사랑해
saranghae[sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ]
In Korean, the phrase to say "I love you" is 사랑해 (saranghae). Wiktionary also lists 좋아해요 (joahaeyo) and 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo).
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 사랑해 | saranghae | [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦe̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 좋아해요 | joahaeyo | |
| 사랑해요 | saranghaeyo | |
| 사랑합니다 | saranghamnida |
This phrase is an affirmation of romantic feeling. In Korean, the subject "I" and the object "you" are almost always omitted in the phrase 사랑해 because the context makes them clear.
Which one should you use?
While 사랑해 expresses deep romantic love, 좋아해요 is often used to express a strong liking or a crush, which can feel less heavy or intense.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghae
Did you know?
- The word 사랑 was historically used to mean 'thought' or 'consideration' before it became the primary word for 'love'.
- In South Korea, couples often celebrate '100 days' of dating with a special gift or date, long before the traditional one year anniversary, as a way to express their 사랑해.
- In Korean culture, the concept of 정 (jeong) describes a deep, collective bond of affection that is different from the romantic passion of 사랑해.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!This sentence shows the use of 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 for a translation into another language.Tatoeba #8399411 by Eunhee, translation #2417967 by CK
- "에르나, 사랑해!" "너 취했잖아!""Erna, I love you!" "You're drunk!"This sentence demonstrates a dialogue using 사랑해.Tatoeba #8556178 by Eunhee, translation #13117325 by moodz
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before going home.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지은아, 정말 사랑해.Jieuna, jeongmal saranghae.Jieun, I really love you.
- 지은 Ji-eun나도 사랑해, 현우야.Nado saranghae, Hyeonu-ya.I love you too, Hyeonu.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo집에 조심히 들어가.Jibe josimhi deureoga.Get home safely.
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 내일 또 만나!Eung, naeil tto manna!Okay, see you tomorrow!
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.
