Ways to Share Love in Korean: Sa-rang-hae Meaning & More

A comprehensive collection of romantic and loving Korean phrases

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: February 20, 2023 References Approved

Ways to Say “I Love You”

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How do you say “I love you” in Korean in a cute way?

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Romantic Korean Phrases

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Q&A

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Tips

Whether you’re casually interested in the Korean language and culture or are working your way up to fluency, “I love you” is a pretty important phrase to have in your vocabulary arsenal. As a language, Korean is structured around different speech formality levels, so there are actually multiple ways to say “I love you”—it all depends on who you’re talking to. Keep reading to learn some new ways to share the love with your significant other, friends, and family.

Things You Should Know

Sa-rang-hae is the casual way to say “I love you,” and is what you’d say to your friend, partner, or someone younger than you.
Sa-rang-hae-yo is the polite way to say “I love you”—it’s the phrase you might use when talking to your parents or teachers.
Sa-rang-hap-ni-da is the most formal way to say “I love you.” You’d use this form of the phrase when speaking to a person of a much higher social rank.
Sa-rang-haeng is a really cute way to say “I love you.”

Section 1 of 3:

Ways to Say “I Love You”

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Sa-rang-hae (사랑해)Sa-rang-hae is an informal form of the verb “sa-rang-ha-da,” which comes from sa-rang (사랑), the Korean word for “love,” and ha-da (하다), the Korean verb “to have/do.” You’d use this variety of “I love you” when speaking with a partner, close friend, or someone younger than you.^{[1]
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Research source} When calling someone by name using the casual “sa-rang-hae,” add an “ah” (아) suffix to the person’s name if it ends in a consonant or a “ya” (야) suffix if it ends in a vowel.^{[2]
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- “Sa-rang-hae, Su-a-ya” (사랑해, 수아야) translates to “I love you, Sua.” Since “Sua” ends in a vowel, the “ya” suffix is added.
- “Sa-rang-hae, Ye-jun-a” (사랑해, 예준아) translates to “I love you, Yejun.” Because “Yejun” ends with a consonant, the “ah” suffix is added.
- Korean is a contextual language where pronouns like “I” and “you” are often implied rather than actually said.^{[3]
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Sa-rang-hae-yo (사랑해요)Just like “sa-rang-hae,” “sa-rang-hae-yo” also stems from “sa-rang-ha-da,” the Korean verb for “to love.” This version of “I love you” is polite, and is what you’d use to platonically say “I love you” to someone like a parent or teacher.^{[4]
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Research source} If you’re calling someone by name with sa-rang-hae-yo, add the “ssi” (씨) suffix to their first or full name as a sign of respect.^{[5]
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- “Sa-rang-hae-yo, uh-muh-ni” (사랑해요, 어머니) translates to “I love you, mom.” (You don’t need to add the “ssi” suffix when you’re talking to someone like a parent or teacher—instead, just use the normal title.)
- “Sa-rang-hae-yo, Min-seo-ssi” (사랑해요, 민서씨) translates to “I love you, Minseo.”
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Sa-rang-hap-ni-da (사랑합니다)While still a version of the “sa-rang-ha-da” verb, sa-rang-hap-ni-da is far more formal than “sa-rang-hae” or “sa-rang-hae-yo.” You only use this phrase when speaking to someone in a significantly higher social rank than you, like a grandparent or your employer.^{[6]
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Research source} Just like with “sa-rang-hae-yo,” add the “ssi” (씨) suffix when referring to someone by their name.^{[7]
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- “Sa-rang-hap-ni-da, hal-meo-ni” (사랑합니다, 할머니) translates to “I love you, grandma.”
- “Sa-rang-hap-ni-da, Ji-yun-ssi” (사랑합니다, 지윤씨) translates to “I love you, Jiyoon.”

Section 2 of 3:

How do you say “I love you” in Korean in a cute way?

Sa-rang-haeng (사랑행) is a cute way to say “I love you” in Korean. “Sa-rang-haeng” takes the casual “sa-rang-hae” and replaces the “hae” ending with the “haeng” suffix. For some, the “haeng” sounds especially “aegyo” (애교), or cute.^{[8]
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Section 3 of 3:

Romantic Korean Phrases

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Jo-a-hae-yo (좋아해요): “I like you”“Jo-a-hae-yo” stems from “jo-a-ha-da” (좋아하다), the verb “to like.” It’s a great way to share your feelings with a romantic interest in your life without sounding too intense.^{[9]
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Research source} Like “sa-rang-hae-yo,” “jo-a-hae-yo” also has different formality levels:
- Informal: Jo-a-hae (좋아해) - what you’d say to a best friend or someone who’s around the same age/younger than you
- Polite: Jo-a-hae-yo (좋아해요) - what you’d say to someone who’s a few years older than you or someone you don’t know well
- Formal: Jo-a-hap-ni-da (좋아합니다) - what you’d use in a formal setting (like with a teacher or employer)^{[10]
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Na-do sa-rang-hae (나도 사랑해): “I love you, too”Let’s say that your partner just said “sa-rang-hae” (I love you) to you. In response, you could say “na-do sa-rang-hae,” or “I love you, too.”^{[11]
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- Person:1: Sa-rang-hae (사랑해)!
  Person 2: Na-do sa-rang-hae (나도 사랑해)!
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Dang-shin eob-shin mot sar-a (당신 없인 못 살아): “I can’t live without you”Want to take your romantic confession to the next level? Say “dang-shin eob-shin mot sar-a” instead of (or in addition to!) “sa-rang-hae.” It translates to “I can’t live without you,” and is a pretty powerful way to pull on someone’s heartstrings.^{[12]
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Bo-go si-peo ( 보고 싶어): “I miss you”Can’t wait to see your partner again? “Bo-go si-peo” is a great, informal way to let them know they’re on your mind.^{[13]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I say "I love you sister or younger sister"?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You'd say "sa-rang-hae nu-na" (사랑해 누나) if speaking to your older sister and "sa-rang-hae dong-saeng-a (사랑해 동생아) if you're speaking to your younger sister.
Question

How do you write and say thank you in Korean?

Community Answer

고마워 - gomawo (informal) 고마워요 - gomawoyo (formal) 고맙습니다 - gomapseupnida formal x2) 감사해요 - gamsahaeyo (formal x3) 감사합니다 - gamsahapnida (formal x4) - mostly used
Question

How do I say "my daughter" in Korean?

Community Answer

"딸" ("dtal") means "daughter," while "아들" ("ah-deul") means "son." For "my daughter," you can say "내 딸" ("nae-dtal"), or more politely, "제 딸" ("cheh-dtal").