How to say “My love” in Korean

  1. 내 사랑nae sarang

    My love

"My love" in Korean is 내 사랑 (nae sarang). 내 means "my" and 사랑 means "love". Couples also use pet names like 자기야 (jagiya) and, once married, 여보 (yeobo).

Ways to say it

KoreanLevelWhen to use it
내 사랑
nae sarang		CasualSweet and a little dramatic. Common in texts, letters and songs.
자기야
jagiya		Casual"Honey" or "babe". The pet name dating couples use most.
여보
yeobo		Any"Honey" between married couples. Used with both casual and polite speech.
나의 사랑
naui sarang		Any"My love" in a more poetic, written style. Found in letters, poems and lyrics.

Examples

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Ending a good night text

Sleep well, my love.

Calling a boyfriend or girlfriend

Honey, what are you doing?

A wife asking her husband

Honey, did you eat?
Kkachi the magpie

Hanbok explains every word and ending in a sentence, with audio and a translation. Try it on this example, or paste your own line from a drama, a song or a text.

Tips

내 사랑 is lovely in writing, but many couples feel shy saying it out loud every day. In daily speech, 자기야 is much more common.

여보 is for married couples. Dating couples who call each other 여보 are being playful.

More on 내 사랑, 자기야 and 여보 in our Korean phrase guides.

Questions learners ask

What does nae sarang mean?

내 사랑 (nae sarang) means "my love". It is a term of endearment used between partners.

What do Korean couples call each other?

Dating couples often say 자기야 (jagiya). Married couples say 여보 (yeobo). A woman may also call an older boyfriend 오빠 (oppa).

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