How to Say “I Love You” in Korean: 사랑해요 and More

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How do you say “I love you” in Korean? 사랑해 (saranghae) is one answer, but the ending you choose depends on your relationship and the setting.

Korean speech styles carry social information. 사랑해 is casual, 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) is informal-polite, and 사랑합니다 (saranghamnida) is formal-polite. None is a mechanical translation to use with every person.

This guide gives you the form, romanisation and likely setting for each phrase. It also explains common terms of address, so you do not turn a word from a drama into a nickname for the wrong relationship.

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Korean for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

How to Say “I Love You” in Korean

Start with the speech style, then learn the phrase as a complete line:

• “I love you” (casual): 사랑해 (saranghae)
• “I love you” (informal-polite): 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo)
• “I love you” (formal-polite): 사랑합니다 (saranghamnida)
• “I love you too” (casual): 나도 사랑해 (nado saranghae)
• “I like you” (casual): 좋아해 (joahae)
• “I like you” (informal-polite): 좋아해요 (joahaeyo)
• “My love”: 내 사랑 (nae sarang), often poetic or affectionate
• “Darling”: 자기 or 자기야 (jagi/jagiya), between close partners
• “Honey” or “dear”: 여보 (yeobo), especially between spouses
• “Boyfriend”: 남자 친구 (namja chingu); casual clipped form 남친 (namchin)
• “Girlfriend”: 여자 친구 (yeoja chingu); casual clipped form 여친 (yeochin)
• “Husband”: 남편 (nampyeon)
• “Wife”: 아내 (anae)
• “I miss you” or “I want to see you”: 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo)
• “I want to be with you”: 같이 있고 싶어요 (gachi itgo sipeoyo)

“I Love You” in Korean: Saranghaeyo

사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) is the informal-polite form. It can suit affectionate speech with a partner or family member when -요 style fits the relationship. The ending marks politeness; it does not add a separate meaning of gratitude.

사랑해 (saranghae) is casual. Use it where both people already use casual speech, including many couples and close family relationships. A close relationship matters more than the phrase being statistically “most common”.

사랑합니다 (saranghamnida) is formal-polite. You may hear it in speeches, public messages or an artist’s words to an audience, but audience size alone does not select the ending.

The National Institute of Korean Language’s Revised Romanization writes 사랑해요 as saranghaeyo. The ㄹ in 사랑 is romanised r in this position; writing it with l here is not standard. Learn the Korean sound from audio rather than treating either English letter as an exact match.

“Love” in Korean: Sarang

사랑 (sarang) is the noun “love”. Combine it with 하다 (hada, “to do”) to form 사랑하다 (saranghada), “to love”. 사랑해 and 사랑해요 are conjugated forms of that verb.

Korean often leaves out a subject or object when the context makes it recoverable. 사랑해 is still a verb addressed to someone, not the command “Love!”. Adding pronouns can sound contrastive or emphatic, so use them for a reason.

• “[Name] is the person I love.”: [이름]은/는 내가 사랑하는 사람이야. ([ireum]eun/neun naega saranghaneun saramiya, casual)
• “I love that person.”: 저는 그 사람을 사랑해요. (jeoneun geu sarameul saranghaeyo, informal-polite)
• “I love you.”: 나는 너를 사랑해. (naneun neoreul saranghae, casual and explicit)

The choice between 은/는 and object marker 을/를 depends on the word before it. Our guide to Korean particles explains those forms in context.

“I Like You” in Korean: Joahae

좋아하다 (joahada) means “to like”. 좋아해 (joahae) is casual, 좋아해요 (joahaeyo) is informal-polite, and 좋아합니다 (joahamnida) is formal-polite.

Said to a person in the right context, 좋아해 or 좋아해요 can express romantic interest. It can also mean ordinary liking, so the relationship and surrounding conversation carry part of the message.

Add 정말 (jeongmal, “really”) with a space: 정말 좋아해요. (Jeongmal joahaeyo.) That means “I really like you” when the person is understood.

“My Love” in Korean: Nae Sarang

내 사랑 (nae sarang) literally combines “my” and “love”. It can sound poetic, lyrical or deliberately affectionate rather than being the routine nickname for every couple.

• 여보 (yeobo): “honey” or “dear”, especially between spouses
• 자기 / 자기야 (jagi/jagiya): “darling” or “babe” in a close romantic relationship
• 귀요미 (gwiyomi): a “cutie” or cute person; a slang label, not a neutral term for every partner
• 공주님 / 왕자님 (gongjunim/wangjanim): “princess”/“prince”; playful and potentially stylised, depending on the couple

Pet names are personal. Notice what a couple already calls each other before borrowing one from a song or drama.

“Boyfriend” and “Girlfriend” in Korean

남자 친구 (namja chingu) means “boyfriend”, and 여자 친구 (yeoja chingu) means “girlfriend”. 남친 (namchin) and 여친 (yeochin) are clipped, casual forms. The full forms are not honorific versions; they are simply the unshortened nouns.

오빠 (oppa) is used by a woman for an older brother or, in a close relationship, an older man. Some women use it for an older male partner, but it does not mean “boyfriend” or “honey” by itself. Use it only when that age and relationship pattern is already established.

You will hear these terms in Korean television shows, but a scripted relationship tells you more than an isolated subtitle does.

“Husband” and “Wife” in Korean

남편 (nampyeon) means “husband”, and 아내 (anae) means “wife”. These are relationship nouns, not more polite forms of boyfriend and girlfriend.

Spouses may address each other as 여보 (yeobo). Some women continue to call an older husband 오빠 if that was already their relationship pattern, and 와이프 (waipeu) is an English-derived word for “wife”. None of those choices is compulsory.

The Korean Finger-Heart Gesture

Crossing your thumb and index finger creates the small “finger heart” associated with Korean popular culture. Performers and fans use it to show affection, appreciation or support.

It is not a word-for-word hand sign for 사랑해. Its meaning depends on the interaction, much like sending a heart emoji can be romantic, friendly or appreciative.

Other Romantic Korean Phrases

• “I love you very much.”: 너무 사랑해요. (Neomu saranghaeyo.)
• “I love you a lot.”: 많이 사랑해요. (Mani saranghaeyo.)
• “Someone I care for”: 아끼는 사람 (akkineun saram)
• “I’ve fallen in love.”: 사랑에 빠졌어요. (Sarange ppajyeosseoyo.)
• “Would you like to date?”: 사귈래요? (Sagwillaeyo?), a direct question whose force depends on the preceding conversation
• “I want to be with you.”: 같이 있고 싶어요. (Gachi itgo sipeoyo.)
• “I miss you” or “I want to see you.”: 보고 싶어요. (Bogo sipeoyo.)
• 썸 (sseom): slang for an ambiguous stage where two people show romantic interest but are not yet a couple
• 금사빠 (geumsappa): slang for a person who falls in love quickly

Slang moves quickly and can sound marked by age or online culture. Check it in a recent conversation before making it part of your own speech.

Choose the Korean Phrase That Fits

For a partner who already uses casual speech with you, 사랑해 may fit. If your relationship uses -요 style, 사랑해요 is the safer grammatical match. In a formal public message, 사랑합니다 may be the form you hear.

Listen to the whole phrase, copy the Korean sound rather than an English approximation, and check the social setting with a trusted speaker. Then use it because it suits the relationship, not because a list called it universal.

Next, learn how Korean numbers switch between two systems, or build a first conversation from these Korean phrases for beginners and travellers.