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 Korean, the subject "I" and the object "you" are frequently omitted in the phrase 사랑해, as the context makes it clear who is being addressed.
Which one should you use?
While 좋아해요 literally means "I like you", it is often used in the early stages of romantic interest or as a softer way to express affection compared to the intensity of 사랑해요.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 사랑해요 is the standard polite version, and 사랑합니다 is the highly formal version.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghaeyo
Did you know?
- Korean has a distinct word 정 ('jeong'), which describes a deep, collective emotional bond that is different from the individual romantic love expressed by 사랑해.
- The word 사랑 was historically used to mean 'thought' or 'longing' before it became the standard word for romantic love.
- In Korea, couples often celebrate their 100th day of dating with a special event, rather than waiting for a full year to mark a major milestone of 'love'.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!This sentence shows how to use 사랑해 in a conversational context.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 how to say the phrase in another language.Tatoeba #8399411 by Eunhee, translation #2417967 by CK
- "에르나, 사랑해!" "너 취했잖아!""Erna, I love you!" "You're drunk!"This sentence demonstrates using 사랑해 in a dialogue.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.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈 씨, 정말 사랑해요.Subin-ssi, jeongmal saranghaeyo.Subin, I really love you.
- 수빈 Su-bin저도 민준 씨를 사랑해요.Jeodo Minjun-ssireul saranghaeyo.I love you too, Minjun.
- 민준 Min-jun고마워요, 행복하네요.Gomawoyo, haengbokhaneyo.Thank you, I am so happy.
- 수빈 Su-bin저도 정말 행복해요.Jeodo jeongmal haengbokhaeyo.I am also very happy.
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.
