너 진짜 진짜 좋아해
neo jinjja jinjja joahae
The English phrase "I really really like you" can be translated into Korean as 너 진짜 진짜 좋아해 (neo jinjja jinjja joahae).
This phrase is used as a strong expression of romantic affection or deep liking for another person.
Which one should you use?
The forms 정말 정말 좋아해요 and 정말 정말 좋아해 use the word 정말 to convey the same meaning. Additionally, 나 정말 좋아해 is a slightly different expression meaning "I really like you."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on your relationship with the listener. For a polite version, use 저 진짜 진짜 좋아해요, which replaces the informal subject with the humble 저 and uses the polite verb ending 좋아해요. For a formal way to say the phrase, you can use 정말 정말 좋아해요.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 너 진짜 진짜 좋아해, the subject "I" and the object "you" are omitted, which is standard in natural Korean conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
neo jinjja jinjja joahae
Did you know?
- The pronoun 너 is so informal that using it with a stranger or a superior can be seen as an insult, even if the rest of the sentence is affectionate.
- The pronoun 너 may belong to a group of ancient words including 나 and 'who' that were all formed from the same original root. This suggests a unique pattern of vowel shifting in prehistoric Korean.
- In Korean culture, stating romantic feelings using 좋아해 can be a cautious first step before using the more intense 사랑해 which means 'I love you'.
Examples in context
- 너 진짜 진짜 좋아해.neo jinja jinja joahae.I really really like you.
- 말했잖아, 너 진짜 진짜 좋아해.malhaetjana, neo jinja jinja joahae.I told you, I really really like you.
- 부끄럽지만, 너 진짜 진짜 좋아해.bukkeureopjiman, neo jinja jinja joahae.It's embarrassing, but I really really like you.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo confesses his feelings to Minji at a park.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민지야, 너 진짜 진짜 좋아해.Minji-ya, neo jinja jinja joahae.Minji, I really really like you.
- 민지 Min-ji정말? 나도 너 좋아해.jeongmal? nado neo joahae.Really? I like you too.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo진심이야, 정말 좋아해.jinsimiya, jeongmal joahae.I'm serious, I really like you.
- 민지 Min-ji고마워, 현우야.gomawo, Hyunwoo-ya.Thank you, Hyunwoo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 너, 진짜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
