사랑해
saranghae[sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋɦɛ]
In Korean, "I love you" is typically expressed as 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 |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic feelings. In practice, the subject "I" and the object "you" are almost always omitted from the phrase because the context makes who is loving whom clear.
Which one should you use?
While 사랑해 and its variations express deep romantic love, 좋아해요 literally means "I like you" and is often used in the early stages of romantic interest to express affection more subtly than the heavy weight of the "love" phrases.
How does it change in a sentence?
In informal speech, you may see 널 사랑해, where 널 is a shortened form of 너를 (you). For a very formal expression, you can use 저는 당신을 사랑합니다, which uses the word 당신 (you) to directly address the person.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghae
Did you know?
- Koreans often use the word 정 (jeong), which describes a deep emotional bond of affection and attachment that is different from the romantic 'love' of 사랑해.
- The phrase 사랑해 is frequently used by parents and children in modern times, but historically, expressing love verbally was considered unnecessary in Confucian family structures.
- The word 당신 used in the formal phrase 당신을 사랑합니다 is a linguistic paradox. While it is a formal word for 'you', using it directly to a partner can sometimes feel cold or confrontational depending on the tone, unlike the much more common, name-based address.
Examples in context
- 사랑해, 듣고 있어? 사랑한다고!I love you, do you hear me? I love you!This sentence shows how to use 사랑해 to express urgency or emphasis.Tatoeba #8462526 by Eunhee, translation #3390938 by Hybrid
- "사랑해"를 프랑스어로 어떻게 말해?How do you say "I love you" in French?This sentence is useful for asking how to translate the phrase 사랑해 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 the use of 사랑해 in a conversational context.Tatoeba #8556178 by Eunhee, translation #13117325 by moodz
- 할머니, 사랑합니다Grandmother, I love you
- 사랑해, 친구야I love you, my friend
- 사랑해, 내 사람I love you, my person
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is walking through a park at night.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈아, 정말 사랑해.Subin-a, jeongmal saranghae.Subin, I really love you.
- 수빈 Su-bin나도 도현아, 사랑해.Nado Dohyun-a, saranghae.I love you too, Dohyun.
- 도현 Do-hyeon진심이야, 사랑해.Jinsimiya, saranghae.I mean it, I love you.
- 수빈 Su-bin응, 나도 알아.Eung, nado ara.Yes, I know.
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.
