아빠, 사랑해요
appa, saranghaeyo
To say "I love you, dad" in Korean, use 아빠, 사랑해요 (appa, saranghaeyo).
This phrase is used to express affection and love to one's father. The word 아빠 is the equivalent of "dad" or "daddy", while 아버지 is the equivalent of "father".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 아빠 (dad) and 사랑해요 (love (you)).
Which one should you use?
The form 아빠, 사랑해요 uses the polite -yo ending, which is standard for expressing affection to a parent while maintaining a level of respect. You can use the more casual 아빠, 사랑해 by dropping the yo ending. This is used when the relationship is very close or the speaker is a child. For a much more formal and highly respectful version, use 아버지, 사랑합니다.
How do you pronounce it?
appa, saranghaeyo
Did you know?
- In many Korean families, instead of saying 'i love you', a father might express his affection by asking 'did you eat?' (밥 먹었니?).
- Korean has a distinct system of honorifics that means the 'you' in 사랑해요 is omitted because mentioning a parent as 'you' 당신 is often considered rude.
- If you were to use the extremely formal 사랑합니다 (saranghamnida) with your father, it might actually feel cold or distant rather than loving because it is too stiff for a close family bond.
Examples in context
- 아빠, 사랑해.Dad, I love you.
Example conversation
Hyun-woo is giving a Father's Day card to his father.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아빠, 이 카드 받으세요.appa, i kadeu badeuseyo.Dad, please take this card.
- 수빈 Su-bin고맙다, 아들아. 정말 감동이야.gomapda, adeura. jeongmal gamdong-iya.Thank you, son. I'm really touched.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아빠, 사랑해요!appa, saranghaeyo!I love you, Dad!
- 수빈 Su-bin나도 우리 아들 사랑해.nado uri adeul saranghae.I love you too, my son.
