Korean · Words & Expressions
첫사랑
cheotsarang
Also written: cheot sarang; first love
A Korean noun for one’s first experience of romantic love or the person who was one’s first love.
Literal meaning
first love
Cultural context
First love carries strong cultural and narrative associations with youth, memory, innocence, regret, unfinished feelings, and the version of oneself that existed at that time.
How dramas use it
A first love may return years later, complicate a present relationship, reveal a childhood connection, or function as a memory that shaped a character’s expectations of love.
Usage & formality
The term can refer to the feeling, the relationship, or the person. It does not necessarily mean the character’s greatest or final love.