Love & Affection

Words in this collection

• 애교 (ae-gyo) — A cultural cornerstone — the exaggerated cute voice, pout, or gesture used with a partner, parent, or even a boss to soften a request or show closeness. Doing '애교' well is a genuine social skill in Korean relationships, not just cringe.
• 애정하다 (ae-jeong-ha-da) — A younger-generation twist — turning the noun '애정' (affection) into a casual verb, the way English speakers might say 'I'm really into this'. You'll hear '나 이 노래 애정해' from someone in their 20s far more than from their parents.
• 애지중지하다 (ae-ji-jung-ji-ha-da) — A four-character-style phrase for treating something like a treasure — a grandmother who keeps her one photo of her late husband wrapped in cloth in a drawer '애지중지한다' it. It implies careful, protective devotion.
• 애틋하다 (ae-teut-ha-da) — The emotion parents feel looking at their sleeping child, or the feeling you get thinking of your first love. It's a mix of deep love, slight pity, and a wish to protect them. It's warm, but it makes your heart ache just a tiny bit.
• 다정하다 (da-jeong-ha-da) — One of the highest compliments for a partner or friend in Korean — a '다정한' person remembers small details and checks in on you without being asked. It's warmth expressed through consistent small actions.
• 정들다 (jeong-deul-da) — Connected to the famous concept of '정' — this is the verb for that attachment actually forming. You don't fall for a stray cat you feed once; you '정들다' with it slowly, over weeks of it showing up at your door.
• 짝사랑 (jjak-sa-rang) — Literally 'half love' or 'paired love' that isn't actually paired — the ache of loving someone who doesn't know, or doesn't feel the same. A staple word in K-drama plots and high school diaries alike.
• 콩깍지가 씌다 (kong-kkak-ji-ga ssui-da) — Literally 'to have a bean pod thrown over your eyes' — the Korean equivalent of 'love is blind'. Friends say this about you when you insist your new partner has zero flaws, which everyone else can clearly see isn't true.
• 사랑스럽다 (sa-rang-seu-reop-da) — Used for babies, puppies, and someone's dorky habit alike — it's the word for something that makes you want to smile just by looking at it, no romance required.
• 살갑다 (sal-gap-da) — About how someone treats people, not how they feel inside — a '살가운' daughter-in-law is one who chats easily and touches your arm when she laughs, the opposite of stiff and formal.