내 첫사랑
nae cheossarang
The English phrase 'my first love' is expressed in Korean as 내 첫사랑 (nae cheossarang).
This phrase refers to the first person someone has ever been in a romantic relationship with or felt romantic love for.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 내 (my), 첫 (first) and 사랑 (love).
Which one should you use?
You can also use the longer phrase 내가 처음 사랑한 사람 to mean 'the person I first loved'. The core term for 'first love' is 첫사랑.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
내 첫사랑 is the informal version. If you are speaking to elders or in formal settings, use the polite form 제 첫사랑.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the grammatical role of the word 'first love' by adding markers to 첫사랑. Adding the subject marker -이 results in 첫사랑이, which is used when the first love is the subject of a sentence (e.g., 'My first love was…'). Adding the object marker -을 results in 첫사랑을, which is used when the first love is the object of a verb (e.g., 'I remember my first love').
How do you pronounce it?
nae cheossarang
Did you know?
- In Korean romantic media, the concept of 첫사랑 is often treated as a lifelong archetype. It is frequently depicted as a 'destiny' that a person seeks to reunite with in adulthood, even if the relationship ended decades prior.
- While 첫사랑 means 'first love', Korean also uses 짝사랑 to describe a one-sided crush. Both are staples of romantic storytelling, but 첫사랑 emphasizes the purity of a first experience while 짝사랑 emphasizes the pain of longing.
- The word 내 used for 'my' is a contraction of 나 meaning 'I' and the particle -이. This doubly marked form only became a standard part of the language around 1790.
Examples in context
- 첫사랑은 항상 특별한 기억입니다.First love is always a special memory.
- 내 첫사랑이 어떤 사람인지 말해 볼게.I will tell you who my first love was.
- 첫사랑이야기에 눈물이 나도록 웃고 울었어.I laughed and cried until tears while talking about my first love.
- 내 첫사랑은 고등학교 때 만났어.nae cheotsarang-eun godeunghakgyo ttae mannasseo.I met my first love in high school.
- 그 사람은 내 첫사랑이야.geu sarameun nae cheotsarang-iya.That person is my first love.
- 내 첫사랑에 대해 이야기하고 싶어.nae cheotsarang-e daehae iyagi-hago sipeo.I want to talk about my first love.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their past romantic experiences at a cafe.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈아, 혹시 내 첫사랑 기억나?Jihoon-a, hoksi nae cheotsarang gieokna?Jihoon, do you happen to remember my first love?
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니, 기억 안 나.Ani, gieok an na.No, I don't remember.
- 지은 Ji-eun그녀는 정말 예쁜 여자였어.Geunyeoneun jeongmal yeppeun yeojayeosseo.She was a really beautiful woman.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지은아, 네 첫사랑이 정말 멋졌나 보네.Jieun-a, ne cheotsarang-i jeongmal meotjyeotna bone.Jieun, it sounds like your first love was really wonderful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
