엄마 사랑해요
The English phrase "I love you, mama" is translated into Korean as 엄마 사랑해요.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 엄마 (mama) and 사랑해요 (love you).
Which one should you use?
Using 어머니 instead of 엄마 makes the term for mother more respectful, such as in 어머니 사랑해요. While 엄마 is more common in affectionate contexts, 어머니 is more formal. For a more affectionate and familiar tone, you can add the particle 야 to the end of mama, resulting in 엄마야, 사랑해.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural spoken Korean, the object marker 를 is often omitted after 엄마, which is why 엄마 사랑해요 is the standard way to say it.
Did you know?
- While 사랑해요 means 'I love you', many Koreans find the phrase too intense for daily use with parents and may instead express love through actions or by asking if their mother has eaten.
- Many Koreans use a 'heart' gesture with their fingers when saying 사랑해요 to their mothers, a popular cultural trend originating from K-pop and K-dramas.
- Because Korean is a high-context language, the subject 'I' is almost always omitted in the phrase 엄마 사랑해요. Including the word for 'I' can actually make the sentence sound redundant or strangely unnatural.
Example conversation
Dohyun is giving a gift to his mother, Seoyeon.
- 도현 Do-hyeon엄마, 이거 선물이에요.Eomma, igeo seonmuryeyo.Mama, this is a gift for you.
- 서연 Seo-yeon어머, 정말 예쁘구나!Eomeo, jeongmal yeppeuguna!Oh, it's really pretty!
- 도현 Do-hyeon엄마 사랑해요.Eomma saranghaeyo.I love you, mama.
- 서연 Seo-yeon나도 우리 아들 사랑해.Nado uri adeul saranghae.I love you too, my son.
