사랑해, 여보
saranghae, yeobo
The English phrase "I love you, my wife" is expressed in Korean as 사랑해, 여보 (saranghae, yeobo).
This phrase is an expression of love spoken to one's spouse. In this context, 여보 is used to mean 'my wife', but the term is actually gender-neutral and is used by both husbands and wives to address each other as 'honey' or 'darling'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 여보 (yeobo) is a term of endearment that literally means 'honey' or 'darling'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can make the expression more polite by adding the suffix –요 (-yo) to the verb, resulting in 사랑해요, 여보, though 여보 remains the standard term for spouses regardless of the politeness level. For a strictly formal way to say "I love my wife", you would use 저는 제 아내를 사랑합니다.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghae, yeobo
Did you know?
- The term 여보 is closely linked to 여보세요, the phrase Koreans use when answering the phone.
- In Korean dramas, the shift from calling a partner 자기야 to 여보 is often used as a narrative cue to signal that a couple has moved from dating to marriage.
- While 여보 is a common term of endearment, the phrase 사랑해 is often omitted in daily conversation because Korean culture frequently expresses affection through actions rather than direct words.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 여보.saranghae, yeobo.I love you, my wife.
- 언제나 사랑해, 여보.eonjena saranghae, yeobo.I love you always, my wife.
Example conversation
Minjun gives a small gift to Seoyeon at home.
- 민준 Min-jun이거 당신 선물이야. 사랑해, 여보.Igeo dangsin seonmuliya. Saranghae, yeobo.This is a gift for you. I love you, my wife.
- 서연 Seo-yeon정말? 고마워요, 민준 씨!Jeongmal? Gomawoyo, Minjun ssi!Really? Thank you, Minjun!
- 민준 Min-jun마음에 들었으면 좋겠어.Maeume deureosseumyeon jokesseo.I hope you like it.
- 서연 Seo-yeon너무 예뻐요. 저도 사랑해요!Neomu yeppeoyo. Jeodo saranghaeyo!It's so pretty. I love you too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 사랑해, 여보, CC BY-SA 4.0.
