💘 From Crush to Lover: Confessing in Korean!

1. Title

💘 From Crush to Lover: Confessing in Korean!

2. Introduction

Hello, everyone! It’s Daily Hangul (매일한글), here to upgrade your Korean skills! 😊

Have you ever watched a K-Drama where the main character finally gathers the courage to tell their friend, “I like you”? That heart-pounding moment is called a Confession (Gobaek, 고백)!

Today, we are going to learn how to turn a “One-sided love” (Jjaksarang, 짝사랑) into a real relationship. If you have a crush on a Korean friend, or if you just want to understand those romantic scenes in K-Dramas like Business Proposal or King the Land without subtitles, this lesson is for you! Let’s learn how to succeed in love! 🥰

3. Key Expressions

Here are the 3 magic phrases you need to succeed in your confession!

1️⃣ 좋아해 (Joahae)

• Korean: 좋아해
• Pronunciation: [Joahae]
• English Meaning: I like you.
• Detail: This is the most common way to express your feelings casually to someone close to you. It’s simple but powerful. If you want to be more polite (or if you are not close friends yet), add ‘yo’ at the end: “좋아해요 (Joahaeyo).”
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip: Notice how you don’t hear the ‘H’ sound clearly? In Korean, when ‘ㅎ’ comes between vowels, the sound becomes very weak or silent. So, instead of saying “Jo-Ha-Hae,” it sounds more naturally like “Jo-Ah-Hae.”

2️⃣ 나랑 사귈래? (Narang sagwillae?)

• Korean: 나랑 사귈래?
• Pronunciation: [Narang sagwillae?]
• English Meaning: Will you go out with me? / Do you want to date me?
• Detail: This is the decisive phrase! “사귀다 (Sagwida)” means “to date” or “to be in a relationship.” Asking this means you want to be official boyfriend/girlfriend.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip: The ‘ㄹ’ (l) sound at the bottom of ‘귈’ meets the ‘ㄹ’ (l) in ‘래’. When double ‘L’s meet, pronounce it strongly like the ‘L’ in ‘Lily’. [Sa-gwil-lae].

3️⃣ 오늘부터 1일 (Oneulbuteo 1-il)

• Korean: 오늘부터 1일
• Pronunciation: [Oneulbuteo iril]
• English Meaning: Today is Day 1.
• Detail: This is a huge success phrase! 🎉 In Korea, counting the days of a relationship is very important. Saying this confirms that the relationship has officially started starting today.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip: ‘1일’ is written as ‘1-il’ but pronounced like [iril] because the empty consonant ‘ㅇ’ takes the sound of the previous consonant ‘l’ (ㄹ) from the number 1 (il). So it connects: [Oneulbuteo iril].

4. Real-life Dialogue

Let’s see how Min-su confesses to his friend, Ji-min, at a quiet park.

(Min-su is nervous but looks at Ji-min)
* Min-su: 지민아, 나 할 말 있어. (Jimina, na hal mal isseo.)
* Jimin, I have something to say.
* Ji-min: 응? 뭔데? (Eung? Mwonde?)
* Huh? What is it?
* Min-su: 나 사실 너 좋아해. (Na sasil neo joahae.)
* Actually, I like you.
* Ji-min: 정말? (Jeongmal?)
* Really?
* Min-su: 응. 나랑 사귈래? (Eung. Narang sagwillae?)
* Yeah. Will you go out with me?
* Ji-min: 좋아! 그럼 우리 오늘부터 1일이다! (Joa! Geureom uri oneulbuteo 1-ilida!)
* Okay! Then today is Day 1 for us!

5. Culture Tip & K-Drama Vibes

🇰🇷 The “Day 1” Culture (1일 문화)

In many Western cultures, the start of a relationship can be vague. But in Korea, clarity is key! The phrase “오늘부터 1일” (Today is Day 1) is iconic.

Why count the days? Because Korean couples celebrate 100 days (100일), 200 days, and even 1000 days! It’s a big event where couples exchange rings or gifts. So, remembering the exact start date is crucial for survival in a Korean relationship! 😉

6. Wrap-up & Quiz

Today, we learned how to confess your love and succeed! Don’t be afraid to express your feelings. Here is a quick quiz to check your understanding!

📝 Practice Quiz

1. How do you say “I like you” in casual Korean?
   -> ( ) ( ) ( )

2. If you want to ask someone to be your boyfriend/girlfriend, what do you say?
   -> 나랑 ( ) ( ) ( )?

3. True or False: In Korea, couples celebrate their 100th day together.
   -> ( )

Answers:
1. 좋아해 (Joahae)
2. 사귈래 (Sagwillae)
3. True (O)