잘 자, 내 사랑
jal ja, nae sarang
The English phrase "goodnight to your boyfriend" is expressed in Korean as 잘 자, 내 사랑 (jal ja, nae sarang).
This phrase is a romantic way to wish a boyfriend a good night's sleep. You can also use other informal variations such as 꿈 속에서도 만나 to say "see you even in my dreams" or 굿나잇 사랑해 for "goodnight, I love you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 잘 (well), 자 (sleep) and 내 사랑 (my love).
Which one should you use?
While 잘 자 means "sleep well", you can also use 잘 자요 to be polite. However, adding 요 to the end can sometimes feel less intimate or more distant in a romantic context compared to the informal version. Another common variation is replacing 내 사랑 with 자기야 to say "sleep well, honey/darling".
How do you pronounce it?
jal ja, nae sarang
Did you know?
- When couples use 자기야 instead of 내 사랑, they are using a term that literally means 'oneself', suggesting the partner is an extension of their own being.
- Korean couples often use 'aegyo', or cute speech, when saying 잘 자, which can involve stretching out the final vowel to make the phrase sound softer and more affectionate.
- In modern Korean romantic texting, many couples bypass traditional Korean expressions entirely by using 굿나잇, which is simply the English 'goodnight' written in Hangul.
Examples in context
- 재현아, 잘 자. 꿈 속에서도 만나.Jaehyun-ah, jal ja. Kkum sog-eseodo manna.
- 잘 자, 내 사랑.jal ja, nae sarang.Goodnight, my love.
- 꿈속에서도 만나자, 잘 자, 내 사랑.kkumsogeseodo mannaja, jal ja, nae sarang.Let's meet even 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
Minji and Dohyeon are saying goodbye on a late-night phone call.
- 민지 Min-ji이제 자야겠다. 잘 자, 내 사랑.ije jayagetta. jal ja, nae sarang.I should go to sleep now. Goodnight, my love.
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 민지야 너도 잘 자.eung, Minji-ya neodo jal ja.Yeah, Minji, you sleep well too.
- 민지 Min-ji내일 전화할게!naeil jeonhwahalge!I'll call you tomorrow!
- 도현 Do-hyeon그래, 잘 자.geurae, jal ja.Okay, goodnight.
