engagement.
Cultural Background
The 'No-show' (노쇼) culture is a major social issue. Many restaurants now require deposits because people cancel '약속' at the last minute. In Korean business, canceling a meeting with a superior should be done via phone call, not just a text, to show proper respect. On KakaoTalk, it's common to use emojis like 😭 or 🙏 when canceling to show you feel bad about it. Younger Koreans use '읽씹' (read and ignore) as a way of 'canceling' a social interaction without actually saying it, though it's considered very rude.
The 'Softener'
Always add '갑자기' (suddenly) or '부득이하게' (unavoidably) before the phrase to sound more natural and less blunt.
Don't just say '취소'
In Korean, just saying '취소!' sounds like a command or a game. Use the full verb '취소해요'.
Meaning
The act of calling off a scheduled meeting or engagement.
The 'Softener'
Always add '갑자기' (suddenly) or '부득이하게' (unavoidably) before the phrase to sound more natural and less blunt.
Don't just say '취소'
In Korean, just saying '취소!' sounds like a command or a game. Use the full verb '취소해요'.
Reschedule immediately
To show you still value the person, follow '약속 취소' with '다음에 꼭 봐요' (Let's definitely meet next time).
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '취소하다'.
미안해, 오늘 갑자기 일이 생겨서 약속을 (____).
'취소했어요' is the past tense of cancel, which fits the context of something coming up.
Complete the dialogue politely.
A: 오늘 3시에 만날 수 있어요? B: 아니요, 죄송해요. 약속을 (____) 할 것 같아요.
The pattern '~해야 할 것 같다' means 'it seems I have to...', which is a polite way to cancel.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Which phrase is best for a formal business email?
The '~하게 되었습니다' form is the most formal and professional way to announce a change.
Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.
Which one is correct?
B is the passive 'The appointment was canceled' and C is the active 'I want to cancel'. Both are correct.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercises미안해, 오늘 갑자기 일이 생겨서 약속을 (____).
'취소했어요' is the past tense of cancel, which fits the context of something coming up.
A: 오늘 3시에 만날 수 있어요? B: 아니요, 죄송해요. 약속을 (____) 할 것 같아요.
The pattern '~해야 할 것 같다' means 'it seems I have to...', which is a polite way to cancel.
Which phrase is best for a formal business email?
The '~하게 되었습니다' form is the most formal and professional way to announce a change.
Which one is correct?
B is the passive 'The appointment was canceled' and C is the active 'I want to cancel'. Both are correct.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but '비행기 예약을 취소하다' is more precise.
For friends, it's fine. For work, a call is better.
취소 is a total stop; 연기 is moving it to a later time.
약속을 취소해서 죄송합니다.
Yes, '결혼 약속을 취소하다' (breaking an engagement).
It's slang for flaking on a plan, derived from 'puncture'.
In speech, no. In writing, yes.
약속이 취소되었어요.
In legal contexts, '철회' (withdrawal) or '파기' (nullification) are used.
That's called '직전 취소' and is considered very rude.
Related Phrases
약속을 어기다
similarTo break/violate a promise
약속을 미루다
similarTo postpone a plan
약속을 잡다
contrastTo make/set an appointment
예약을 취소하다
specialized formTo cancel a reservation
