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 to affirm romantic feelings. While the literal meaning is 'I love you', speakers almost always omit the subject 'I' and the object 'you' because the context makes it clear who is being addressed.
Which one should you use?
The form 좋아해요 literally means 'I like you', but it is often used in the early stages of romantic interest to express affection more subtly than the weight of the word 'love'. For a more direct and formal way to say 'I love you', you can use 당신을 사랑합니다. If you wish to emphasize the speaker, the phrase 저는 당신을 사랑합니다 can be used to mean 'I love you' by including the subject at the beginning.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghae
When do people say it?
When expressing affection, Korean speakers often use common pet names such as 자기야 (darling) or 여보 (honey). To add emphasis, you can say 정말 사랑해 to mean 'I really love you'.
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, love is often communicated through the phrase 밥 먹었어? (did you eat?), as caring for a partner's basic needs is a traditional proxy for 'I love you'.
- In traditional Korean culture, expressing romantic love verbally was often considered too direct, so affection was historically shown through actions like preparing a meal or showing care for a partner's health.
- The concept of 'crush' is often linked to the word 설레다 (seolleda), which describes the physical sensation of your heart fluttering or racing when you see someone you love.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!This sentence shows the use of 사랑해 in an emotional context.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 say the phrase in another language.Tatoeba #8399411 by Eunhee, translation #2417967 by CK
- "에르나, 사랑해!" "너 취했잖아!""Erna, I love you!" "You're drunk!"This sentence demonstrates 사랑해 used in a conversational setting.Tatoeba #8556178 by Eunhee, translation #13117325 by moodz
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before going home.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준, 정말 많이 사랑해.Minjun, jeongmal mani saranghae.Minjun, I love you so much.
- 민준 Min-jun나도 너를 사랑해, 지은아.Nado neoreul saranghae, Jieuna.I love you too, Jieun.
- 지은 Ji-eun조심해서 들어가.Josimhaeseo deureoga.Get home safely.
- 민준 Min-jun응, 내일 또 봐.Eung, naeil tto bwa.Yeah, 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.
