잘 자, 내 사랑
jal ja, nae sarang
“Goodnight, my love” in Korean is 잘 자, 내 사랑 (jal ja, nae sarang).
This phrase is a romantic way to say goodbye to a partner before they go to sleep. It is used specifically in a romantic context and would sound unnatural or overly dramatic if used with friends or family.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 잘 (well), 자 (sleep), 내 (my) and 사랑 (love).
Which one should you use?
While 잘 자, 내 사랑 is a direct translation of the English sentiment, a more common and natural way to say “goodnight, honey” or “goodnight, darling” in Korean is to use 잘 자, 자기야.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the suffix -요 to 자 makes the phrase more polite, resulting in 잘 자요, 내 사랑.
How do you pronounce it?
jal ja, nae sarang
Did you know?
- While 잘 자, 내 사랑 is a romantic sentiment, Korean couples frequently use 굿밤 (gut-bam) in text messages, which blends the English 'good' with the Korean word for 'night'.
- The word 자기야 (honey/darling) mentioned as a natural alternative comes from 자기, which literally means 'oneself'. It is a way of saying the partner is an extension of one's own self.
- In modern Korean romantic texting, partners often replace the word 사랑 with the English word 'love' written in hangul as 러브 to sound more cute or trendy.
Examples in context
- 꿈속에서 만나자, 잘 자, 내 사랑.kkumsogeseo mannaja, jal ja, nae sarang.Let's meet in our dreams, goodnight, my love.
- 오늘도 고생했어, 잘 자, 내 사랑.oneuldo gosaenghaesseo, jal ja, nae sarang.You worked hard today, goodnight, my love.
Example conversation
Subin and Hyunwoo are talking on the phone before bed.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우야, 이제 자야 할 시간이야.Hyunwoo-ya, ije jaya hal sigan-iya.Hyunwoo, it is time to sleep now.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo응, 너도 얼른 자.Eung, neodo eolleun ja.Yeah, you should go to sleep too.
- 수빈 Su-bin잘 자, 내 사랑.jal ja, nae sarang.Goodnight, my love.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo사랑해, 잘 자.Saranghae, jal ja.I love you, goodnight.
