How to Say "I Love You" in Korean

The everyday way to say it is 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo). Korean changes the ending depending on who you talk to, so here are the forms you'll actually hear.

Phrase · audio · pronunciation
Polite

사랑해요

saranghaeyo

Strangers, shop staff, coworkers and most adults. The safe default.

Formal

사랑합니다

saranghamnida

Speeches, customers, older people and first meetings at work.

Casual

사랑해

saranghae

Close friends, younger people and family.

When to use it

Couples and close family say 사랑해. 사랑해요 is used to parents, in songs and in messages; 사랑합니다 is for speeches and fan signs.

What people say back

나도 사랑해 (nado saranghae): I love you too

Letter by letter: 사랑해요

Korean is written in syllable blocks. Here is what each block of 사랑해요 is made of.

BlockLettersSounds
사ㅅ + ㅏㅅ s, ㅏ a
랑ㄹ + ㅏ + ㅇㄹ r / l, ㅏ a, ㅇ ng (at the end)
해ㅎ + ㅐㅎ h, ㅐ ae
요ㅇ + ㅛㅇ silent, ㅛ yo

New to the letters? Tap through the Hangul chart to hear each one.

How to type it

On a standard Korean keyboard (2-set), press these keys in order:

TㅅKㅏFㄹKㅏDㅇGㅎOㅐDㅇYㅛ

Practice with the online Korean keyboard, or learn the layout in the typing test.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "I love you" in Korean?

The everyday polite way is 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo). The formal version is 사랑합니다. With close friends, say 사랑해.

How do you pronounce 사랑해요?

It sounds like "saranghaeyo". Press the speaker button on this page to hear it.

Romanization: Revised Romanization of Korean, with sound changes. Audio: a recorded native-sounding Korean voice.
Last checked: 2026-10-20