사랑해
saranghae[sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ]
The English phrase "I love you" is expressed in Korean as 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 |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic feelings. Because the context usually makes it clear who is speaking to whom, the subject "I" and the object "you" are frequently omitted in the phrase 사랑해.
Which one should you use?
While 좋아해요 literally means "I like you," it is often used in the early stages of dating or to express affection more subtly than the heavy weight of 사랑해. Additionally, while the standard forms focus on the verb, longer versions like 나는 너를 사랑해 or 저는 당신을 사랑합니다 exist to specifically emphasize "I" and "you".
How do you pronounce it?
saranghae
Did you know?
- In Korea, many couples skip the phrase 'I love you' entirely, opting instead to say 밥 먹었어? which means 'Have you eaten?' Expressing care through food is considered a profound way to show affection.
- While 사랑해 is for romantic love, Koreans use the word 정 (jeong) to describe a deep, collective affection and attachment that develops over time. This type of love is not romantic and cannot be translated by the phrase 'i love you'.
- In older generations, it was historically taboo for parents to say 사랑해 to their children. They instead expressed love through actions, such as preparing food or providing for the family, making the spoken phrase a relatively modern trend in families.
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 sentence is useful for asking how to translate 사랑해 into 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
- 사랑해. / 나도 너를 사랑해.I love you. / I love you too.
- 사랑해, 내 곁에 있어줘서 행복해.I love you, I'm happy to have you by my side.
- 언제나 함께 할 수 있어서 정말 행복해.I'm truly happy that we can always be together.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before going home.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지야, 정말 사랑해.Minji-ya, jeongmal saranghae.Minji, I really love you.
- 민지 Min-ji나도 사랑해, 도현아.Nado saranghae, Dohyeon-a.I love you too, Dohyeon.
- 도현 Do-hyeon조심해서 들어가.Josimhaeseo deureoga.Get home safely.
- 민지 Min-ji응, 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.
