나는 엄마를 사랑해
naneun eommareul saranghae
To say "I love my mother" in Korean, use 나는 엄마를 사랑해 (naneun eommareul saranghae).
This phrase is used to express deep affection and love for one's own mother.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 나는 is a combination of the pronoun 나 (I) and the topic marker 는.
Which one should you use?
The term 엄마 is a casual and affectionate way to say "mom" or "mama", while 어머니 is the more formal term for "mother".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can make the expression more formal and polite by using 저는 어머니를 사랑해요, which replaces 나는 with 저는 and 엄마 with 어머니. Additionally, replacing 엄마 with 어머님 elevates the formality of the expression when addressing a mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 나는 엄마를 사랑해, the particle 를 is an object marker attached to 엄마 to indicate that the mother is the recipient of the love.
How do you pronounce it?
naneun eommareul saranghae
Did you know?
- In many Korean families, expressing affection through the phrase 사랑해 is less common than showing love through actions, such as preparing food, which is considered a non-verbal way of saying 'I love you'.
- If you were to say this to your mother directly, you would likely omit the 'I' (나) entirely, as Korean sentences often drop the subject when it is obvious from the context.
- While English speakers use 'love' for both people and objects, using the verb 사랑하다 in Korean can sometimes feel intensely heavy or even performative if used too casually in everyday conversation.
Examples in context
- 엄마를 사랑해요.I love my mother
- 엄마 사랑해.I love you, mom
- 나는 엄마를 사랑해.naneun eommareul saranghae.I love my mother.
- 정말이지 나는 엄마를 사랑해.jeongmaliji naneun eommareul saranghae.I really love my mother.
Example conversation
Hyun-woo and Ji-eun are talking about their families.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은아, 너는 가족을 좋아해?Ji-eun-a, neoneun gajogeul joahae?Ji-eun, do you like your family?
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 나는 엄마를 사랑해.eung, naneun eommareul saranghae.Yes, I love my mother.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo나도 그래. 나도 엄마를 사랑해.nado geurae. nado eommareul saranghae.Me too. I love my mother too.
- 지은 Ji-eun우리는 둘 다 효자고 효녀구나.urineun dul da hyojago hyonyeoguna.We are both devoted children.
