좋아해요
joahaeyopolite
To tell a girl "I like you" politely, say 좋아해요 (joahaeyo), or add her name: 지수 씨를 좋아해요 (jisu ssireul joahaeyo). With someone close, 나는 네가 좋아 (naneun nega joa) is the casual form. It is also called 저는 당신이 좋아요 (jeoneun dangsini joayo).
Meaning: confessing a liking (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 좋아해요 | joahaeyo | polite |
| 나는 네가 좋아 | naneun nega joa | casual |
| 저는 당신이 좋아요 | jeoneun dangsini joayo | polite, sounds stiff |
Is it said differently in some regions?
Korean does not change the sentence for the listener being a girl. What changes is the level of politeness and whether you use her name instead of "you".
How does it change in a sentence?
Korean often drops "I" and "you". 좋아해 (joahae) alone is enough when the person you mean is clear.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid 당신 (dangsin) for "you". In real conversation it can sound cold or even rude. Use her name with 씨 (ssi) or just leave it out.
Did you know?
- 좋아해 is "like" and 사랑해 is "love". Koreans often say 좋아해 first, and keep 사랑해 for deeper feelings.
Examples in context
- 지수 씨, 저는 지수 씨를 좋아해요.jisu ssi, jeoneun jisu ssireul joahaeyo.Jisu, I like you.
- 사실 널 좋아해.sasil neol joahae.Actually, I like you.
Example conversation
Taeho tells his friend Jisu how he feels after school.
- Taeho지수야, 할 말이 있어.jisuya, hal mari isseo.Jisu, I have something to say.
- Jisu뭐데?mwonde?What is it?
- Taeho나는 네가 좋아.naneun nega joa.I like you.
