Want to impress your crush with a romantic phrase in Korean? Your favorite dramas have made you curious about the word “Saranghae”? This article is for you! Learn how to say I love you in Korean in various ways.
Learn to say “I love you” casually, formally, poetically, 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, just like in the Japanese language. We also recommend reading our article titled: Love in Japanese + 50 ways to say I love you
Table of Contents
Saranghae – 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 many other words to express love in Korean.
Just like in 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 that you love someone, we can use Saranghae [사랑해]. The word hae [해] is a conjugated form of the verb ha-da [하다] which means to do, that is, we are saying that we have love for the person. No! It does not mean to make love…
We also recommend reading:
- Love in Japanese – I love you in Japanese
- Curses, insults, slang, and swear words in Korean
- Korean Honorific Titles
Synonyms and alternatives for Saranghae
The word Saranghae [사랑해] is informal and is usually used to express love between people of the same age, younger, or among siblings. It is a somewhat 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 people or those of higher status.
We know that love is Sarang [사랑], but how do you 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 feeling of “I like” in Korean, you can try saying “nee-ga jo-ah” [네가 좋아] which literally means “I like you”. It can be used in casual and romantic situations. A formal version of this phrase is dang-shin-ee jo-ah-yo [당신이 좋아요].
Different Degrees of Formality
See below how to say I love you in Korean in different degrees of formality:
Formal
- Saranghamnida (사랑합니다): The most formal and polite way to say “I love you”. Ideal for older people, authorities, or in formal situations.
- Johahamnida (좋아합니다): A formal way to express affection, care, 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 form. Expresses affection, care, or admiration.
- Neoreul Saranghae (너를 사랑해): Emphasizes the “you” in the sentence, intensifying the declaration of love.
- Naega Neoreul Saranghae (나는 너를 사랑해): Emphasizes the “I” in the sentence, taking responsibility for the feeling.
- Bogoshipo (보고싶어): Means “I miss you”. An indirect way to express love and affection.
Romantic
- Saranghae, Jagiya (사랑해, 자기야): “I love you, my love”. A loving way to address your 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 loving and formal way to address your spouse.
Poetic
- Geudae-ege Bang-eun Sarang-eun Eopseo (그대에게 방은 사랑은 없어): “For you, love does not exist”. A poetic phrase meaning “you are my only love”.
- Sarang-eun Gaseum-eun Byeol (사랑은 가슴은 별): “Love is a star in the heart”. A poetic phrase that compares love to a shining star.
- Neoneun Na-ui Sarang-ui Jigu (너는 나의 사랑의 지구): “You are the planet of my love”. A poetic phrase that places the other at the center of the universe of love.
We recommend reading: Origin and Meaning of the Korean Heart
How to say: I’m in love in Korean?
In reality, the forms we learned in this article resemble passion, as they generally do not address a 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 special emotional state.
The phrase literally translates as “I am immersed in love”. It reflects the genuine and deep emotional involvement that passion brings with it, similar to “falling” in other languages.
- 너는 내 세상이야 (Neonen nae sesangiya): This phrase means “you are my world”. It is a way to say that the loved one is the most important thing in your life.
- 내 마음은 너에게 있다 (Nae maeumeun neoege itda): This phrase means “my heart is with you”. It is a way to say that you are always thinking of the loved one and that they are in your thoughts.
Other ways to express love in Korean
To conclude the article, I will quickly leave a list of words and phrases related to love in Korean. I hope you enjoyed this short article; if you did, share it and leave your comments.
- Neomu Joahae (너무 좋아해): “I like you very much”.
- Neomu Gwiyeowo (너무 귀여워): “You are very cute”.
- Neomu Aewohae (너무 아워해): “I miss you very much”.
- Jal Jal Saranghae (잘 잘 사랑해): “Take care, my love”.
- Saranghae, Saranghae, Saranghae (사랑해, 사랑해, 사랑해): “I love you, I love you, I love you”. Repeats 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 like you very much.
- 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.
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