Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 사랑 | sarang | [sʰa̠ɾa̠ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 애정 | aejeong | [ˈɛ(ː)d͡ʑʌ̹ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈe̞(ː)d͡ʑʌ̹ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
사랑 is the most general and widely-used term for love in Korean, referring to both romantic love and love between family members or friends. If you want to express that you have a strong affection for someone, you can use the verb 사랑하다 or the phrase 애정을 품다. If you want to say you are strongly inclined towards doing something, you can use 좋아하다.
Which one should you use?
While 사랑 is the general word for love, 애정 is often used in more formal or literary contexts to mean 'affection' or 'attachment'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb to say 'I love you', you can use different levels of politeness. The casual way to say 'I love you' to someone of equal or lower social status is 사랑해. The standard polite way to express love is 사랑해요, which is formed by adding the suffix –요 to the verb stem.
How do you pronounce it?
sarang
When do people say it?
In many casual contexts, Koreans may use 좋아하다 (to like) to express romantic interest or affection to avoid the heavy, intense weight of the word 사랑. Additionally, the word 애인 means 'lover' and 연애 means 'romance'.
Did you know?
- The word 사랑 can also refer to a traditional Korean room or corridor used as a reception area for guests.
- Koreans often express love through 'acts of service' or food rather than saying 사랑해요 out loud, as verbal expressions of love were historically rare.
- While English speakers use 'love' for both people and objects, in Korean, using 사랑 for objects can feel much more profound or even personified compared to the English 'love'.
Examples in context
- 그래, 너는 날 사랑해.Yes, you love me.This sentence is useful for practicing the form 사랑.Tatoeba #11106994 by intertime, translation #773546 by marloncori
- 나는 아직 메리를 사랑해.I'm still in love with Mary.Tatoeba #6845287 by dalgarak, translation #6845143 by CK
- 너 한번이라도 사랑해본 적 있어?Have you ever been in love?Tatoeba #8362304 by Eunhee, translation #2182753 by Hybrid
- 난 너를 사랑해. (Nan neoreul saranghae.)I love you.
- 예리, 아주 좋아해. (Yeri, aju johahae.)Yeri, I really like/love you.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a romantic movie at a cafe.
- 수빈 Su-bin그 영화 속의 사랑은 정말 감동적이었어요.geu yeonghwa sogui sarang-eun jeongmal gamdongjeog-ieosseoyo.The love in that movie was truly moving.
- 민준 Min-jun맞아요, 수빈 씨도 그렇게 느꼈군요.majayo, Subin ssi-do geureoke neukkyeotgunyo.Right, so you felt that way too, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨는 사랑에 대해 어떻게 생각해요?Minjun ssi-neun sarang-e daehae eotteoke saenggak-haeyo?Minjun, what do you think about love?
- 민준 Min-jun저는 사랑이 인생에서 가장 중요하다고 봐요.jeoneun sarang-i insaeng-eseo gajang jung-yohadago bwayo.I think love is the most important thing in life.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries 사랑, 애정, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 사랑, 애정, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
