사랑해요
saranghaeyo
The English phrase "I love you" is translated into Korean as 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo). Wiktionary also lists 좋아해요 (joahaeyo) and 사랑해 (saranghae).
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 사랑해요 | saranghaeyo | |
| 좋아해요 | joahaeyo | |
| 사랑해 | saranghae | [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦe̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 사랑합니다 | saranghamnida |
This phrase is an affirmation of romantic feeling. In Korean, the subject "I" and the object "you" are frequently omitted in the phrase, so saying just 사랑해 is the most natural way to say "I love you".
What does it mean word for word?
The root of the phrase is 사랑, which is the noun for "love".
Which one should you use?
While 사랑해요 expresses love, the form 좋아해요 expresses liking someone, which is often used as a softer or less intense way to express romantic interest compared to 사랑해요.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghaeyo
Did you know?
- While 'I love you' is a direct expression in English, many Koreans express the same feeling by asking 밥 먹었어? or 'Have you eaten?', using care for physical well-being as a proxy for affection.
- In Korea, couples often celebrate their '100th day' anniversary with a special date. This is a significant milestone for expressing 사랑해 long before the one-year mark is reached.
- When writing 사랑해 in a text message, Koreans often use the heart symbol or the shorthand ㅅㄹㅎ to make the sentiment feel cuter and less heavy.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!Tatoeba #8462526 by Eunhee, translation #3390938 by Hybrid
- "사랑해"를 프랑스어로 어떻게 말해?How do you say "I love you" in French?This example shows how to ask how to say 사랑해 in another language.Tatoeba #8399411 by Eunhee, translation #2417967 by CK
- "에르나, 사랑해!" "너 취했잖아!""Erna, I love you!" "You're drunk!"Tatoeba #8556178 by Eunhee, translation #13117325 by moodz
- 안녕하세요. 사랑합니다.Annyeonghaseyo. Saranghamnida.
- 사랑해요.Saranghaeyo.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner together.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은 씨, 정말 사랑해요.Jieun ssi, jeongmal saranghaeyo.Jieun, I really love you.
- 지은 Ji-eun저도 도현 씨를 사랑해요.Jeodo Dohyeon ssireul saranghaeyo.I love you too, Dohyeon.
- 도현 Do-hyeon오늘 정말 행복하네요.Oneul jeongmal haengbokhaneyo.I am so happy today.
- 지은 Ji-eun저도 정말 행복해요.Jeodo jeongmal haengbokhaeyo.I am also very happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries 사랑해, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
