Dictionary — Entry No. 0711
사랑이야
sarang-i-ya · expression
사랑이야
sarang-i-ya
[sah-rahng-ee-YAH]
expressionbeginner
Meaning
Translates as ‘It is love’ or ‘This is love,’ using the informal copula -이야 to declare a state of being. Unlike 사랑해 (I love you as an action), 사랑이야 identifies something as love itself — a realization or proclamation. It often marks the emotional turning point in a relationship when confusion finally crystallizes into certainty.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
TWICE’s ‘What is Love?’ (2018) philosophically explores this question before the members finally arrive at 사랑이야. EXO’s ballad era, including ‘Universe,’ circles around this declarative certainty of feeling. In K-Drama climactic confession scenes, a character stopping mid-sentence to simply state 이게 사랑이야 signals the story’s emotional peak.
Example Sentences
이게 바로 사랑이야
Ige baro sarang-i-ya
This is exactly what love is (바로 = precisely, adds weight to the realization — the moment of no more doubting)
우린 사랑이야, 맞지?
Urin sarang-i-ya, matji?
We are love, right? (seeking confirmation — vulnerable and tender rather than triumphant)
처음부터 사랑이었어
Cheoeumseobuteo sarang-i-eosseo
It was love from the beginning (past tense realization, common in K-Drama flashback scenes of retroactive understanding)
⚠️ Don’t use sarang-i-ya when…
Match the register carefully: 사랑이야 (informal), 사랑이에요 (polite), 사랑입니다 (formal). Also distinguish between 사랑해 (to love — an action verb) and 사랑이야 (to be love — a state), as the nuance shifts meaningfully between declaration and realization.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Crash Landing on You — Ri Jeong-hyeok’s quiet moment of accepting that what he feels for Yoon Se-ri transcends duty and logic: 이게 사랑이야.
- K-Pop: TWICE — What is Love? (What is Love?)
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.