Want to impress your crush with a romantic phrase in Korean? Have your favorite K-dramas left you curious about the word "Saranghae"? This article is for you! Learn how to say I love you in Korean in different ways.
Learn how to say "I love you" in a casual, formal, poetic, and even with a touch of humor. Understand how culture and context influence the way Koreans express their feelings. And discover when to use "saranghae", "saranghaeyo", and other variations to express yourself with the appropriate formality.
Saying "I love you" has different degrees of formality as in the Japanese language. We recommend also reading our article entitled: Love in Japanese + 50 ways to say I love you
I love you - I love you in Korean
Saranghae [사랑해] is one of the main words to say love in Korean, but what few know is that there are variations and several other words to express love in Korean.
Just like Japanese, Korean also uses formal and informal words, as well as variations of the same word and other meanings within each expression. The first thing we should know is that Sarang [사랑] literally means love between two people.
To say "I love you" we can use Saranghae [사랑해]. The word hae [해] is a conjugated form of the verb ha-da [하다] which means to do, so we are saying that we have love for the person. No! It doesn't mean to make love...
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Synonyms and alternatives for Saranghae
The word Saranghae [사랑해] is informal and is often used to express love between people of the same age, younger or between siblings. It's a bit informal word, its more formal version is SarangHaeYo [사랑해요] used for people with little intimacy. There is a more formal version which is SarangHapnida [사랑합니다] used for older or higher level people.
We know that love is Sarang [사랑], but how to say passion in Korean? To say passion in Korean we use the word Yeonjeong [연정] which can also mean attachment. There is another more affectionate version which is Ejeong [애정] and Echak [애착] which literally means attachment.
If you just want to express a "I like" feeling in Korean, you can try saying "nee-ga jo-ah" [네가 좋아] being a phrase that literally means "I like you". It can be used in both casual and romantic situations. A formal version of this phrase is dang-shin-ee jo-ah-yo [당신이 좋아요].
Different Levels of Formality
See below how to say "I love you" in Korean in different levels of formality:
Formal
- Saranghamnida (사랑합니다): "I love you"
- Johahamnida (좋아합니다): A formal way to express affection, fondness, or admiration. Can be used as "I like you".
Informal
- Saranghae (사랑해): The most common way to say "I love you", usually used among close friends, family, and couples.
- Joahae (좋아해): Similar to "johahamnida", but in an informal way. Expresses affection, fondness, or admiration.
- Neoreul Saranghae (너를 사랑해): Emphasize the "you" in the sentence, intensifying the declaration of love.
- Naega Neoreul Saranghae (나는 너를 사랑해): Emphasize the "I" in the sentence, taking responsibility for the feeling.
- Bogoshipo (보고싶어): It means "I miss you". An indirect way of expressing love and affection.
Romântico
- Saranghae, Jagiya (사랑해, 자기야): "I love you, my love". A loving way to address a partner.
- Neomu Saranghae (너무 사랑해): "I love you very much." Emphasizes the intensity of love.
- Tto Saranghae (또 사랑해): "I love you again." Expresses eternal and renewed love.
- Saranghaeyo, Yeobo (사랑해요, 여보): "I love you, dear." A affectionate and formal way to address a spouse.
Poético
- Geudae-ege Bang-eun Sarang-eun Eopseo (그대에게 방은 사랑은 없어): "For you, love does not exist." A poetic phrase that means "you are my one and only love."
- Sarang-eun Gaseum-eun Byeol (사랑은 가슴은 별): "Love is a star in the heart."
- Neoneun Na-ui Sarang-ui Jigu (너는 나의 사랑의 지구): "You are the planet of my love."
We recommend reading: Origin and Meaning of the Korean Finger Heart
The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:
How to say: I'm in love in Korean?
In reality, the forms we learn in this article resemble passion, as they usually do not address deep love; some words literally mean the verb "to like."
To express the feeling of being in love in Korean, you can say "나는 사랑에 빠졌어요" (Naneun sarang-e ppajyeosseoyo) to convey this very special emotional state.
The literal translation of the sentence is "I am immersed in love". It reflects the genuine and deep emotional involvement that passion brings with it. Similar to "quedas" in other languages.
- 너는 내 세상이야 (Neonen nae sesangiya): This sentence means "you are my world." It is a way of saying that the loved one is the most important thing in your life.
- 내 마음은 너에게 있다 (Nae maeumeun neoege itda): This sentence means "my heart is with you". It is a way of saying that you are always thinking of the loved one and that they are in your thoughts.
Other ways to express love in Korean
To finish the article, I will quickly leave you a list of words and phrases related to love in Korean. I hope you enjoyed this little article, if you liked it share and leave your comments.
- Neomu Joahae (너무 좋아해): "I really like you."
- Neomu Gwiyeowo (너무 귀여워): "You are very cute."
- Neomu Aewohae (너무 아워해): "I miss you so much."
- Jal Jal Saranghae (잘 잘 사랑해): "Take care of yourself, my love".
- Saranghae, Saranghae, Saranghae (사랑해, 사랑해, 사랑해): "I love you, I love you, I love you." Repeat the phrase to emphasize the intensity of love.
- Nado saranghaeyo (나도 사랑해요): I love you too.
- Dangshin-eul johahaeyo (당신을 좋아해요): I like you.
- Dangshin-eul manhi johahaeyo (당신을 많이 좋아해요): I really like you.
- Dangshin-eul manhi saranghaeyo (당신을 많이 사랑해요): I love you very much.
- Dangshin-eul geu eotteon geot bod (당신을 그 어떤 것보다도 더 사랑해요): I love you more than anything.
