사랑해요
saranghaeyo
In Korean, "I love you" can be 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 |
This phrase is used to affirm romantic feelings. In Korean, the subject "I" and the object "you" are frequently omitted in the phrase, leaving only the verb.
Which one should you use?
좋아해요 is used to express liking someone, which is often a precursor to or a softer version of expressing romantic love.
How does it change in a sentence?
사랑해 is the casual/informal form used with people of equal or lower status, such as a partner or close friend. 사랑해요 is the standard polite form used in everyday conversation. 사랑합니다 is the highly formal version used in very serious contexts, public speeches or when showing extreme respect.
How do you pronounce it?
saranghaeyo
When do people say it?
너무 좋아해 translates to "I really like you" and is an affectionate way to express love to a friend.
Did you know?
- While 사랑해 is for romantic love, the word 정 (jeong) describes a unique kind of deep, collective attachment and social bond that cannot be translated as 'love'.
- In Korea, the phrase 사랑해 is historically less common in daily speech than in English. Many couples express their love through acts of service or by asking 밥 먹었어? meaning 'Did you eat?' instead.
- The phrase 사랑해 is often accompanied by a 'finger heart' gesture, where the thumb and index finger cross to form a small heart shape.
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 way.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 within a question about translation.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
- 나는 너가 정말 소중해.You are very precious to me.
- 나도 너랑 같이 있어서 행복해.I am happy because I am with you.
- 사랑해, 내 친구야.I love you, my friend.
- 나도 너를 많이 사랑해.I love you too, very much.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are walking together in a park.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈 씨, 정말 사랑해요.Subin ssi, jeongmal saranghaeyo.Subin, I really love you.
- 수빈 Su-bin갑자기요? 저도 사랑해요.Gapjagi-yo? Jeodo saranghaeyo.So suddenly? I love you too.
- 민준 Min-jun항상 말하고 싶었어요.Hangsang malhago sipeosseoyo.I've always wanted to tell you.
- 수빈 Su-bin감동이에요, 민준 씨.Gamdong-ieyo, Minjun ssi.I'm touched, Minjun.
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.
