Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 사랑해요 | saranghaeyo | |
| 좋아해요 | joahaeyo | |
| 사랑해 | saranghae | [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦe̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 사랑합니다 | saranghamnida |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic feelings. In Korean, the subject "I" and the object "you" are often omitted from the phrase, leaving only the verb. While 사랑해 and its variations express love, the form 좋아해요 is used to express liking or affection rather than a deep romantic declaration.
Which one should you use?
좋아해요 is used to express liking or affection, whereas 사랑해요 is a much stronger, more serious declaration of romantic love.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The choice of form depends on the setting and your relationship with the person. 사랑해 is the casual form used with romantic partners of equal status, close friends or people younger than you. 사랑해요 is the standard polite form used to express love in a respectful or friendly manner. 사랑합니다 is the highly formal version used in public speeches, ceremonies or very formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding –한다고 to the stem of the verb creates a quoted form often used to emphasize or repeat the statement, such as "I'm telling you, I love you!"
How do you pronounce it?
saranghaeyo
Did you know?
- The concept of 'love' in Korean culture is often tied to the term 정 (jeong), a deep, soulful attachment that goes beyond the simple declaration of 사랑해.
- Due to traditional cultural values of restraint, older generations of Koreans rarely said 사랑해요 aloud, often expressing love through actions like preparing a meal instead.
- The phrase 사랑해 is frequently used as a 'cute' or 'aegyo' expression by adding a nasal sound to the end, transforming it into something like 사랑행, to sound more endearing.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!This sentence shows how to use the emphasized form of 사랑해.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 for a translation into French.Tatoeba #8399411 by Eunhee, translation #2417967 by CK
- "에르나, 사랑해!" "너 취했잖아!""Erna, I love you!" "You're drunk!"This sentence shows an example of using 사랑해 in a conversation.Tatoeba #8556178 by Eunhee, translation #13117325 by moodz
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are walking in a park at sunset.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 사랑해요.Jihun ssi, saranghaeyo.Jihun, I love you.
- 지훈 Ji-hun저도 수빈 씨를 사랑해요.Jeodo Subin ssireul saranghaeyo.I love you too, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin고마워요, 정말 행복해요.Gomawoyo, jeongmal haengbokhaeyo.Thank you, I am so happy.
- 지훈 Ji-hun저도 행복해요.Jeodo haengbokhaeyo.I am happy too.
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.
