Ways to say it
| Armenian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս | du inj dur es galis | informal |
| ես քեզ հավանում եմ | es kʻez havanum em | informal |
Use դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս when you want to express a general attraction or a sense that someone's presence is pleasant. It is the most common way to express liking someone's personality or presence.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս literally translates to "you are pleasing to me".
Which one should you use?
While both are used to say "I like you", they have different nuances. դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս focuses on the person being pleasing to you, whereas ես քեզ հավանում եմ is more direct and is often used to express liking someone's actions, a specific quality or in a more casual, almost platonic sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both ես քեզ հավանում եմ and դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս are informal.
How do you pronounce it?
du inj dur es galis
Did you know?
- The word դուր is derived from the Old Armenian word դիւր, which relates to an opening or entrance.
- In Armenian culture, stating դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս is often considered more modest and less aggressive than the more direct ես քեզ հավանում եմ.
- Armenians often use the word դուր to describe liking inanimate objects or food, treating the object as if it is 'entering' their preference.
Examples in context
- Ազնիվ ասում եմ, դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս:Azniv asum em, du indz dur es galis:I'm telling the truth, I like you.
Example conversation
A young man confesses his feelings to a woman at a cafe.
- Տիգրան TigranՄարիամ, դու ինձ դուր ես գալիս:Mariam, du indz dur es galis:Mariam, I like you.
- Մարիամ MariamԻսկապե՞ս Տիգրան:Iskapes Tigran:Really, Tigran?
- Տիգրան TigranԱյո, ես դա լրջորեն ասում եմ:Ayo, es da lrjoren asum em:Yes, I am saying that seriously.
- Մարիամ MariamՇատ ուրախ եմ դա լսել:Shat urakh em da lsel:I am very happy to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I like you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries դու, դուր, եմ, ես, ինձ, CC BY-SA 4.0.