사랑해요
saranghaeyo
In Korean, "i love you" is expressed as 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo). Wiktionary also lists 좋아해요 (joahaeyo) and 사랑해 (saranghae).
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
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 |
The phrase is used to affirm romantic feelings. In many instances, such as with 사랑해, the subject "I" and the object "you" are frequently omitted because the context of the conversation makes them clear.
Which one should you use?
While 사랑해요 and its variations express love, 좋아해요 expresses "I like you" and is often used as a softer or less intense way to express affection compared to the direct "I love you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The choice of form depends on your relationship with the listener. 사랑해요 is the standard polite form. 사랑합니다 is the highly formal form.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghaeyo
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, people often express love through actions or the phrase 밥 먹었어?, which means 'Did you eat?' Asking about a partner's meal is often a more common way to show care and love than saying 사랑해요.
- In some highly traditional settings, a person might express their love through 'jeong' (정), a concept of deep attachment and communal bond that goes far beyond the romantic 'love' found in 사랑해.
- The phrase 사랑해 is famously used as a 'finger heart' accompaniment. This gesture, where the thumb and index finger cross to form a small heart, is the modern visual equivalent of saying 'I love you'.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!This example shows how to use 사랑해 to emphasize a declaration of love.Tatoeba #8462526 by Eunhee, translation #3390938 by Hybrid
- "사랑해"를 프랑스어로 어떻게 말해?How do you say "I love you" in French?This example shows how to ask for the translation of 사랑해 into another language.Tatoeba #8399411 by Eunhee, translation #2417967 by CK
- "에르나, 사랑해!" "너 취했잖아!""Erna, I love you!" "You're drunk!"This example shows a dialogue where one person uses 사랑해.Tatoeba #8556178 by Eunhee, translation #13117325 by moodz
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- 도현 Do-hyeon서연 씨, 정말 사랑해요.Seoyeon ssi, jeongmal saranghaeyo.Seoyeon, I truly love you.
- 서연 Seo-yeon저도 도현 씨를 사랑해요.Jeodo Dohyeon ssi-reul saranghaeyo.I love you too, Dohyeon.
- 도현 Do-hyeon오늘따라 더 예뻐 보여요.Oneulttara deo yeppeo boyeoyo.You look even more beautiful today.
- 서연 Seo-yeon고마워요, 사랑해요.Gomawoyo, saranghaeyo.Thank you, I love you.
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.
