5 Ways to Say I Love You in Korean (According to K-Drama)

When it comes to learning Korean, probably the most familiar term is how to say I love you in Korean. Love is universal language so it makes sense if 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) is our first Korean vocabulary. This term appears in almost every K-drama. There must be a scene for love confession. Actually, there are several ways to say I love you in Korean. We will discuss them in this section. We should remember that Korean language consists of 3 basic speech levels: formal, casual, and informal (banmal). What you should notice is the kind of occasions and with whom you are talking to. The sentence depends on what kind of circumstances you are in.

1. 좋아하다 (Johahada) – Common Way to Say I Love You in Korean

We begin with the basic way to express our love feeling. 좋아하다 (Johahada) is the basic form and means “to like”. For informal way, you may say 좋아해 (johahae). If you prefer casual but still polite way, 좋아해요 (johahaeyo) is enough. However, if you are talking to older people or are in the formal occasions, you should say 좋아합니다 (johahamnida). The meaning is obvious: I like you. Based on grammatical pattern, the complete sentence is 저는 너를 좋아합니다 (jeoneun neoreul johahamnida). 저 (Jeo) is subject pronoun for “I” followed by subject particle -는 (-neun). 너 (Neo) is object pronoun for “you” followed by object particle -를 (-reul). However, if it’s a direct speech, you may drop the subject/ object and just say 좋아합니다.

2. 사랑하다 (Saranghada) – Popular Way to Say I Love You in Korean

I believe 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) is the popular Korean term. Perhaps this is our very first vocabulary in Korean. Its meaning is obvious: I love you. It derives from the base form 사랑하다 (saranghada). 사랑해 (Saranghae) is informal or banmal form. 사랑해요 (Saranghaeyo) is polite way but it sounds more casual. If you are in formal occasions (such as wedding ceremony) or are talking to older people (such as parents), you should say 사랑합니다 (saranghamnida). The grammatical rule is same with 좋아하다 explanation in point 1. You may drop the subject/ object for direct speech and just say the verb itself.

3. 사귀다 (Sagwida)

What’s the next step after saying I love you in Korean? Ask your crush to get along! 사귀다 (Sagwida) means “to date, get along, or go out”. It’s a chance to get closer each other. If you want to ask him/ her to date, just say 우리 사귈래요 (uri sagwillaeyo). It means “Let’s date” (우리 = us). Alternatively, you can say 나랑 사귈래요? (Narang sagwillaeyo). 나 (Na) is object pronoun for “me” and added by particle -랑 (-rang) that means “with”. 나랑 사귈래요? (Narang sagwillaeyo) means “Do you want to date with me?”. Surely both sentences sound polite. If you prefer the informal way, just drop suffix -요 from the verb.

4. 결혼하다 (Gyeorhonhada)

Let’s bring your love to the next level, marriage or 결혼 (gyeorhon) in Korean. 결혼하다 (Gyeorhonhada) means “to get marry”. How to ask someone to marry us? You can say 나랑 결혼하자 (narang gyeorhonhaja). 나 (Na) is object pronoun for “me” and -랑 (-rang) is particle “with”. 결혼하자 (Gyeorhonhaja) is basically from 결혼하다 (gyeorhonhada) added by particle -자 (-ja) to indicate asking someone to do something (marry). So, it means “marry me” in English.

5. 질투하다 (Jiltuhada) – Another Way to Say I Love You in Korean

Jealousy or 질투 (jiltu) is an implicit way to say I love you in Korean. It’s normal to get jealous if we are in a relationship or seeing him/her with other. However, people tend to not show their jealousy and even hide it although we can clearly see their expression. So, you may ask 질투해요? (Jiltuhaeyo). It means “Are you jealous?” And 99,99% they will deny it and react 질투 안해요 (jiltu anhaeyo) or “I am not jealous”.