Expressing affection, checking on someone and asking them to stay are different conversational goals. Use these original examples to practise each one, then choose a sentence that fits the relationship.
Ten expressions, with context
| Korean | Meaning | A useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 잘 지내고 있어요? | Are you doing well? | A check-in, not necessarily romantic |
| 보고 싶었어요. | I missed you. | Past tense; 보고 싶어요 means “I miss you / want to see you” |
| 걱정했어요. | I was worried. | Korean can omit who was worried and about whom |
| 제 곁에 있어 줘요. | Please stay by my side. | A personal request, stronger than a neutral everyday instruction |
| 같이 있고 싶어요. | I want to be together. | -고 싶어요 expresses a wish to do something |
| 행복했어요. | I was happy. | Past tense does not itself mean a permanent goodbye |
| 잊지 마세요. | Please do not forget. | What must not be forgotten depends on context |
| 저를 잊지 마세요. | Please do not forget me. | 저를 explicitly supplies “me” |
| 처음 봤을 때부터 알았어요. | I knew from the first time I saw you. | 부터 marks a starting point |
| 사랑해요. | I love you. | Meaning and emotional weight depend on the relationship |
Translations supply subjects where English needs them. A Korean sentence without “you” or “me” is not necessarily missing a word.
Polite speech can appear in close relationships
An ending in -요 is polite speech, but it does not measure how close two people are. Couples may use polite or casual speech, and the choice can change with the situation. Ask what feels comfortable in your own relationship rather than treating one speech level as a universal rule.
당신 is not a neutral replacement for every English “you.” It can be intimate, literary or confrontational depending on context. Korean often uses a name or title, or leaves the person understood. The practice table avoids inserting 당신 into every sentence.
One pattern you can reuse: -고 싶어요
Take the verb stem and add -고 싶어요:
- 보다 → 보고 싶어요 — I want to see / I miss …
- 같이 걷다 → 같이 걷고 싶어요 — I want to walk together.
- 이야기하다 → 이야기하고 싶어요 — I want to talk.
Try completing 같이 ___고 싶어요 with a verb you know. Check the stem before attaching the ending; do not attach it to the dictionary form ending in 다.
Practise a two-turn exchange
A: 주말에 뭐 하고 싶어요? — What would you like to do this weekend?
B: 같이 걷고 싶어요. — I would like to take a walk together.
Change B’s answer using 이야기하다 (talk) or 커피를 마시다 (drink coffee). Say the answer before looking back at the pattern. Then decide whether it expresses affection directly or simply proposes spending time together.
Continue with supportive Korean expressions or more everyday Korean.