사랑해
saranghae[sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ]
In Korean, "I love you" is expressed through several forms, most commonly 사랑해 (saranghae). Wiktionary also lists 좋아해요 (joahaeyo) and 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo).
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 사랑해 | saranghae | [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦe̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 좋아해요 | joahaeyo | |
| 사랑해요 | saranghaeyo | |
| 사랑합니다 | saranghamnida |
The phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
What does it mean word for word?
The root of the phrase is the noun 사랑, which means "love."
Which one should you use?
The form 좋아해요 literally means "I like you" and is often used to express a crush or during the early stages of dating. In contrast, the forms based on 사랑 imply a much deeper and more intense romantic connection.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghae
When do people say it?
In Korean culture, the phrase 사랑해 is used much more sparingly and seriously than the English "I love you," often reserved for significant moments or deep emotional expressions.
Did you know?
- Korean has a specific term 정 ('jeong') that describes a deep, sticky emotional bond. Unlike 사랑, which is romantic or passionate, 정 can be felt for strangers, pets or even people you dislike.
- In Korean culture, affection is often expressed through 'acts of service' rather than words. A parent or partner might ask 밥 먹었니? ('Did you eat?') as a proxy for 사랑해.
- To make 사랑해 sound cuter or more affectionate, speakers often add a nasal sound to the end, turning it into 사랑행. This is called 'aegyo' and is common in romantic texting.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!This sentence shows how to use 사랑해 to repeat a sentiment for emphasis.Tatoeba #8462526 by Eunhee, translation #3390938 by Hybrid
- "사랑해"를 프랑스어로 어떻게 말해?How do you say "I love you" in French?This sentence uses 사랑해 to ask how to translate the phrase into another language.Tatoeba #8399411 by Eunhee, translation #2417967 by CK
- "에르나, 사랑해!" "너 취했잖아!""Erna, I love you!" "You're drunk!"This sentence demonstrates a casual interaction using 사랑해.Tatoeba #8556178 by Eunhee, translation #13117325 by moodz
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye for the evening.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은아, 정말 사랑해.Jieuna, jeongmal saranghae.Jieun, I really love you.
- 지은 Ji-eun나도 사랑해, 현우야.Nado saranghae, Hyeonuya.I love you too, Hyeonu.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo집에 조심해서 들어가.Jibe josimhaeseo deureoga.Get home safely.
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 내일 또 만나!Eung, naeil tto manna!Yes, see you again tomorrow!
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.
