彼のことが大好き
kare no koto ga daisuki
The phrase "i love him so much" in Japanese is 彼のことが大好き (kare no koto ga daisuki).
This phrase is used to express strong affection or deep love for a male person. In Japanese, the subject "I" (watashi) is often omitted in this phrase when the context makes it clear who is speaking. If you do choose to include the subject, note that Watashi is a neutral, polite pronoun.
Which one should you use?
While the word 愛してる (aishiteru) also means "to love," it is extremely heavy and dramatic. 彼のことが大好き is a more natural way to express deep affection in most social contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle が (ga) is a subject marker used here to mark the object of affection (him). This is because daisuki functions as an adjective in Japanese grammar.
How do you pronounce it?
kare no koto ga daisuki
Did you know?
- The phrase includes こと (koto), which literally means 'thing' or 'matter'. Adding it makes the affection feel more holistic, as if you love everything about his very being rather than just a single attribute.
- While 'him' is translated as 彼 (kare), this word can also mean 'boyfriend' in certain contexts. Using it to refer to a man can occasionally cause ambiguity about whether you are talking about a specific person or your partner.
- Japanese culture often values 'omotenashi' or indirectness, so expressing love through actions or subtle phrases is frequently more common than the directness of 'I love you'. Speaking your feelings too loudly can sometimes break the poetic tension of a moment.
Examples in context
- 彼のことが大好きです。kare no koto ga daisuki desu.I love him so much.
- 本当に彼のことが大好き。hontou ni kare no koto ga daisuki.I really love him so much.
- 昔から彼のことが大好きだった。mukashi kara kare no koto ga daisuki datta.I have loved him so much since a long time ago.
Example conversation
Yui is talking to her friend Kenta about her boyfriend.
- 結衣 Yuiねえ、健太、本当に彼のことが大好きだよ。nee, kenta, hontou ni kare no koto ga daisuki da yo.Hey, Kenta, I love him so much.
- 健太 Kentaそれは良かったね。sore wa yokatta ne.That's good to hear.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、彼のことが大好きすぎて困る。un, kare no koto ga daisuki sugite komaru.Yeah, I love him so much it's almost a problem.
- 健太 Kenta幸せそうで何よりだよ。shiawase sou de nani yori da yo.I'm just happy that you're happy.
