“I love you.” It is the phrase that everyone wants to hear. It is easy to say “I love you.” The tricky thing is, however, how to express sincere affection in other ways using the proper words. Today we are going to learn how to show affection and love in romantic situations using the Korean language.
Romanization below follows Revised Romanization. Forms ending in 요 are polite; 너랑, 싶어, and 해 줘 are casual and suit a close relationship. Match your words to the other person’s comfort.
1. 사랑해요 (I love you)
The most basic romantic phrase in Korean is 사랑해요 [saranghaeyo]. 사랑 is a native Korean word meaning love. 사랑해요 is a simple, polite way to express your love. The casual version is 사랑해 (saranghae).
2. 보고 싶어요 (I miss you)
If you love somebody, you will miss them when they are away. 보고 싶어요 [bogo sipeoyo] comes from the verb 보다 (To see). It literally means “I want to see you” and can express missing a partner, friend, or family member. You can also say 빨리 보고 싶어요 [ppalli bogo sipeoyo], which means “I want to see you soon.”
3. 예쁘다 (Beautiful) / 귀엽다 (Cute)
If you want to express affection to a woman, you can give her a compliment with the word 예쁘다 [yeppeuda] or 귀엽다 [gwiyeopda]. These are plain forms. Use 예뻐요 (yeppeoyo) or 귀여워요 (gwiyeowoyo) for polite conversation. The right compliment depends on the person and your relationship.
4. 잘생겼다 (Handsome) / 멋있다 (Cool)
If you want to express affection to a man, you can give him a compliment with the word 잘생겼다 [jalsaenggyeotda] or 멋있다 [meositda]. Polite conversational forms include 잘생겼어요 (jalsaenggyeosseoyo) and 멋있어요 (meosisseoyo). 멋있다 can describe anyone who looks stylish or impressive; it does not necessarily mean manly.
5. 라면 먹고 갈래요? (Want to have ramen before you go?)
라면 먹고 갈래요? (ramyeon meokgo gallaeyo?) literally asks, “Would you like to have ramen before you go?” In a romantic setting it can be a suggestive invitation to stay, somewhat like “Netflix and chill”. Context matters: it can also be an ordinary offer of food.
6. 너랑 있어서 행복해 (I am happy with you)
If you feel happy with someone and want to let them know it, you can say 너랑 있어서 행복해 (neorang isseoseo haengbokae). This means “I’m happy being with you.” It is casual speech for someone you are close to.
7. 항상 함께하고 싶어 (I want to always be with you)
You can say “항상 함께하고 싶어 [hangsang hamkkehago sipeo]” if you want to say, “I want to always be with you.” You can also say that you want to spend a specific time with someone using phrases like “이번 주말에 함께하고 싶어” (I want to spend this weekend with you).
8. 자기 (Darling)
자기 [jagi] is a romantic name to call your lover in Korean. It means “darling” in English. Partners of any gender may use it. 자기야 (jagiya) is a common way to address your partner directly.
9. 여보 (Honey)
여보 [yeobo] is a romantic name to call your lover in Korean. It means “honey” in English. It is used mainly between spouses, by either partner. It is not a general term for someone you have just started dating.
10. 뽀뽀 (Kiss)
뽀뽀 [ppoppo] is a cute way to say “kiss.” If you want to kiss someone, you can say “뽀뽀해 줘” (please kiss me) or just 뽀뽀.
Conclusion
Today we learned ten romantic Korean words and phrases. If you love a Korean woman or man right now, how about expressing your affection in Korean at the right time? It will be a delightful surprise for them. If you do not have someone in mind right now, you can practice how to express your love adequately in Korean for someone you will meet soon!