사랑해, the "I love you" you already know
사랑해 (saranghae) is the most famous Korean phrase abroad: "I love you". The verb 사랑하다 (saranghada) comes from 사랑 (love), a strong word used freely between lovers, but also for parents, children and very close people.
Three levels depending on context and recipient:
• 사랑해 (saranghae): casual, to a partner, child, or close person. • 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo): polite but affectionate, to a parent, grandparent, or in a respectful romantic context. • 사랑합니다 (saranghamnida): formal, mostly written, in a letter, speech or to make the expression solemn.
Counter to the cliché, 사랑해요 sounds very warm and is actually the most-used version among married or settled couples.
- 사랑해saranghaeI love you(casual, partner, child)
- 사랑해요saranghaeyoI love you (polite, warm)(parent, spouse, tender register)
- 사랑합니다saranghamnidaI love you (formal)(letter, speech, solemn moment)
사랑해 vs 좋아해: the beginner trap
THE classic confusion: thinking 좋아해 is just a "softer" version of 사랑해. It's not.
• 사랑해 = I love you, in the strong romantic or deep familial sense. • 좋아해 (joahae) = I like you / I have a crush on you / I fancy you.
좋아해 comes from 좋다 (to be good). It's a more measured statement, used at the start of a relationship, to confess a crush, or simply to say you like someone. Dropping 사랑해 too early on a Korean partner sounds excessive, even slightly intense.
Typical relationship arc: you start with 좋아해 (I like you), move to 너무 좋아해 (I really like you a lot), and only get to 사랑해 once the relationship has settled.
- 좋아해joahaeI like you, I fancy you(early relationship, confessing a crush)
- 좋아해요joahaeyoI like you (polite)(polite, measured statement)
- 너무 좋아해neomu joahaeI really like you a lot(stepping stone before 사랑해)
I miss you: 보고 싶어
Korean has a beautiful phrase for "I miss you": 보고 싶어 (bogo sipeo), literally "I want to see you". It's what you say to someone traveling, a parent you haven't seen in a while, or a long-distance partner.
The polite version is 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo). To intensify: 너무 보고 싶어 ("I miss you so much").
It's also the line you'll hear most in Korean love songs, for the nuance of absence and longing it carries.
- 보고 싶어bogo sipeoI miss you(casual, to a far-away close person)
- 보고 싶어요bogo sipeoyoI miss you (polite)(to a parent, polite register)
- 너무 보고 싶어neomu bogo sipeoI miss you so much(intensity, long absence)
- 많이 사랑해mani saranghaeI love you so much(emotional intensity)
Korean terms of endearment
Korean uses very common pet names between partners. A few classics:
• 자기야 (jagiya): "honey / babe", the most common romantic pet name. 자기 means "self" and the -야 suffix marks the call. • 여보 (yeobo): traditional pet name for married couples, equivalent of "my love". • 우리 (uri) + first name: affectionate possessive, "my X" (literally "our X"). Very common with a partner's name.
For everyday gestures, the word for a soft "kiss" is 뽀뽀 (ppoppo) for a tender peck, and 키스 (kiseu, loanword) for a romantic kiss.
- 자기야jagiyaHoney, babe(couples, common pet name)
- 여보yeoboMy love (married couples)(traditional, marital)
- 우리 자기uri jagiMy honey(very affectionate)
- 뽀뽀ppoppoA peck, a kiss(tender, both childlike and romantic)
Beyond romance: parents and very close friends
사랑해 isn't limited to romance. Koreans say 사랑해요 to parents, grandparents, and more rarely to very close friends in big moments (a birthday, a goodbye).
To a parent, it's 사랑해요 (with the polite -요) that fits, never plain 사랑해. To a child, 사랑해 sounds right: tender and accessible.
Between friends, saying 사랑해 stays rare and a bit charged. Affection is more often expressed with 고마워 (thanks, with a broader emotional weight) or 너 진짜 좋아 ("I really like you").
- 엄마, 사랑해요eomma, saranghaeyoMom, I love you(to a parent, polite + tender)
- 딸, 사랑해ttal, saranghaeDaughter, I love you(parent to child)
- 고마워, 사랑해gomawo, saranghaeThank you, I love you(big moment between close people)
Common mistakes to avoid
Three classic traps for English speakers discovering Korean love language:
1. **Saying 사랑해 too early.** For Koreans, 사랑해 marks a serious step. Early in a relationship you stay on 좋아해. Moving too fast can make the other person uncomfortable.
2. **Confusing 좋아해 and 사랑해.** 좋아해 = "I like you / fancy you". 사랑해 = "I love you". It's not about intensity of the same phrase, they are TWO different statements.
3. **Using 사랑해 between friends.** Outside of very specific moments, it sounds odd or ambiguous. Prefer 너 진짜 좋아 ("I really like you") or a 고마워 carrying emotion.