Key Facts
- Hangul: 첫사랑; Revised Romanization: cheotsarang; pronounced [cheot-ssa-rang]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral; very common in dramas and songs.
First Love in Korean: What Does 첫사랑 Mean?
첫사랑 is one compound noun with a single sense, first love. The register is neutral, which is why it fits both a casual chat and a song lyric. It describes the person as well as the feeling: 그는 제 첫사랑이에요 names a person.
How Do You Pronounce 첫사랑?
It is pronounced [cheot-ssa-rang]. The final ㅅ of 첫 is said as an unreleased t, and that stop makes the ㅅ of 사랑 tense, a sharp ss, so do not read it as a soft s.
Example Sentences with 첫사랑
그는 제 첫사랑이에요.
geuneun je cheotsarangieyo.
He is my first love.
A plain statement of identity. 이에요 is the "is" ending, and 제 means "my".
첫사랑을 잊을 수 없어요.
cheotsarangeul ijeul su eopseoyo.
I can't forget my first love.
The verb phrase 잊을 수 없어요 means "cannot forget". The topic is nostalgia, the usual mood around this word.
첫사랑 이야기를 들었어요.
cheotsarang iyagireul deureosseoyo.
I heard a first-love story.
Here 첫사랑 works almost like an adjective placed in front of 이야기, giving "first-love story".
Common Phrases and Collocations
첫사랑을 만나다 is meeting a first love, and 첫사랑의 추억 is the memories attached to one. The pattern 첫사랑 이야기 is the standard way to label a story or drama plot.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 첫사랑을 만나다 | meet a first love |
| 첫사랑 이야기 | first-love story |
| 첫사랑의 추억 | memories of a first love |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners mix up 첫사랑 (first love) and 짝사랑 (unrequited love) because both end in 사랑.
Wrong: assuming 첫사랑 always means a crush that was never returned.
Correct: 짝사랑 specifically means one-sided love. 첫사랑 says when it happened, first in your life, while 짝사랑 says the feeling was one-sided. A first love can be mutual, and an unrequited love can be your fifth.
첫사랑 Compared with Similar Words
Two related words share half of 첫사랑. 첫눈 is the first snow of the year, which shares the prefix 첫 and often appears in the same romantic scenes. 짝사랑 shares the 사랑 half but means one-sided love.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 첫사랑 | first love | This page's word |
| 첫눈 | first snow | Shares 첫 (first), but it is about weather |
| 짝사랑 | one-sided love | Shares 사랑, but the love is not returned |
Where Does the Word Come From?
첫사랑 is native Korean with no hanja recorded. It is built from 첫 (first) plus 사랑 (love).
An Old Class Photo Brings Back a First Love
Two friends look through a school photo album. One recognizes a face and asks whether the person is still in touch.
Mina
이 사람이 제 첫사랑이에요.
I sarami je cheotsarangieyo.
This person is my first love.
Alex
같은 학교에 다녔어요?
Gateun hakgyoe danyeosseoyo?
Did you go to the same school?
Mina
네. 지금은 연락 안 해요.
Ne. Jigeumeun yeollak an haeyo.
Yes. We are not in touch now.
Alex
오랜만에 사진을 보니까 어때요?
Oraenmane sajineul bonikka eottaeyo?
How does it feel to see the photo after so long?
이 사람 means “this person”, so the first line does not specify a gender. 첫사랑 also has no gender built into it. The listener asks about school and present contact; the word 첫사랑 alone does not say when the two met or whether they ever dated.
지금은, “as for now”, contrasts the present with the old photograph. A conversation about a first love can be about a memory rather than a current relationship. 연락 안 해요 says they are not in touch; it does not explain why.
Can a First Love Also Be One-Sided?
A first love can also be 짝사랑. 첫사랑 identifies the first experience of romantic love, while 짝사랑 identifies feelings that are not returned. The two words answer different questions about the same experience. If your first love never knew how you felt, both descriptions can fit.
첫사랑 does not necessarily mean a first boyfriend or girlfriend. Korean uses 사귀다 for dating or being in a relationship, and that extra information must come from the sentence or story. Calling someone a first love does not tell the listener whether the feeling became a relationship.
A new speaker may translate “first date” as though it were the same expression. 첫 데이트 names the first date or outing. 첫사랑 names the love or the person loved. A first date with a new partner need not be your first experience of love.
Reading First-Love Stories in Dramas and Songs
첫사랑의 추억 means memories of a first love. 의 connects the memory with the person or experience; it does not say those memories are pleasant. A drama may later reveal a happy reunion, a rejection or an unresolved misunderstanding. The phrase itself leaves the story open.
첫사랑을 잊다 means to forget a first love. The existing example adds 을 수 없어요 to say “cannot forget”. In a song, this can express lasting attachment to the first love, even when the relationship has ended.
첫사랑과 재회하다 means to reunite with a first love. 재회 is meeting again after time apart, so it is more specific than 만나다, “meet”. A plot summary using 재회 tells you the characters have a shared past. It does not promise that they become a couple again.
Related Relationship Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 고백 | confession of feelings | Saying how you feel does not guarantee the other person agrees. |
| 사귀다 | to date / be in a relationship | Adds relationship information that 첫사랑 alone lacks. |
| 연인 | romantic partner / lovers | Refers to a romantic relationship, not necessarily a first love. |
| 재회 | reunion | A meeting again after separation. |
The K-drama vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set used in plot summaries. These words help you distinguish a remembered crush, an actual relationship and a later reunion without filling in events that the story has not stated.
Quick Self-Test
- Must a 첫사랑 have dated the speaker?
- Can one person be both your 첫사랑 and your 짝사랑?
- Does 재회 mean meeting someone for the first time?
Show answers
- No. The word alone does not say that a relationship began.
- Yes, if your first love was one-sided.
- No. It means meeting again after time apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "first love" in Korean?
Say 첫사랑 (cheotsarang), pronounced [cheot-ssa-rang].
How do you say "He is my first love"?
Say 그는 제 첫사랑이에요.
Is 첫사랑 the same as 짝사랑?
No. 첫사랑 is the first love; 짝사랑 is love that is not returned.
Where will I hear 첫사랑?
Mostly in dramas and songs, where it is very common, and in everyday talk about past relationships.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: K-drama words. Dramas are where 첫사랑 turns up most.
- Index: look up more words near "first love" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: the word for first love fits into the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in this list, see the page for love triangle.